Recentiores [385] quidam de gallo castrato scribunt, si pectore et ventre deplumatus urticis perfricetur, pullos fovendos admittere, quod eo fotu pruritum quem urticae excitarunt mitigari sentiat. atque ita delectatum, in posterum etiam pullos amare, ducere, pascere: quod se observasse et miratum esse Albertus tradit.

Some most recent authors write about the castrated rooster that, when plucked at breast's and abdomen's level and then rubbed with nettles, he accepts to heat the chicks, since with such a heating he would feel that the itch aroused by nettles is easing. And that having taken pleasure in this way, afterward he also loves the chicks, leads them, brings them to pasture: Albertus Magnus reports that he himself observed this and that he was astonished.

¶ E gallinaceis animosi (οἱ εὔψυχοι) vocem {a}edunt graviorem, Aristot. in Physiognom.[1] Proxime (post pavones) gloriam sentiunt etiam galli gallinacei, Plin.[2] Imperitant suo generi, et regnum in quacunque sunt domo exercent. Dimicatione paritur hoc quoque inter ipsos, velut ideo tela agnata cruribus suis intelligentes: nec finis saepe commorientibus. Quod si palma contingit, statim in victoria canunt seque ipsi principes testantur. Victus occultatur silens, aegreque servitium patitur. Et plebs tamen aeque superba graditur ardua cervice, cristis celsa: coelumque sola volucrum aspicit crebro, in sublime caudam quoque falcatam erigens, Plinius. Gallus victus victorem sequitur, Aristophanis interpres[3]. Gallinacei volunt vincere, ut aliae animantes innumerae pro sola victoria contendentes, Galenus 5. de decretis Hippocr. De certamine eorum cum ab hominibus committuntur, scribemus sequenti capite. Sunt sane natura pugnaces cum alias, tum propter foeminas coitus gratia, ut in C. dictum est. Illud item in eo mirificum, cum limen intrat, tametsi superum altissimum existit, is tamen sese inclinat, (ἐπικλίνει τὸν λόφον, id est cristam inclinat, Athenaeus et Eustathius:) quod quidem ipsum superbia inductus facere videtur, ne videlicet crista uspiam offendatur, Aelianus[4].

¶ Among roosters, those who are brave (hoi eúpsychoi) utter a deeper voice, Aristotle in Physiognomonica. Also the roosters almost in the same way (he speaks of this after peacocks) undergo the desire of glory, Pliny. They rule over the animals of their genus and exert, in whatever house they are, a kind of dominion. Also the power is gotten with a struggle among them, as if they were aware of the weapons sprouted on their legs: neither the fight has an end, since often they die together. But if the victory happens to them, suddenly sing victorious, and proclaim themselves sovereigns. The defeated one hides himself  in silence and unwillingly bears the subjugation. Nevertheless also the people, equally superb, walk with their head up, with upright comb,: and the rooster alone among birds is often looking at sky, also raising upwards the tail bent as a sickle, Pliny. The defeated rooster goes behind the winner, the translator of Aristophanes. The roosters want to win, as countless other animals fighting only for victory, Galen book 5^th In Hippocratis aphorismos commentarii. About their fight organized by men I will write in next chapter. Really they are naturally combative, while other times they are thus because of the females and for mating reasons, as I said in the paragraph C. Likewise in him is extraordinary the fact that, when crossing a threshold, even if its superior part is very aloft, nevertheless he bends (epiklínei tòn lóphon, that is, he bends the comb, Athenaeus and Eustathius): but it seems that he is doing this because he is induced by haughtiness, that is, so that the comb is not damaged in some point, Aelian.

¶ Gallinaceum exoriente luna quasi divino quodam spiritu afflatum bacchari atque exultare ferunt. Oriens quidem Sol ipsum nunquam fallit, tum vehementissime vocem contendens, semet magis magisque cantando vincere conatur, Aelianus[5]. ¶ Philon dicit eum qui Nicomedi Bithyniae regi pocula administraret, a gallinaceo adamatum fuisse, Aelianus[6] et Eustathius. Auctor Nicander[7] est, Secundum, qui pincerna regius fuit in Bithynia, a gallo amatum eximie cui nomen foret Centaurus, Caelius. ¶ Porphyrionem avem et gallum in eodem versantes domicilio mirifice inter se coniunctos et invicem amantes animadverti. tandem gallo propter epulas occiso, porphyrio convictore privatus, tantum doloris accepit, sibi ut inedia mortem conscisceret, Aelian.[8]

