3 i8 0^3\ClTH0L0gr. Book III. 



§. XII. 



The third Brajilian Water-hen of Marggrave. 



IT is for figure and bignefslike and equal to the precedent, but different in colour. 

 The whole Head, Neck, Back, and Tail are black, the beginning of the Wings 

 brown: The remaining part green 5 the ends of the quil-feathers brown: Moreover 

 theBreaft and lower Belly are of a brown colour, as alfo the upper half of the upper 

 Legs. TheBillisftreight, of a Saffron-colour, with a red skin at its rife, and on 

 the fore-part of the Head. The Legs are bare, the Feet afh-coloured. In the fore- 

 part of each Wing it hath the like horn or Ipur as the former, of a yellow colour. 

 * The horned This is the * Avis cornuta of Nierembergius, or rather Hernandez^ which the Indians 

 b * rd " ( faith he ) call Tohualcuachili^ or Caput noUurnum. 



r 



1 



§. XIII. 



The fourth Brajilian Water-hen of Marggrave. 



JT is of the fame figure or fhape with the reft. Its Bill is yellow. It hath a red 

 skinny Miter or Cap on its forehead near the rife of its Bill : It hath alfo proceffes 



* ?fP n * £"' exten ded down the fides after the manner of the * Guiny Hens. Its whole Head, 

 chance'h?"" Neck, Breaft, and lower Belly are covered with black feathers. The Back, Tail, and 

 may mean beginning of the Wings with red, or light brown. The quil-feathers of the Wings 

 rar^ys. are Q £ a Sea-green, with black tips, but they are covered with thofe red [ or ruffet ] 



ones forementioned, and cannot be feen unlefs when the bird flies. Its Legs are long 3 

 *ifuppofeheitsToes alfo long: Each hath *four joynts, of an afti-colour. Each Wing in the 

 miLken^r fore-part hath a very fharp horn [ or fpur ] of a Saffron colour. 



no bird we 



erer favv hath c y jy 



an equal num- ■"• ^ lv ' 



ber of joynts 



%7tS swift A W ater 'Z> e "o caUe * h the Brafiians, Tamatia. 



FT hath the Bill of a SparrowhavpJ^ y is of the bignefs of Yajjana aju, walking with 



I a crooked Back, and crooked Neck. It hath a great Head, great, black Eyes, d- 



tuate near the rife of the Bill : A Bill two inches long, more than one broad, like a 



* The Latine Ducks indeed, but * (harp toward the tip : Its upper part black, its nether yellowifh. 

 ZTihTcmS' ^ ne u PP er Legs are bare of feathers, and of a good length. It hath in each foot four 

 nam. Toes, three ftanding forward, one backward,, long, as in Water-hens. The Legs 



and Toes are of a yellowifh green colour. The Tail very fhort, not longer than in the 

 Tajffana. Its Head is covered with black feathers, the reft of its body with brown : 

 But in the Belly fome white feathers are intermingled. 



Chap. III. §. I. 

 * Of the Porphyrio, or purple Water-hen. 



THis Bird neither Gejher, nor Aldrovandus, nor we truly have hitherto feen, 

 but Pictures of it only. It is (if the Pictures deceive us not ) of the Water- 

 hen kind. Its body is all over of a blue colour. The extreme half of the 

 Tail is a whitiih afh-colour: The Bill and Legs of a fhining purple. SoGeJher de- 

 fcribes it by a Picture fent him from Montpellier. Aldrovandus defcribes it otherwile, as 

 may be feen in Book^ 20. Chap. 28. of his Ornithology. Seeing therefore the Pictures 

 of this Bird do fo much vary, and none of thofe who have compiled Hiftories of Ani- 

 mals do profefs themfelves to have feen the Porphyrio, we did fometimes doubt, whe- 

 ther there were any fuch bird in nature, efpecially feeing fome of thofe things which 

 the Ancients attribute to it, as for example, that it hath five Toes in each foot, are 

 without doubt falfe and fabulous. But becaufe all the Pictures of it do agree in the 

 figure of its Bill, Legs and Feet, and indeed the whole body, we have now changed 

 -our jrinds, and are more apt to believe the affirmative, w'j&. that there is fuch a 



Porphyrio 



