GAL 
jqtiaritky of this only touch the hurrsan fkin, fo 
cauftic is it's quality, that it burns like hot oil. 
The pain occafioned by it is very acute durins; the 
heat of the day, but ceafes towards the cool of the 
evening. It is very probable that, from feeding 
on thefe creatures, feverai of the Weft Indian fifhes 
contraft their poifonous quality. 
Gx^LLIN^. In the Linnsan fyftem of zoo- 
iogy, this conllitutes a large order of birds; the 
general charafteriftics of which are thefe: the beak 
is conic and bentj the upper mandible is arched, 
and extends beyond the lower; the noftrils are 
half covered with a cartilaginous convex mem- 
brane; the feathers of the tail exceed twelve in 
number; and the feet are cloven, but the exterior 
and interior toes are connefled to the firft joint of 
the middle toe by a fmall membrane. The pea- 
cock, the dodo, the turkey, the pheafant, the Gui- 
nea-hen, the crax, and tetrao, belong to this order. 
GALLINA MOSAMBICANA. A name 
under which Nieremberg has defcribed a kind of 
fowl, which he fays has not only black feathers, 
but aho black PieHi and black bones ; but this ac- 
count Ray has fully exploded. 
GALUNA PISCIS. A fiili of the cuculus 
kind, more ufually known by the nam.e of the Co- 
rax Pifcis, 
GALLINACEOUS. An epithet given to a 
clafs of birds of the pheafant kind, including the 
common cock and hen; the chara'flers of which 
are thefe: their beaks are fliort, ftrong, and fome- 
what crooked, being adapted to the picking up of 
corn, the ufaal food of the whole fpecies; their 
bodies are large, thick, and flefliy; their wings are 
fhort, and ill adapted to extenfive flights; they 
brc^d a numerous progeny; they build their nefts 
on the ground; their young immediately provide 
for themfelves ; and, laftly, fome are furnifhed with 
long fpurs behind their legs. 
GALLINAGO. A general term for heath- 
fowls; fuch as the woodcock, black-cock, &c. 
Gallinago Minor. See Snipe. 
GALLINE. A Maffilian appellation for the 
flying-lifh, called by authors milvus and lucerna. 
it is a fpecies of trigla; and is diftingulfhed by 
Artedi under the name of the trigla with the fnout 
fomewhat bifid at the end, and the lateral lines 
forked towards the tail. 
GALLINULA. A genus of birds which 
fwim in the water, and yet are deftitute of webbed 
feet, or any membranes joined to their toes which 
might augment their breadth. Their bills are 
thick at thtir bafes. Hoping to their points; their 
upper mandibles, which extend far up their fore- 
heads, are callous ; their wings are fhort and con- 
cave; their bodies are compreffed; and their toes 
are long, and divided to their origin. The com- 
nnon m.ocr-hen, together with a great number of 
Other birds, both foreign and domeftic, ilich as 
the water-rail, the grinetta, and the ochropus, are 
of this cenus. 
GALLINULA 7SRYTHROPUS. A term 
ufed by many authors to exprefs the bird com- 
monly called the red-fhank in England. 
GALLINULA HYPOLEUCOS. A name 
given by fome naturalifts to tiie becaffine, or, as it 
is generally called in England, the fand-piper. See 
Tringa. 
GALLINULA MELAMPUS. An appel- 
lation given by Gefner to a German bird, called, 
in the language of that country, rotknuffel. 
GALLINULA RHODOPUS, PHCENI- 
GAL 
COPUS, AND OCHROPUS. Names by which 
Gefner, and fome other writers, have diftinguifhed 
the common tringa ; a bird whofe legs, at different 
ages, and in the different lexes, are greenifb, yeL 
lowiQi, and reddifh. 
GALLINULA SERICA. A term ind^fcri- 
minately ufed by many authors to fignify the gri- 
netta and the water-rail ; both birds of the moor- 
hen kind, but confiderably fmaller. 
GALLINULE, COMMON. This bird, 
called alfo the moor-hen, or water-hen, weighs 
about fifteen ounces; it's length, to the end of the 
tail, is fourteen inches, and it's breadth twenty- 
two ; the crown of the head, the hind-part of the 
neck, the back, and the coverts of the wings, are 
of a fine deep olive-green colour; the under- fide 
of the body is cinereous; the chin and belly are 
mottled witii white; the quill-feathers and the tail 
are dufky ; the exterior web of the firft primary fea- 
ther, and the ridges of the wings, are white; the 
vent is black; the feathers juft beneath the tail are 
white; and the legs are dufky green. The plu- 
mage of the female is much leis brilliant than that 
of the male; and it is likewife inferior in fize. 
During the feafbn of love, the plumage of this bird 
affumes a beautiful olive glofs, and the bill be- 
comes a full, bright red; circumftances which na- 
turalifts in general have overlooked, though fuffi- 
ciently ftriking. 
The Gallinule feeds on graffy banks and other 
fituations in the vicinity of frefh waters; and even 
in the waters, provided they are covered with 
weeds. It builds in low trees and flirubs by the 
water-fide, breeding twice or thrice a year; and, 
when the young are grown up, they are always com- 
pelled to fliift for themJelves. The female lays 
ieyen eggs of a dirty white colour, flighdy fpotted 
with ruft. It ftrikes with it's bill like the hen; 
and, during the fpring, has a fhrill call. In the 
aft of flying, it hangs down it's legs; and in that 
of running, flirts up it's tail very freqiiendy. The 
bottom of the toes being flat and broad, it is 
thereby enabled to fwim; and, from this part of 
it's conformation, it feerns to be the bird which 
connects the cloven-footed aquatic fowl with the 
fin-toed. 
Gallinule, Spotted; the Rallus Porzana of 
LinnjEus. This fpecies, which is migratory in 
Great Britain, frequents the fides of fmall ftreams, 
where it conceals itfelf among the buflies. It's 
length is nine inches, and the expanfion of it's 
wings fifteen ; it's head is brown, fpotted with 
black ; it's neck is a deep olive, fpotted with white; 
and from the bill, beyond the eyes, there is a broad 
grey bar. The plumage of it's back is black and 
olive; the fcapulars are olive-coloured, finely- 
marked with two fmall white fpots on each webj 
and it's legs are of a yellowiih green hue. 
GALLOWAY. A peculiar breed of horfes, 
fo caked from the county of Galloway in Scodand, 
where they principally abound. Tradition re- 
ports, that this kind of horfes fprung from feverai 
Spanifli ftallions, which fwam on fliore from fome 
fhips v\?recked on the coaft, belonging to the fa- 
mous Armada; and, propagadng with the mares of 
the country, furnifhed the kingdom with their po- 
fterity. Thefe horfes are of a middling fize, 
ftrong, a£live, nervous, and much efteemed. 
GALLUS. The claffical name of the cock. 
GALLUS GRUNNIENS, An Eaft Indian 
fifli approaching to the nature of the fcorpius ma- 
rinus, and called by the Dutch knone haen. The 
4 M body 
