[330] DE PEREGRINIS QUIBUSDAM

Gallinaceis dictis, et primo de Gallo
Indico aurito {tridactilo} <tridactylo>.

Cap. IX.

CHAPTER IX

ABOUT SOME EXOTIC SUBJECTS CALLED COCKS, AND FIRST THE THREE-TOED AND EARED INDIAN ROOSTER

Quae modo subsequuntur, aves sunt peregrinae, et Gallinaceo nomine gaudent. Cuius primo loco iconem damus Caesar Facchinettus[1] Marchio et Senator olim Bononiensis, mihi copiam fecit, eum Gallum ego ita descripsi. Etsi aures in Gallo fictitias quispiam iudicet easque solis quibusdam nocturnis volucribus attribuendas, is in Ardeae cuiusdam genere, quod quandoque in Flandria apparet mira specie, de quo nos aliquando Deo dante suo loco agemus, easdem contemplatus minime monstrosas, nedum dicam fictitias in pulcherrimo istoc Gallo iudicaturus est. Mira quidem huius Galli species est, et nulli volucrum generi pulchritudine inferior, ut nunc ex tradenda descriptione cuivis patebit.

The now following birds are exotic and enjoy the name of cock. A copy of that of which I first give the image was done by the Marquis Cesare Facchinetti who aforetime was also Senator in Bologna, and I described such a rooster as follows. Although someone thinks that in the rooster the ears are non-existent and are to be attributed only to certain nocturnal birds, he after saw them in a certain kind of heron which sometimes endowed with a wonderful look appears in Flanders, and God willing sooner or later I shall deal with it in an apposite chapter, he will want to judge them in this beautiful rooster as not monstrous at all, even less fictitious so to speak. Really the appearance of this rooster is wonderful and it is not inferior in beauty to any species of birds, and now it will come across to whoever from the following description.

Rostrum reliquorum Gallorum dissimillimum, sed Psittacorum omnino respondens. Est etenim aduncum in superiori parte, totum vero rubrum, Caput totum pectus et venter integer colore roseo diluto, qui in pectore maculis subroseis dilutioribus exiguis, in ventre longe maioribus; quas alba linea transcurrit, insignitur. Cristis insignitur duabus, primum carnea more nostrorum, quae prope rostrum est, inter quam et rostrum superius macula oblonga caerulea est. Crista vero alia pennis constat luteis prope primam cristam parvis mox longe maioribus sursum primum ascendentibus, mox deorsum per collum descendentibus. Oculorum capacitatis forma diversa admodum non tantum a nostratibus Gallis, verum etiam a reliquo volucrum genere: prae se fert enim eundem fere situm, qualis in homine est, oblongum scilicet, in cuius medio oculi siti sunt, quorum pupilla nigra est, iris lutea, cilia nigra. Aures magnae, et erectae asininis non absimiles: sub mento pennae quaedam dependent virides in marginibus nigrae, veluti barbae figuram prae se ferentes, quas palearum quae in Gallo nostro dependent, vicem obtinere arbitror. Collo superiori et uropygio quae viridia sunt, pennae caeruleae, albis calamis ornatae {deorsim} <deorsum> dependent.

The beak is quite different from that of other roosters, but it is throughout resounding that of parrots. For on the upper part it is hooked, and is entirely red, the whole head, the breast and the whole abdomen are of diluted pink color, which on the breast is spangled by more diluted and small pale pink spots, more larger on the abdomen, and through them a white line is passing. This bird is adorned with two combs, first by a fleshy comb as our roosters and which is lying near the beak, and between this one and the upper beak there is an oblong and blue spot. But the other crest is made of yellow feathers which are small near the first comb and then more larger, firstly going upwards and then going down along the neck. The shape of eye sockets is very different not only from that of our roosters but also from the other species of birds: for it shows almost the same location as in man, it is oval of course and the eyeballs are placed in its center, and their pupil is black, the iris yellow, the eyelashes black. The ears are great and erect and are not dissimilar from those of donkeys: under to the chin some green feathers are hanging down which are black on the edges, showing the features like of a beard and which I think are taking place of the wattles which in our rooster are dangling. From the upper part of the neck and from the rump, which are green, blue feathers adorned with white quills are hanging down.

Alae admodum diversi coloris sunt. Primae enim earum pennae obscurae virent, sed ita dispositae sunt, ut veluti squamulas efficere videantur, harum medium linea alba percurrit. Quae sequuntur intense admodum virent, sed in extremitate albae sunt; harum tamen tres inferiores caeruleae sunt circumcirca tamen etiam subvirides{:}<.> Hunc ordinem pulcherrimus alius excipit caeruleus, nempe cuius pennae in fine insigniter admodum rubent. Extremae denique remiges luteae sunt, omnium costae albae. Inferior vero alarum pars colore est subcaeruleo ad viridem tendens; superior vero roseo, et costae omnes itidem albae.

The wings show a very variegated coloring. For their fore-feathers, which are dark, have a green color, but so arranged that they seem to form small scales, and a white line runs through their center. The following ones are of very  intense green, but white at the tip; however the three lover ones are blue but all around are also greenish. Another very beautiful kind of blue follows this disposition, and precisely the feathers of this color are amazingly very red at their tip. Finally the last remiges are yellow, and all their quills are white. But the lower side of the wings is light blue verging on green; but the upper side is rosy and likewise all the quills are white.

Cauda duplex, prior exigua, et quinque tantum pennis constans, iisque ruberrimis, et admodum brevibus, si secundae caudae comparentur. Secunda cauda {novem} <sex>[2] longissimis pennis constat, quarum aliae aliis longiores sunt, et diversum colorem obtinent. Maiores ferrugineae sunt, pennulis tenuissimis oblongis fuscis, hinc inde dependentibus constantes{,}<.> In extremitate ceu oculos ovales rubicundos et circumcirca caeruleos obtinent. Virides vero eiusdem coloris pennulis constant, et in fine oculos albos circumcirca caeruleos obtinent; caeruleae quae sequuntur eodem modo sese habent. Pedes rubei maculis subfuscis distincti. Digiti terni. Ungues et calcaneus albi. Dorsum vero totum subrubrum maculis nigris semilunaribus distinctum, quae in medio linea alba insigniuntur.

The tail is double, the first one is small and composed by only five feathers which are very red and very short if compared with those of the second tail. The second tail is made of six very long feathers, some of which are longer than the others and have a different color. The greater ones are rusty, made of oblong very thin and dark barbs hanging down across. On their extremity they have something like ruddy oval eyes which are blue all around. The green feathers are made of barbs of the same color and on their tip they have white eyes surrounded by blue, the blue feathers which come next look alike. The reddish legs are marked with rather dark little spots. The toes are three. The claws and the heel are white. The back is all reddish marked with black half-moon spots adorned in the center with a white line.