Book II. O^^lTHOLOgr* 



$•■ vir. 



Bellonius his Greek Partridge, or great red Partridge, the fame with the precedent. 



THe great Partridge which the Grecians, following the Italians, commonly call 

 Coturno, feems to us to be different from the Partridges both of Trance and 

 * Gothland: For it is twice as big as our Country Partridge, hath red Bill and Legs, *Gotbtii 

 is fpotted on the Breaft and fides in like manner as ours, of the bignefs of a * hand- * or indiffe- 

 fom Hen. This kind of Partridge is fo frequent in the Rocks of Colme, the Cyclades renr > meaii ° 

 Iflands, and the Sea-coaft of Candy, that there is notfuch plenty of any other bird, fize<L 

 Their cry is different from that of our Partridge, being great and fbnorous, efpeci- 

 ally in breeding and coupling time, when they expreis and often repeat the found of 

 this word [ Cacabk~\ whence it fhould feem that the Latines were taught by the Greeks 

 to exprefs the note of a Partridge by the word Cacabare. We alfo borrowed the 

 mmeCacabis, whereby we in fome places call a Partridge from their voice or cry. 

 They follow one another on the Rocks. Of this kind, in my judgment, Arijiotle is to 

 be underftood when he faith. If Hens couple with Partridges they generate a- different 

 kind. They build in an open place without cove*r or fhelter in May-time, among cer- 

 tain herbs, what time they come down from the Rocks, feeking convenient places to 

 build and bring up their Young. They lay their Eggs upon the ground, under fbme 

 great ftone, fometimes eighteen, fometimes fixteen, more or lefs, like Hens Eggs, 

 butlefs, white, and fpeckled thick with fmall red fpots, very good to eat as Hens Eggs, 

 but their Yolks congeal not. After they have hatcht their Young, they lead them 

 out into the Champain or open fields to feek their food. Wherefore we think this 

 kind of Partridge to be altogether different from ours : for in fbme places of Italy 

 both kinds are found, and called by divers names, viz. This by the name of Coturno 

 the other by the name of Per dice or Pernice. Thus far Bellonius. 



Aldrovandus thinks that this bird differs from the greater red Partridge or Cotur* 

 vice of the Italians only in bignefs : and truly lam now wholly come over to his opi- 

 nion, fith Bellonius himfelf makes them all one. What Partridges Bellonius means by 

 the Partridges of Gothia I know not. 



§. VIIL 



The ghtait, Cbturnix, 



TT is the leaft bird in this kind 5 of a flatter or broader body, and not fb narrow or 

 compreifed fideways as the Land-Hail ox Dakgr-Hen. Its length from the tip of the 

 Bill to the end of the Tail is feven inches and an half: Its breadth between the ex- 

 tremities of the Wings fpread fourteen inches. 



Its Bill from the tip to the corners of the mouth half an inch long: its figure more 

 depreffed and plain than in the reft of this kind : The lower Chap black, the uppei 

 of a pale dusky. The hides of the Eyes are of a hazel colour : The Eyes have a 

 nictating membrane. 



The Breaft and Belly are of a dirty pale yellow: The Throat hath a little mixture 

 of red [ ruffi.~] Under the lower Chap of the Bill is a long and broad ftroke of black 

 tending downward. Above the Eyes, and along the middle of the Head are whitifh 

 lines. The head is black, only the edges of the feathers reddifti or cinereous. The 

 middle part of each covert-feather of the Back and lower part of the Neck is marked 

 witha yellowifh white ftroke, the reft of the feather being particoloured of black and 

 reddjlh afh-colour. Under the Wings is a bed of white terminated on each fide with 

 ^ajiorder of red mingled with black. 



The beam or quill-feathers of the Wings are dusky, crofled with pale red lines: 

 Ths lefTer rows of hard feathers in the Wings are almoft wholly of one and the fame 

 reddifti colour. The Tail is (hort, not above an inch and half long, confifting of 

 twelve feathers, of a blackifh colour interrupted With pale-red tranfverfe lines.. 



The Feet are pale-coloured, covered with a skin divided rather into fcales than 

 entire rings ; The foals of the Feet yellow. The outer Toes, as far as the firft joynt, 

 are connected with the middlemoft by an intervening membrane. 



It hath a Gall-bladder. The Cock had great Tefticles for the bignefs of its body, 

 whence we may infer that it is a falacious bird. It hath a mufculous Stomach oe 



Z Gizzard j 



