Ornithologus[1] herbam illam testatur, quam pro aristolochia rotunda pharmacopolae Germani falso [253] acceperunt, a quibusdam Germanice Hanensporn, id est, calcar Gallinacei a floris figura nominari. Quod nomen pariter alsinae corniculatae Clusii convenire posset, utpote quam cornicula ferre scribit, Gallinaceorum calcarium forma.

The Ornithologist affirms that herb which German druggists wrongly took instead of Aristolochia rotunda - snakeroot, by some is called Hanensporn in German, that is, rooster-spur, from the shape of the flower. The same name likewise could fit the alsine corniculata of Charles de L’Écluse, since he writes that: it has little horns in the shape of roosters’ spurs.

Alectoria{s} gemma a Gallo Gallinaceo nomen habet, quod in eius corpore reperiatur. Plinius in ventriculo generari putavit, Agricola non in eo duntaxat, sed et in iecore[2], et in hoc maiores. Alectorias, inquit ille[3], vocant in ventriculis Gallinaceorum inventas crystallina specie, magnitudine fabae: quibus Milonem Crotoniensem usum in certaminibus invictum fuisse videri volunt. Vicit tamen eum {Tritormas} <Titormus>[4] bubulcus, ut ex Rhodigino[5] citat Dalechampius[6]. Alectoriae, inquit Agricola, quanquam raro in Gallorum Gallinaceorum, et Caporum etiam ventriculo, et iecore gignuntur. Sed in iecore plerunque maiores. Nam nuper in Capo inventus est longus unciam[7], latus digitum[8], altus sescunciam: inferior pars, quae latior, humiles habet cavernas; superior, quae strictior, ad dextram extuberat: ad laevam humilis est, et fusca, cum reliquum eius corpus in fusco candidum sit. At in ventriculo reperti non raro fere figura sunt lupini, magnitudinem eiusdem, aut fabae, modo in cinereo candidi: modo fusci coloris, sed diluti: {uunc} <nunc> vero crystallina specie, sed coloris obscuri, quae fibras interdum habent subrubras. Crystalli similis, si politus inter oculum, et palpebram inferiorem interponitur, et ex una parte ad alteram transfertur, oculum non laedit. Quod idem facit Saphirus, vel onyx, vel alia gemma polita interposita, modo parva sit.

The alectoria stone has its name from the rooster because it is found into his body. Pliny thought it arises in the stomach, Georg Bauer not only there but also in the liver, and larger in the latter. The former says: They call alectoriae those stones of crystalline appearance as large as a broad-bean which are found in the stomachs of gallinaceous birds: they affirm that it seems that Milo of Croton used them in wrestling and never has been defeated. Nevertheless the plowman Titormus overcame him, as Jacques Daléchamps cites from Lodovico Ricchieri. Georg Bauer says: Alectoriae, although rarely, are generated also in the stomach and in the liver of roosters and capons. But in the liver they are usually larger. For recently one was found in a capon which was an ounce long – an inch, a finger’s breadth wide - nearly 1.8 cm, and an ounce and half thick: the lower part, which is wider, has small hollows: the upper, narrower part, swells out to the right: on the left it is reduced and dark, while the remaining portion is white with traces of dark. Not infrequently they have been found in the stomach with almost the shape of a lupine, and of the same size, or of that of a broad-bean, sometimes white tending to ash color: sometimes dark in color but attenuated: but this time it had a crystalline appearance, nevertheless dark, and sometimes they have reddish streaks. If the stone, which is crystalline, is smoothed and placed between the eye and the lower eyelid and moved from one side to the other it does not harm the eye. Sapphire, or onyx, or any other polished gem, on condition that it is small, if interposed will do the same.

His, quae de hoc lapide ab Agricola tradita fuerunt, statim subijcere libuit descriptionem alterius, cuius nimirum, dum haec scriberem, mihi copiam fecit perillustris Eques Hercules Butrigarius, vir medius fidius multae eruditionis, antiquitatisque, et rerum naturalium studiosissimus, quemque se in Capi trimi ventriculo adinvenisse affirmabat. Est mea quidem sententia, verus, et genuinus alectoria{s} lapis, crystallina videlicet specie, licet colore subobscuro, figura sphaerica l{a}eviter utrinque compressa, et undique laevi, nisi quod in superiori parte, qua strictiusculus cernebatur, aliquantulum extuberaret. Nullae in eo cavernulae, quod de suo scribit Agricola: quin ex densa materia compactus, et gravis. Nam cum cerasi fructu aliquanto minor esset, pendebat octo et viginti ceratia, quae caratos vulgo dicimus.

To what Georg Bauer reported about this stone, I should like to immediately add the description of another one of which made a copy for me, while I was writing this text, the excellent Knight Ercole Butrigario, who, believe me, is certainly a man of great erudition, enthusiast student of antiquarian matters and of natural history, who affirmed he had found that stone in the stomach of a three-year-old capon. It is, in my opinion, a true and authentic alectoria stone, certainly of crystalline sort, although rather dark in color, spherical in shape, lightly compressed on both sides, and entirely smooth except that in the upper part where it is a bit narrow and protrudes somewhat. There are none of the little hollows in it which Georg Bauer describes in his stone: on the contrary it is compact, of dense material, and heavy. Although it is somewhat smaller than a cherry tree fruit, it weighs 28 carob’s seeds, which commonly we call carats.

