^ 77yi/ì^rru7r Z/TuZfiutfyUe ¿?¿e/MUvrisMfon *y¿tt-tf. O-1735'
The Purple Bird.
Numb. L X X X IV . .
1 I 'H E Porphyrio is a kind of Water Hen-, its Body is all over o f a>
fine purple Colour, the Tail of a whitiih aih Colour; its Bill,
Legs and Feet- are of a fcarlet red, the Claws black; Pliny fays that
when it drinks it feems to bite the Water; and hath this Property by
himfelf, to dip and whet his Meat now and then in Water, and theni
with its Foot, inftead of a Hand, to reach it to its Bill'; the beft of this;
kind, he fays, are in Gomagene-, it hath three long Toes and one ihort:
back Toe, two • forward,. and one long Toe behind ; the ihort Toe-
above'it as it is drawn in the Plate feems to be of no ufe.; Mr .Willoughby
(in his Ornithology) fays, neither Gefner nor Aldrovandus-, nor- himfelf
had ever feen this Bird, but Pictures of it only, and feeing.that the
Pidtures do much vary, and none o f thofe that have.compiled Hiftories;
o f Animals,, do profefs themfelves to have feen the Porphyrio; we fome-
times doubted whether there were any fuch Bird in Nature,' efpecially
feeing fome of thofe things which the Ancients attribute to it, as(for>-
example) that it hath five Toes on each Foot, are without doubt falfe
and fabulous; but becaufe all the Piitures of it do agree in the Figure
of its Bill, Legs and Feet, and fome other Parts, we have now changed;
our Minds, and are more apt to believe the affirmative, v iz. that there-
is fuch a Bird as they pi&ure; let others (fays he) who have the hap to>
fee it delcribe it more exaftly, and fo -remove all Doubts and Scruples-
concerning this matter, out of the Minds of the Learned and Curious>.
This Bird I had out of the Collection of Six Thomas Lowther.