¶ They say that the rooster gets worried as a crazy and jumps when the moon is rising, as if almost pervaded by a divine breath. The rising sun never escapes him, and applying himself with an extremely strong voice he bustles with the song in order to overcome more and more himself, Aelian. ¶ Philon of Eraclea says that the cupbearer of Nicomedes king of Bithynia has been passionately beloved by a rooster, Aelian and Eustathius. Nicander writes that a servant, who was a royal cupbearer in Bithynia, has been loved in an extraordinary way by a rooster whose name would have been Centaur, Lodovico Ricchieri. ¶ I knew that a purple gallinule - Porphyrio porphyrio - and a rooster, living in the same house, were stuck together in a marvelous way and were loving each other. Finally, after the rooster was killed for a banquet, the purple gallinule, deprived of his companion, was seized by a so great pain that she get death by hunger, Aelian.

Gallinacei terrori sunt etiam leonibus generosissimis ferarum, Plin.[9] Vide plura in Leone D. Stat cervix ardua, qualem | Praefert Marmaricis metuenda leonibus ales, | Ales quae vigili lucem vocat ore morantem, Politianus in Rustico. Leo et basiliscus gallinacei tum aspectum tum vocem extimescunt, Aelianus[10]. Iure gallinacei perunctos pantherae leonesque non attingunt, praecipue si et allium fuerit incoctum, Plinius[11]. Gallinaceorum cantus leones timent, Solinus. Leonem dicunt gallum album fugere, Rasis 8.8. Sed haec ipsa ales quae leones exterret, metu basiliscos exanimat, milvos extimescit, Aelianus.[12] Basiliscus et ad visum galli contremiscit, et ad vocem convulsus moritur. quare qui per Libyam iter faciunt, adversus hoc malum comitem itineris gallum sibi assumunt, Idem[13]. Aves cicures et domesticae audacter contemnunt equos, asinos, boves<, camelos>: ac si cum mansuefactis elephantis aluntur, non modo eos non timent, verum per eos etiam ipsos gradiuntur. Et gallinacei ut in eorundem dorsis considere audent: sic magnum eis metum mustela vel praeteriens inijcit. et qui vocem vel mugientium vel rudentium praeclare contemnunt, illius clamorem vehementer horrent, Idem[14]. Gallus et attagen inimici sunt, Aelianus[15]. Columbas etiam gallinaceo generi invisas esse aiunt. Vesparum examen metuit Phrynichus velut gallinaceus: Vide in Proverbiis infra[16]. De animalibus quae gallinaceum genus infestant, leges plura in Gallina E.

The roosters are cause of terror also for lions the bravest among wild animals, Pliny. See more data in the chapter regarding the lion, paragraph D. The neck stands erect, as that displayed by the fearsome bird to the lions of Marmarica, the bird calling the delaying light with his vigilant mouth, Angelo Poliziano in Rusticus. The lion and the basilisk fear both the sight and the voice of the rooster, Aelian. Those who have been greased with rooster's juice aren't attacked by panthers and lions, especially if garlic has been cooked jointly, Pliny. The lions fear the song of the roosters, Solinus. They say that the lion runs away from the white rooster, Razi 8.8. But this same bird that terrifies the lions and makes the basilisks to die of fear, fears the kites, Aelian. The basilisk trembles at the sight of the rooster, and in hearing his voice he dies seized by convulsions. That's why those traveling through Libya take against this calamity a rooster as companion of trip, still Aelian. Tame and domestic birds impudently don't pay attention to horses, donkeys, oxen, camels: and if they are raised with made docile elephants, they  not only don't fear them, but also wander among them. And the roosters, likewise are daring to roost on their back, the same when a weasel is only passing in front of them strikes into them a big fear. And just they, who didn't pay attention to the voice of mooing or braying animals, are horrifying in an extreme way when hearing her squeaking, still Aelian. The rooster and the francolin are enemies, Aelian. They say that also the pigeons are unpleasant to the gallinaceous genus. Frinicus had fear of a swarm of wasps, like a rooster: see below in proverbs. About the large number of animals worrying the gallinaceous genus you will read quite a lot of things in the paragraph E of the hen.

¶ Gallinaceis circulo e {sarmento} <ramentis> addito collo non canunt, Plinius[17].

¶ The roosters don't crow after at their neck has been put a necklace done with gold specks, Pliny.

E.