Quod autem in Capi ventriculo repertus fuerit, videtur confirmare recentiorum quorundam sententiam, qui non ex Gallo mare, uti iam ex Plinio, et Agricola diximus, sed castrato, quem Gallinacei nomine imperite, ut antea etiam docuimus[9], intelligunt, hunc lapidem haberi putant: et quidam, teste Ornithologo[10], Germanice Kapunenstein interpretantur, id est, Caponis lapidem. Albertus, et author de natura rerum quinto vel sexto a castratione anno in iecore alitis inveniri tradunt, quod Sylvaticus[11] ex Alberto, quem citat, aliter transcripsit, videlicet extrahi dicens ex ventriculo, postquam castratur supra quartum annum: addit insuper, aliquos post nonum extrahi dicere, meliorem esse de Gallo decrepito, maximum in hoc genere fabam aequare. Citat denique Dioscoridem testem[12], quod in ventribus Gallorum Gallinaceorum crystallo similis, vel aquae limpidae reperiatur, cum alioqui nihil huiusmodi in nostris exemplaribus Dioscoridis reperiatur.

But the fact that this stone was found in a capon’s stomach seems to confirm the belief of some modern scholars who think it is contained not in the male rooster, as already I said on the basis of Pliny and Agricola, but in a castrate rooster, whom they inaccurately indicate by the name of rooster, as I also pointed out earlier: and some people, according to the Ornithologist, call it Kapunenstein in German, that is, capon’s stone. Albertus and an unknown writer on natural history report that the stone is found in the liver of the fowl in the fifth or sixth year after castration, and Matteo Silvatico transcribed this statement in another manner deriving it from Albertus whom he is quoting, that is, he says the stone is extracted from the stomach about four years after castration: furthermore he adds that some students say it is extracted after nine years and is better when coming from a decrepit rooster, and that the larger stone in this kind of animal equals a broad-bean. Finally he cites Dioscorides as proof, since a crystalline or like limpid water stone is found in the belly of roosters, while on the other hand in our subjects nothing is found of that sort as said by Dioscorides.

Albertus[13] radaim, seu donatidem lapidem nominat, qui niger sit et luceat. Ferunt autem, inquit, cum capita Gallorum formicis permittuntur, aliquando post multa tempora in capite maris Galli hunc lapidem inveniri. Conferre pollicentur ad rem quamvis impetrandam. Qui lapis nunquid idem fuerit cum alectoria difficile est iudicare. Video tamen utrique eandem virtutem ascribi, quae superstitionis expers non est. Ut enim Albertus ad omnia impetranda radaim lapidem probari tradit, ita etiam alectorias, ut author obscurus quidam de lapidibus ait.

Hic oratorem verbis facit esse disertum,

Constantem reddens, cunctisque per omnia gratum.

Hic circa veneris facit incentiva vigentes;

Commodus uxori, quae vult fore grata marito.

Ut bona tot praestet, clausus portetur in or{b}e.[14]

Albertus calls a stone as radai, or donatis, which is black and shining. He says: And they refer that when rooster heads are abandoned to the ants, sometimes after a long time this stone is found in the head of the rooster male – of the uncastrated rooster. They promise that it will cause you to obtain whatever thing. Whether this stone is the same as alectoria it is difficult to judge. It seems to me to understand that the same virtue, not free from superstition, is attributed to both. For just as Albertus reports that it is proven that radai stone is useful in obtaining everything, the same is happening also for alectorias, as says an unknown author about stones:

This stone causes an orator to be incisive with the words.
Making him resolute and pleasant from any point of view.
This stone makes impetuous as far as sexual stimuli is concerning.
It is useful for a woman who will gratify her husband.
In order to offer so many advantages it must be carried enclosed in mouth.

Sylvaticus etiam reges alectoriam gemmam gestantes, et gladiatores invictos reddere scribit, sitimque tollere, et mulieres viris conciliare. Cardanus huiusmodi lapidem sarda, vel achate fingi putat, in quo flammea macula appareat.

Matteo Silvatico also writes that it renders invincible kings and gladiators carrying the alectoria stone, and that it removes thirst and makes women join to men. Gerolamo Cardano thinks that such a stone in which is present a flaming patch can be faked with the sard - or with the cornelian - either  with the agate.

Ad {Gallinam}[15] <Gallinas> villa Caesarum fuit ad Tyberim, via Flaminea, quae ab eo dicta est, quod Liviae Augustae ex alto abiecit in gremium Aquila conspicui candoris Gallinam, lauri ramum suis baccis foetum rostro tenentem, quam servari iusserant aruspices, ramum vero inseri diligenter: quod ad villam factum est, quae, ut dixi hac de causa ad {Gallinam} ad <Gallinas> dicta fuit.

There was a villa of the Caesars on the bank of the river Tiber, on via Flaminia, named At Hens, since an eagle cast down from on high into Livia Drusilla’s - or Julia Augusta - bosom a hen of unusual whiteness holding in its beak a branch of laurel full of its own berries, the former the haruspices bade should be kept, while the branch to be carefully planted: this was done near the villa which, as I said, was called At Hens for this reason.

Gallinaria a Gallinarum copia, ut Calepinus vult, vel ut alii a Gallinis feris sic dicta, insula est in mare T{h}usco, contra montes Ligusticos, ut eam Varro[16] describit, et Sozomenus[17]. Meminit eiusdem {Sulpitius} <Sulpicius>[18].

Gallinara island takes its name from abundance of hens, as Ambrogio Calepino claims, or, as others assert, is so called from wild hens, and it is an island in Tyrrhenian Sea, facing the mountains of Liguria, as Varro. describes it, and Hermias Sozomenos. Sulpicius Severus mentioned it.