ALDR0* 
vandus ; 
and 
GESNER. 
of the Turkey* 73 
old world, founds his notion on the defcription of 
the Guinea fowl, the Meleagrides of strabo, 
athenjeus, pliny, and others of the ancients. 
I reft the refutation on the excellent account given 
by athen^eus, taken from clytus milesxus, 
a difciple of Aristotle, which can fuit no other 
than that fowl. 46 They want,” fays he, “ na- 
46 tural affection towards their young ; their head 
“ is naked, and on the top is a hard round body 
“ like a peg or nail : from their cheeks hangs 
66 a red piece of flefh like a beard. It has no 
44 wattles like the common poultry. , The fea- 
“ thers are black, fpotted with white. They have 
“ no fpurs ; and both fexes are fo like as not to be 
66 diftinguiftied by the fight.” varro * and 
pliny t take notice of the fpotted plumage and 
the gibbous fubftance on the head, athen^us 
is more minute, and contradidls every character 
of the Turkey, whofe females are remarkable 
for their natural affection, and differ materially 
in form from the males, whofe heads are deftitute 
of the callous fubftance and whofe heels (in the 
males) are armed with fpurs. 
aldrovandus, who died in 1605, draws his 
arguments from the fame fource as belon ; I 
therefore pafs him by, and take notice of the 
greateft of our naturalifts gesner j, who falls 
into a miftake of another kind, and wiflies the 
* Lib. III. c. 9% 
f Lib. X. c. 26. 
t Av. 481. 
Vol. LXXI. L, 
Turkey 
