DE PUMILIONE Cap. III.

CHAPTER III

THE DWARF HEN

[309] Quamvis communium Gallinarum aliam nos iconem exhibituros negaverimus, Pumilionis tamen, sive nanae, quam perperam multos pro Hadrianis habere diximus[1], etsi ex earum genere, exhibere placuit, quod minus frequentes sint. Erat autem haec

Although I said I would not show another picture of common hens, nevertheless I thought it proper to show that of a dwarf, that is, a bantam hen because less frequent, which I said many people wrongly think as belonging to Hadriana hens, even if belonging to their variety. So, this hen

Gallina tota nigra praeter alarum maiores pennas, quae in extremitatibus candicabant. {Hebebat} <Habebat> pariter maculas in collo circumcirca candidas mediam lunam aemulantes, atque oculos denique macula sublutescentis coloris rotunda ambiebat. Caput erat cirratum. Paleae, et crista quae admodum erat exigua, {intesius} <intensius> rubebant: pedes flavescebant: ungues parvi, coloris impense candidi. Sed quid describere exactius prodest, si plerunque im<m>o fere semper color in his, ut aliis variet?

was entirely black except for the main wing feathers which were white at their tips. Likewise she was showing white spots echoing a crescent all around the neck, and finally a round patch of yellowish color surrounded the eyes. The head was crested. The wattles and the comb, which was quite small, were a rather deep red: the legs were yellow: the nails were small of a very white color. But what's the use of describing with more precision if afterward usually almost always in these as in other hens the color varies?