Carolus Clusius, Exoticorum Libri Decem, Manucodiata (Appendix to Ch. I, Lib. V)

Carolus Clusius, Exoticorum Libri Decem, 1605ManucodiataAppendix to Ch. I, Lib. V

[p.359]

Quia dum Quintum Exoticorum Librum scriberem, de Paradiseis avibus et Psittacis agere minimé constitueram, eum à faedissimae avis historia sum exorsus: libro autem illo jam typis expresso, quum causae quaedam inciderint, ut sententiam mutarem, primum illud meum institutum revocare non piguit, et Paradiseás aves praeponere, quarum historiam primum inter aves locum merito debere habere existimavi atque proximum post illas, Pisittacos, quorum maxima est varietas.

[MN: Manucodiata Veteribus ignota]

De Manucodiata igitur, sive eâ ave quae à Paradiso cognomen accepit, plerique inter Neotericos (veteribus enim ignotam fuisse opinor) scripserunt: nemo tamen, meâ quidem opinione, exactius, quàm C. V. Ulysses Aldrovandus. Nam de omnibus rebus, quae ad ejus avis historiam facere possunt, accuratissimè et subtilissimè disputavit, ac in quinque species distinxit: totidem enim se observasse scribit. Video autem ipsum, et reliquos omnes qui de hac ave commentati sunt, in hoc convenire, ut illam pedibus carere judicent, quia quotquot ipsis fuerunt conspectae, eae non nisi pedibus mutilae: hinc factum est, ut Antonium Pigafetam, qui cum Magellano profectus, nave Victoriâ vectus totum orbem primus circuivit, mendacii et falsitatis arguere, fidemque eius imminuere non sint veriti, quòd è longâ illâ navigatione redux, huius avis notitiam Europaeis hominibus primus dedit, et in Navigationis suae Diario, pedes [crura dicere voluit] palmum longos, sed tenues, huic avi tribuerit. Ego sanè, licet hactenus in eâdem erroneâ opinione cum illis sim versatus, ut eas aves apodes censuerim (praeter Aristotelis tamen sententiam, qui nullam avem absque pedibus asserit) quia quas mihi videre contigerat tum in Hispanica mea peregrinatione Ulysippone binos menses haerens, tum in Belgio apud diversos qui exoticis hujusmodi rebus delectantur, omnes sine pedibus erant et exenteratae (tum tamen temporis, ut verum fatear, minimè curiosus ad observandum an aliquod inter eas esset discrimen) postremae tamen Batavorum in Indiam navigationes effecerunt, ut sine difficultate senentiam mutaverim, quum Amstelredamum quasdam integras cruraque cum pedibus retinentes allatas esse certum sit, et ab iis sui conspexerunt, intelligebam, crura illa picae variae cruribus admodum esse similiâ, infirmiora tamen, nec adeò crassa, coloremque habere non atrum, sed ad castaneum tendentem.  

Nihilominus tamen videre cupiuissem et si unam dumtaxat nancisci licuisset, statim in tabella exprimendam curassem, ut Lectori spectandam proponerem, et Pigafetae fidem confirmarem: sed quum illico propter raritatem fuerint redemptae et Francofurtum ad Moenum translatae, e inde porro una ad Caesarum Rudolphum huius nominis Secundú (cuius Majestatem his rebus peregrinis, et omnium Naturae miraculorum cognitione impensé delectari audio) meá spe frustratus sum.  Si verò contingat aliquas integras denuò adferri, idque tempore rescivero, dabo operam ut nancisci possum, vel saltem commodato, ut ejus iconem exhibere queam, ad convellendam vulgò conceptam de illis avibus opinionem, quae apodes esse censet.

[MN: Manucodiates apodes non sunt]

Ceterùm nautas qui has aves retulerant, licet insulas in quibus ipsae aves nascuntur et vivunt, non adierint, ab illis tamen à quibus redimebant, intellexisse mihi affirmatum est, omnes pedibus esse praeditas, incedereque et volare aliarum avium instar: sed incolas, simulatque eas ceperunt intestina, pedesque adimere et abiicere, deinde Soli exponere ut facilius arescant, aridas adservare ut venundent, aut suis cassidibus pennarum loco aptent. Addebant praeterea eas aves in silvis versari, et triginta vel quadraginta simul per turmas volare solitas, ipsarum Rege vel Duce comite, qui supra reliquas perpetuò sublimis volat, atque (quod fabulae proximum) si sitis molesta est, aliquam è caterva primùm ad aquam emitti, explorandi gratiâ; quae si à potu nullam noxam senserit, tum demum totam catervam advolare et bibere: sin autem morbida redierit, eam aquam à reliquis deseri, et avolare, aliam inquisituras. Addebant insuper, insulanos aquam hac ratione solere inficere ad aves captandas. Conspicientes harum avium aliquam turmam praetervolantem, quo sese conferat, observant, atque ubi avem missam bibesse et revolasse vident, ilico venenum in eam aquam iniiciunt, quam dum tota turma gustatum venit, inficitur, et sic praeda sit. Sed etiam illas aves iterdum sagittis peti solere atque si contingat ipsarum Regem interfici, illo cadente, reliquas aves, quae in ea turma, simul cadere et sese comprehendi sinere, tamquam amisso Rege vitam retinere nolentes.

