[ '48 ] 



loft in that part of the world. We find alfo, by what hath Be- 

 fore been mentioned from Athenasus, that Ptolemy Philadelphia 

 was obliged to fend to Ethiopia for them, inftead of Greece. 



There is, however, fo particular a defeription of the Glriney 

 hen in the 1 4th book of the fame writer, that there cannot be 

 the leaffc doubt of this bird being referred to, and I mall therefore 

 tranflate the whole paffage : 



44 Clytus of Miletus % a difciple of Ariftotle, mentions thefe 

 " particulars about the meleagris. They are to be found near the 

 44 temple of Minerva in ^Erus - ; and they are fo negligent of 

 44 their young, that it is neceflary for the priefts to look after 

 " them. They are about the fize of a grown fowl, have a head 

 44 rather fmaller than in proportion to their body, which is fmooth 

 " (or naked), and hath upon it a flefhy hard and round knob, 

 44 which rifes above the head like a fmall ftake 5 , and of the 

 " colour of' wood' 1 . Near the cheeks lies a long piece of flefh 

 44 like a beard, which begins from the mouth, and is redder 

 44 than in hens; but it hath not the comb of the latter (or as 

 44 fome call it the beard),, but appears to be mutilated in that part. 

 " The beak is larger and fharper than that of a hen ; the neck 

 44 is blacker, thicker, and fhorter ; the whole body is variegated, 

 44 being black intermixed with white fpots larger than, a wart u ? 

 44 which are furrounded with fmall black circles or rhomboids, 

 44 producing that variety of plumage by a mixture of white and 

 u black;, the wing feathers are diftinguimed by white and ferrated 

 <4 lines, which are parallel. They have no fpur on their legs like 

 " cocks ; andthe female can fcarcely be diftinguiihed from the male." 



This defeription upon the whole cannot be applied to any 

 other bird but the Guiney hen; and yet it is very remarkable 



1 The town of Ionia fo called, not that of Calabria. . 

 r Some place near Miletus probably. 



* H«*r7«Acj/. 1 Bv?,os&g, It is, however, of a red colour. u <bonwv*. 



that 



