AFRICAN J.
Pt. LXXXVII.
D escription.
Place.
8.
CHINESE J.
Description.
Place.
9-
FAITHFUL J.
Description.
Br. Muf.
L E N G T H nine inches and a half. Bill dufky, of a pale
brownilh horn-colour at the tip : forehead bare : the upper
parts of the plumage of a very pale cinnamon-colour: chin and
throat white : bread: of a tawny yellow, mottled and barred, on
the fides of it and the neck, with black: the under parts from
thence like the back, but darker: greater quills black : on the
inner part of the bend of the wing a ihort blunt fpur: through
the eye, pafling to the hind part of the neck, quite to the back,
black : legs greenilh black : toes and claws very long, as in the
variable Jacana : hind claw an inch and a half in length.
Inhabits Africa.
L E N G T H twenty-one inches. Bill dufky: crown of the
head, forehead, and all beneath, as far as the bread, pale
cinereous cream-colour: back part of the head black, of the neck
yellow, divided from the white before by a line of black on each
fide: the body vinaeeous red : wing coverts white:■ quills black:
tail long : legs and toes long, and of a greenilh colour.
Suppofed to inhabit China : feen, by me among fome fine
drawings done in that country, and appears a very large fpeeies.
Parra chavaria, Lin. Sjfl. i. p. afo. 5.
g I Z E of a dunghill Cock, and dands a foot and a half from the
ground. The bill is conic, a little bent, and of a dirty white
colour; the upper mandible as in the Cock: nodrils oblong, pervious
:
vious : on both Tides, at the bafe of the bill, is a red membrane,
which extends to the temples ; in the middle of this are placed
the eyes : the irides are brown : the hind head is furnilhed with
about a dozen blackilh feathers, three inches in length, which
form a credj thefe hang downwards : the red of the neck, which
is pretty long, is covered with a thick black down ; but under
the bill and temples it is of a pure white: the body is brown: the
wings and tail blackilh, clouded with grey j the lad Ihort: on
the bend of the wing two or three fpurs half an inch in length :
belly black, but lefs deep : the thighs are half way bare of feathers
: knee joints thick and fwelling: legs very long, drong,
and of a yellowilh red colour : toes alfo fo long as to entangle
the one in the other in walking.
This bird inhabits the lakes, &c. near the river Cinu, about pL
thirty leagues from Carthagena, in South America, and is faid to M
feed on vegetables. Its gait is folemn and flow j but it flies eafily
and fwiftly. It cannot run, unlefs alfifled by the wings at the
fame time. When any part of the Ikin is touched by the hand a
crackling is felt, though it is very downy beneath the feathers; and
indeed this down adheres fo clofely as to enable the bird at times
to fwim. The voice is clear and loud, but far from agreeable.
The natives, who keep poultry in great 'numbers, have one of
thefe tame, which goes along with the flock about the neighbourhood
to feed during the day, when this faithful Ihepherd defends
them againd birds of prey; being able, by means of the
fpurs on the wings, to drive off birds as big as the Carrion
Vulture, and even that bird itfelf. It is fo far of the greated
ufe, as it never deferts the charge committed to its care, bringing
them