E

Gallus facile sentit aurae mutationes ex mo{n}tibus Solis contingentes. et ideo cantu horas distinguit: et nocte canens se erigit, et alis percutit, excutitque ut vigilantius cantet, Albertus. Hic praeter familiarem usum, quem in villam fert, dum gallinas plenas facit; et culinam dapibus opulentat, magno adiumento patrifamilias esse consuevit cantu suo, quo ad opera familiam revocat monetque, ut absterso ab oculis somno, expergiscantur, et vivere discant. ob id a Graecis ἀλέκτωρ, veluti ἀπολέκτωρ, hoc est, a lectis mortales revocans, Gyb. Longolius. Lege etiam supra in C. quomodo cantu suo ad opera mortales excitet, et diei noctisque tempora distinguat. ¶ Si galli noctu canant citius quam solent, mutatio aeris aut ventus ostenditur, Gratarolus. Gallinacei, caeteraeque domesticae aves, alarum percussione concrepantes, gestientes, exultantes, strepentes, tempestatem nunciant, Aelianus[18]. Nostri gallum tempestatis (ein Wetterhan) appellant, qui peculiari quadam facultate ad indicandum aeris suo cantu mutationes praeditus videatur. Gallum tempore pluvio canentem, serenitatem instantem polliceri plerique credunt[19]. Gallinae domesticae pediculos inquirentes, et maiori voce crocitantes, eo sono qui guttas aquarum crebras imitetur, pluviae signum faciunt, Aratus. Graeca eius verba sunt, καὶ τιτθαὶ (αἱ ἥμεροι καὶ πραεῖαι) ὄρνιθες, ταὶ ἀλέκτορος ἐξεγένοντο, | Εὖ ἐφθειρίσαντο, καὶ ἔκρωξαν μάλα φωνῇ, | Οἷόν τε σταλαίον ψοφέει ἐπὶ ὕδατι ὕδωρ.[20] ¶ De saginando gallinaceo genere dicetur in Capo et in Gallina E. Cum gallina altilis antiquis coenarum interdictis excepta esset, inventum diverticulum est gallinaceos pascendi lacte madidis cibis, multo ita gratiores approbantur, Plinius[21]. ¶ Gallinaceos non attingi a vulpibus qui iecur animalis eius aridum ederint: vel si pellicula ex eo collo inducta, galli inierint, {similia} <similiter> in felle mustelae legimus, Plinius[22].

The rooster easily perceives atmospheric changes coming from the movements of the sun. And therefore he beats the hours by crowing: and at night when crowing stands straight, he strikes himself  with the wings and shakes in order to be able to sing with more zeal, Albertus. Besides the domestic utility he is giving to the farm in making pregnant the hens and enriching with foods the kitchen, he got into the habit of being very helpful to head of family by his song with which is recalling and soliciting the family to the tasks, so that, removed the sleep from eyes, they wake themselves and learn to live. That's why by Greeks he is said aléktør, as meaning apoléktør, that is, he who calls out of the bed the mortals, Gisbert Longolius. Read also above at the paragraph C how with his crow he incites the mortals to their jobs and is dividing the periods of day and night. ¶ If at night the roosters are crowing before as usual, an atmospheric change or of the wind is signaled, Guglielmo Grataroli. The roosters and the other domestic birds, making a din by wings flapping, fidgeting, whirling, cackling, announce bad weather, Aelian. Ours call rooster of bad weather (ein Wetterhan) that who would seem endowed with a certain power in pointing out with his crow the atmospheric changes. The bulk of the persons believes that a rooster when crowing while it's raining he is announcing that the clear sky is imminent. Domestic hens when chasing lice, and when cackling with a rather strong voice, with that sound which would imitate the thick drops of water, they signal the rain, Aratus of Solis. His Greek words are as follows: kaí titthaì (hai hëmeroi kaí praeîai) órnithes, taì aléktoros exegénonto, | Eû ephtheirísanto, kaí ékrøxan mála phønêi, | Oîón te stalaíon psophéei epì húdati húdør. ¶ About the fattening of gallinaceous genus it will be said in the chapter of the capon and in that of the hen at the paragraph E. Since among ancient prohibitions regarding courses the fattened hen was decreed, the way out was found for feeding the roosters with feed soaked in milk, and so they are considered of more refined taste, Pliny. ¶ Are not attacked by foxes those chickens who ate the dried liver of that animal: or if the roosters will have mounted on them – we hope only the hens! - after a bit of skin of such animal has been put on their neck, and we read that more or less the same thing happens if they toss and turn in the bile of the weasel, Pliny.