[MN: Manucodiata duo genere]

Istarum porrò avium duo genera constituebant: Unum Majorum, quae elegantiores: Alterum Minorum et minùs elegantium. Utrique autem generi suum esse Regem peculiarem, et colore differentem. Majoris generis aves, quarum Rex elegantis et venusti coloris,...

[p.360]

...in insula Aru sive Arou (sic enim vocalis illa a pronuncianda) dumtaxat reperiri: Minoris verò generis aves insulas Papuas, insulae Gilolo vicinas producere earumque Regem minus elegantem esse, nigris pennis praeditum, sturno magnitudine parem, pennasque quasdam habentam setarum equinarum instar. An verò Rex iste niger, illa species Quarta in C. V. Aldrovando exhibita: Requisiti autem qui has aves vendebant à nautis, quo nomine apud incolas appellarentur, responderunt Boëres vocari hoc est, Aves: omnes enim aves sic nuncupant, nec peculiaribus vocabulis distinguere norunt.

Ceterum quum Majoris generis avem elegantissimam et prae reliquis magnam apud C. V. Petrum Pawium Artis Medicae doctorem et primarium in Academia Lugduno Batava Professorem conspexerim, ejus iconem in tabella exprimendam curabam ut exhiberem additâ quâ potui fide brevi historiâ quae primum quidem locum in Quinto Exoticorum libro meritò obtinere debuerat: sed quum sex priores libri typis, ut suprà dictum, iam essent expressi in hoc Auctarium, cum quibusdam aliis quae postera nactus sum, conferendam esse existimavi.

[MN: Manucodiata maioris genera]

Corpusculi huius avis moles ad hirundinis magnitudinem proximè accedebat; atque a summo capitis vertice ad ouropygium [ie. uropygium= rump] usque, vix quinque unciarum longitudinem superabat: capitis vertex à rostro ad oculos et collum, creberrimis brevibus pennulis sericea stamina imitantibus, tectus erat superna quidem sive extremâ parte flavi coloris, infimá a verò qua cuti insertae, fusci: supina capitis pars inferiori rostri parti contigua, ab oculis ad guttur usque, brevissimis etiam confertissimisque. staminulis veriùs quàm pennulis serico aequalibus, coloris prorsus atri, obsita: guttur deinde ad pectus usque similis penitus formae pennulis, vel potiùs staminulis serici instar ornatum erat, iisque coloris viridis saturi adeò elegantis et splendidi, ut in collo anatis ferae masculi elegantiores cospici nequeant: pectus tegentes pennae etiam tenuissimae, sed longiores, valdeque molles, coloris ex atro rufescentis, nihil nisi sericea stamina videbantur: rostrum illi satis exile et mucronatum, quod parte capiti proximâ nigricans, extimâ verò quodammodo exalbidum erat, et unciae cum semisse longitudinem habebat: in capite etiam, rostro vicina apparebant oculorum vestigia valde parva: dorsi porrò, ventris, et caudae pennae ferrugineum vel ex fusco rufescentem habebant colorem: ipsaque cauda pennis decem latiusculis sex uncias cum semisse longis erat praedita, supra quas oblongae duae teretesque pennae, nervis aut sutoriis cerdonum filis quodammodo similes, firmae tamen, ex fusco nigrae, binorumque pedum et trium aut quatuor unciarum longitudinem habentes ab eodem exortu quo caudae pennae procedebant ouropygio videlicet conjunctim insertae, et illae quidem crassiusculae in exortu circa ipsarum tubum à quo ad quatuor unciarum aut paullo ampliorem longitudinem frequentibus villis tamquam tenuibus staminibus ab uno latere, ab altero autem ad ternas erant…

[p.361]

...obsitae deinde sensim graciliores fiebant ad extremum usque, et licet villis illis destitutae asperiusculae tamen erant tamquam resecti fuissent, si quos habuerant, villi. Pennarum autem quae in alis, varia erat longitudo: quaedam enim insimae videlicet, quas valdè confertas habebat, sex unciarum longitudinem non excedebant, imò nonnullae etiam breviores; quaedam octo aut novem uncias erant longae, aliae duodecim, longissimae autem pedalem cum semisse longitudinem aequabant: magna etiam in illis colorum varietas; nam quaedam, auri colore fulgebant; nonnullae, praefertim quae in alarum lateribus angustiores, colorem habebant ex fusco subrutilum et quasi ex atro sanguineum attamé splendidum; quae verò reliquas tegebant, cineracei ex albo coloris erant, earumque latera rarioribus pilis sive villis obsita; breviter omnes admondum venustae, quas, si licuisset, in tabella proposita libenter expressas voluissem sed quia adeò confertim natae, commodè id fieri non potuit ne totius avis forma corrumperetur.

