THere are many kindes of notable Fowles at the Indies, either of the same sort that ours be, or [ 20] of different. They bring certaine birds from China, that haue no feete,* 1.1 and all their bodies are almost feathers. They sit not vpon the ground, but hang vpon boughs, by strings or feathers which they haue, and so rest themselues like Flies or ayrie things. In Peru there are birds which they call Tomineios, so small, that often-times I haue doubted seeing them flie,* 1.2 whether they were Bees or Butter-flies; but in truth they are birds. Contrariwise, those which they call Condores, be of an exceeding greatnesse, and of such a force,* 1.3 that not only they will open a sheep and eate it, but also a whole calfe. Those which they call Auras, and others Poullaze•• (which in my opinion are of the kinde of Rauens) are of a strange lightnesse, and haue a very quicke sight,* 1.4 being very fit to clense Cities, for that they leaue no Carrion nor dead thing. They passe the [ 30] night on Trees or vpon Rocks, and in the morning they come to the Cities and Townes, sitting on the tops of the highest buildings, where they attend their prey. Their yong haue white fea∣thers, as they report of Rauens, and so change into blacke.
The Guacamayac be birds bigger then Parrets, and resemble them something; they are estee∣med for the varietie of their feathers, which be very faire and pleasing. In new Spaine there are abundance of birds with excellent feathers, so as there bee not any found in Europe that comes neere them, as wee may see by the Images of feathers they bring from thence, the which are (with great reason) much valued and esteemed, giuing cause of admiration, that with the fea∣thers of birds, they should make so excellent a worke, and so perfectly equall,* 1.5 as they seeme properly to be the true colours of a Painter, and haue so liuely and pleasing a regard, as the Pain∣ter [ 40] cannot exceede it with his pencill and colours. Some Indians which are good and expert workmen in this Art, will represent perfectly in feathers, whatsoeuer they see drawne with the pencill, so as the Painters of Spaine, haue in this point, no aduantage ouer them. Don Philip the Prince of Spaine his Schoole-master, did giue vnto him three figures or portraitures made of fea∣thers, as it were to put in a Breuiarie. His Highnesse did shew them to King Philip his father, the which his Maiestie beholding attentiuely, said, that he had neuer seene in so small a worke, a thing of so great excellency and perfection. One day as they presented to Pope Sixtus Quin∣tus, another square bigger then it, wherein was the figure of Saint Francis, and that they had told him it was made of feathers by the Indians, he desired to make triall thereof, touching the table with his fingers, to see if it were of feathers; for that it seemed strange, to see them so properly [ 50] fitted, that the eye could not iudge nor discerne whether they were naturall colours of feathers, or artificiall done with the pencill. It is a goodly thing to see the ••ustre which a greene, an orange tawnie like gold, and other fine colours doe cast, and beholding them another way they seeme dead colours. They make the best and goodliest figures of feathers in the Prouince of Me∣chouacan▪ and in the village of Pascaro. The manner is with small delicate Pinsors they pull the feathers from the dead fowles, and with a fine paste they cunningly ioyne them together. They take the small and delicate feathers of those birds, which in Peru they call Tomineyos, or others like vnto them, which haue the most perfect colours in their feathers. The Indians (besides these Images) did vse feathers in many other most excellent workes, especially for the ornament of Kings and Noblemen, their Temples and Idols.
[ 60] There are also other great birds, which haue excellent and fine feathers, whereof they make plumes of sundrie colours, especially when they goe to warre, inriching them with gold and sil∣uer very artificially, which was a matter of great price. They haue the same birds still, but they are not so curious, neither doe they make so many gentill deuices as they were wont. There are other birds at the Indies, contrarie to these of so rich feathers, the which (besides that they are