[334] DE ALIIS DUABUS

Gallinis Indicis.

Cap. XII.

CHAPTER XII
TWO OTHER INDIAN HENS

Indicas Gallinas alii, alii Numidicas dicunt etiam has, quas modo damus depictas. Num vero caudata, quam priori loco exhibemus, an vero quae subsequitur, cauda carens mas sit, sive Gallinaceus, plane ignoro. Putaverim tamen caudatum marem esse, faeminam alteram. Sit quomodocunque utraque sub Gallinae nomine mihi communicata est, prior a serenissimo magno Hetruriae Duce, cum titulo Gallinae Indicae, altera pro Gallina Numidica. Prior a rostro ad caudae extremitatem usque (quae candida est, sed nigris lineis conspersa,) nigra: quae tamen nigredo ubique ferme ad subcaeruleum vergebat. Podex, et caudae principium subtus candicabant. Rostrum robustum, recurvum, rubicundum. Tibiae eiusdem fere coloris, sed pallidioris multo, et in postica parte ad [335] caeruleum vergebant.

Some call Indian hens, others call Numidian hens those whose picture I am  now providing. I don't know at all whether it is the male, that is, the rooster, that one with tail I am firstly showing, or that coming after and which is tailless. However I would think that that with the tail is the male and the other one is the female. Be that as it may, both have been supplied me with the name of hen, the first one by the most serene Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I with the name of Indian hen, the other as Numidian hen. The first one is black from the beak to the end of the tail (this end is candid, but sprinkled with black lines): nevertheless almost everywhere this black was verging to bluish. The breech and the beginning part of the tail underneath were white. The beak was strong, hooked, red. The legs were almost of the same color, but much paler, and behind were verging to blue.

Male of Helmeted curassow - Pauxi pauxi or Crax pauxi pauxi