66 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



wonderful on account of the arms with which the 

 Creator has provided it for its defence. This is a fmall 

 aquatic bird ; with a long, narrow neck, a fmall head j 

 a long, yellow bill, long legs, feet and claws, and a 

 Ihort tail. The legs and feet are afli-coloured ; the 

 body is black, with fome yellow feathers about the 

 belly. Upon its head is a little circle or coronet, of a 

 horny fubftance, which is divided into three very ftiarp 

 points and it has two others upon the forepart of the 

 wings (z). 



In the other clafTes of birds fome are valuable upon 

 account of their flcfh, fome for their plumage, and 

 fome for their fong ; while others engage our attention 

 by their extraordinary inftinfl, or fome other remarka- 

 ble quality. 



Of the birds which afford a wholefome and agreea- 

 ble food, I have counted more than feventy fpecies. 

 Befides the common fowls, which v»^ere brought from the 

 Canary Ifles to the Antilles, and from thefe to Mexico, 

 there were, and ftill are fowls peculiar to that country ; 

 which as they partly refemble the common fowl, and 

 partly the peacock, were called Gallipavos* by the 

 Spaniards, and Huexolotl and Totolin by the Mexicans. 

 Thefe birds being carried to Europe in return for the 

 common fowls, have multiplied very faft ; and efpeci- 

 ally in Italy, where, on account of their manners and 

 their lize, they gave them the name of Gallinacci (a) ; 

 but the European fowl has increafcd greatly more in 



Mexico. 



(z) In Brafil alfo there is an aquatic bird with weapons of this kind ; but 

 which, in other refpefts, is a very different bird. 



{a) In Bologna, they are called Tocchi and Tocchiniy and in other places. 

 Gain </' India* The French call them Dindesy Dindons and Co^s d" Inde, 

 * In Englifh the Turkey. 



