The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the county of Warwick Esq, fellow of the Royal Society in three books : wherein all the birds hitherto known, being reduced into a method sutable to their natures, are accurately described : the descriptions illustrated by most elegant figures, nearly resembling the live birds, engraven in LXXVII copper plates : translated into English, and enlarged with many additions throughout the whole work : to which are added, Three considerable discourses, I. of the art of fowling, with a description of several nets in two large copper plates, II. of the ordering of singing birds, III. of falconry / by John Ray ...

§. VI. The Guiny Hen.

IT is for bigness equal to a common Hen: But its Neck longer and slenderer. The figure of its body almost like a Partridges. It is of an ash-colour, all over che∣quered with white spots. A black ring compasses the Neck: The Head is reddish. On the Crown or top of the Head grows a hard horny cap, [a horn Mr. Willughby calls it] of a dusky red colour. The Cheeks beneath the Eyes are blue, and bare of feathers, under which is a red Gill. They say, that these Birds are gregarious, and feed their Chickens in common. So far Mr. Willughby. But because this description is very short and succinct, (though sufficient for the knowledge of the bird) I shall present the Reader with a full and exact one out of Gesner. The * 1.1 Mauritanian Cock is a very beautiful bird, in bigness and shape of body, Bill, and Foot like a Pheasant. [Those that we have seen, as also those described by Bellonius and Marggrave were as big as ordinary Hens,] armed with a horny Crown, rising up into a point, on the backside * 1.2 perpendicularly, on the foreside with a gentle ascent or declivity. Nature seems to have intended to fasten and bind it down to the lower part by three as it were * 1.3 Labels or slips proceeding from it; between the Eye and the Ear on both sides one; and in the middle of the forehead one, all of the same colour with the Crown; so that it sits on the head after the same manner as the Ducal Cap doth upon the head of the Duke of Venice, if that side which now stands foremost were turned back∣ward. This Crown below is wrinkled round about: Where it rises upright in the top of the Neck, at the hinder part of the head grow certain erect hairs (not feathers) turned the contrary way. The Eyes are wholly black, as also the Eye-lids round about, and the Eye-brows, excepting a spot in the upper and hinder part of each Eye-brow. The bottom of the Head on both sides all along is taken up by a kind of callous flesh of a sanguine colour, which that it might not hang down like Gills or Wattles, Nature hath taken care to turn backward and fold up, so that it ends in two acute processes. From this flesh arise up on both sides certain Caruncles, wherewith the Nosthrils are invested round, and the Head in the forepart separated from the Bill, which is pale-coloured; of these also at the Bill the lower edges are lightly re∣flected back under both Nosthrils. What is between the Crown and this flesh on the right and left side is marked with a double scaly incisure, but behind with none.

Its colour under the Jaws or Throat is exactly purple, in the Neck a dark purple: In the rest of the body such as would arise from black and white fine powder, sprinkled or sifted thin upon a dusky colour, but not mingled therewith: In this colour are dispersed and thick-set all over the body oval or round white spots, above lesser, below greater, comprehended in the intervals of lines obliquely intersecting one another, as is seen in the natural position of the feathers; in the up∣per part of the body only, not in the lower. [I suppose he means, if we should fan∣cy lines to be drawn in the manner of Network all over the back, the spots would stand in the middle of the Meishes of that Network.] This you may find to be so, not only from viewing the whole body, but even single feathers plucked off. For the

upper feathers, in oblique lines intersecting one another, or if you please, certain circumferences, made (as I said) of black and white powder, and having their ex∣tremities joyned together as in Honey-combs or Nets, do comprehend oval or round spots in dusky spaces; but so do not the lower. * 1.4 Yet both are placed in a like manner. For in some feathers they are so joyned together in order, that they do almost make acute triangles, in others so as to represent an oval figure. Of this kind there are three or four rows in each single feather, so that the lesser are contained within the greater. In the end of the Wings and in the Tail the spots stand in equidistant right lines, long ways of the feather. Between the Cock and Hen you can scarce discern, the similitude is so great; save that the Head of the Hen is all black. Its voice is a di∣vided or interrupted whistle, not louder, nor greater than that of a Quail, but liker to that of a Partridge, except that it is * 1.5 higher, and not so clear. This description was sent to Gesner by our Dr. Key [Cajus.]

Marggravius saw others brought out of Sierra Lyona like to the above described, whose Neck was bound or lapped about with, as it were, a membranous cloth of a blue ash-colour. A round many-double tuft or crest consisting of elegant black feathers covers the Head. The white points or spots round the whole body are variegated as it were with a shade.

Notes

• * 1.1

  So Dr. Key called it, who sent him this description.
• * 1.2

  Very steep behind, and much inclin∣ing before.
• * 1.3

  Laciniae.
• * 1.4

  Or the posi∣tion of both observes a like rule.
• * 1.5

  Sublimior.