DE MONSTRIS

Cap. VIII.

CHAPTER VIII

THE MONSTERS

[319] Cum in hac Gallinacea familia, si in ullo alio animalium genere, monstra generentur, itaque aliquot etiam monstrorum icones, quorum pleraque ipsimet observavimus, hoc loco, ne quid in hac avium historia deesse videantur, naturae miracula admirantibus lectoribus visum est exhibere.

Since in this gallinaceous family monsters are generated, as in any other genus of animals, I thought it proper to show at this point to the amazed readers as prodigies of nature also some pictures of monstrosities most of which I observed myself, so that it doesn’t seem that something is lacking in this search on birds.

Prior itaque hic Gallus tripes cum multis aliis pullis in Brut<t>iis olim natus dicitur, anno nempe mundi 3767. Ante vero natum Christum 196.[1]

So, they say that this first rooster with three legs was born while ago in the country of Bruttii along with many other chicks, and precisely in the year 3767 from the creation of the world, that is, in 196 before the birth of Christ.

Subsequentem Gallum, qui pariter tribus instructus est pedibus, vulgo Gallo Grotesco dicunt. Erat autem a collo ad anum usque coloris aterrimi, sed maculis candidissimis conspersus, toto vero dorso ad uropygium usque ferruginei. Alarum maxima pars item ferruginea. Sui tamen principio, et qua ventrem spectant, subfusci, sed albicantibus maculis conspersi oblongis. Remiges pennae omnes albae. Cauda semiviridis, ac semiatra. Oculos macula rubra ambiebat. Icon sequenti pagina exprimetur.

The following rooster, who likewise is endowed with three legs, in common language they call him grotesque rooster, gallo grottesco. Now, he was very dark in color from neck up to anus, but he was sprinkled with very white spots, however on the whole back until uropygial gland he was rusty. Also the greatest part of the wings was rusty. At their beginning and where they face the belly they were rather dark but scattered with oblong whitish spots. All the remiges were white. The tail was a little bit green and a little bit black. A red spot surrounded the eyes. The picture will be reproduced at next page.