Ejusdem generis deinde conspiciebam apud Nobilissimum eundemque doctissimum virum Josephum Scaligerum, corporis quidem mole paullò minorem ut quae uncias quatuor cum semisse à capite ad ouropygium dumtaxat longa esset, caudae autem pennae eandem cum iam descriptae pennis habebant longitudinem, at teretes illae longaeque pennae nervis similes, et conjunctim ex ouropygio nascentes, pedis unius cum dodrante longitudinem non superabant, alioqui circa ipsarum tubum similibus villis tamquam staminibus ab uno latere ad duarum aut trium unciarum longitudinem, ab altero autem ad quinque ferè à tubo unciarum longitudinem deinde exiliores etiam fiebant ad extremum usque, et nonnihil asperae erant praesertim circa extremum, non adeò tamen uti superioris pennae: earum verò quae in alis varia similiter erat longitudo, quemadmondum in superiorè, nec ei valde dissimilis, nec etiam diversa colorum  varietas, ut aetate dumtaxat discretae fuisse videantur: pennae praeterea dorsum pectusque tegentes, atque etiam caudae pennae eundem quem modò descriptae habebant colorem; stamina illa caput, cervicem, pectusque tegentia à praecedentis staminibus nec colore nec situ differebant; rostrum verò sescunciam longum, mucronatum non crassum, aliquâ ex parte fuscum reliquâ album.

Manucodiata minoris genere

Aliam porrò apud eundem videbam paullò minore corporis mole et minus planâ praeditam, valde parvum caput habentem, cujus rostrum aequalis paenè cum praecedente magnitudinis, magis tamen angustum, et ex caeruleo fusci coloris, binis foraminibus per quae respirabat parte superiore capiti proximâ praeditum non secus ac in praecedente; capitis vertex brevissimus villis tamquam sericeis staminibus tectus erat, non adeò elegantis tamen coloris ut in praecedente, sed flavi quasi fuligine infecti: praeterea stamina illa rostrum supremâ parte cingentia, minùs latum spatium occupabant atri tamen etiam erant coloris; quibus verò guttur tectum erat, viridis erat color et splendens haud secus ac in praecedentibus, sed minimi digiti latitudinem non superabant: huius dorsum à collo ad ouropygium usque tenuibus quidem pennis tectum erat, sed alterius quàm praecedentis coloris; nam ex cineraceo flavescebant: pectus verò tegentes pennae, simili colore erant praeditae, quo praecedentium pennae pectorales; cum iis etiam conveniebant pennae illae quae partem ouropygio proximam occupabant: cuius autem coloris furerint caudae pennae, indicare nequeo, quandoquidem ouropygio carebat, eamque ob causam ignorem an oblongos illos teretesque nervos habuerit, quibus, quotquot hactenus videre memini fuerunt praeditae: alarum pennae variam habebant longitudinem, perinde atque in superioribus, nec colore valde erant dissimiles; quae tamen erant longissimae, et rarioribus villis latera obsita habebant, multo candidoris erant coloris, quàm suprà memoratarum pennae, sesquipedalemque habebant longitudinem. An porrò color ille pennarum dorsum tegentium á superioribus diversus discrimen sexus faciat, quemadmondum nonnulli opinantur, nihil pronunciare possum; è secundo tamen esse genere, earum videlicet quas Papuae insulae alunt mihi dicebat Ioannes de Weely, nervisque quidem illis carere, sed non caudâ: eamque ob causam sexus discrimen facere nequeunt, ut vulgus putat.  

Ceterum Leydensis quidam civis apud Batavos unam etiam habebat huic postremae Scaligeri prorsus similem, et ouropygio caudaque etiam mutilatam, tum oblongis illis nervis carentem; quae nota an singulas illius generis aves ab aliis discerneret, me latebat (quia binas illas dumtaxat observavi hanc notam habentes, quantum quidem memoriâ teneo, aut si similes antè videre contigit mihi excidit quia minùs exactam tum temporis in similium avium formâ observandâ diligentiam adhibebam) sed, ut paullò ante dicebam, Joannes de Weely omnem dubitationem ademit.

Porrò quum haec commentatus essem, idem Joannes de Weely vir perhumanus civis et mercator Amstelredamensis, qui similem avem pedibus praeditam Caesarae Majestati vendiderat, mihi significabat hoc mense Junio anni Christi millseimi sexcentesimi quinti…

 p.362

...(praecedente enim Maio ab ipso requisiveram) Paradiseam illam avem è majorum genere fuisse, quae binos illos nervos ex ouropygio prodeuntes habent, et planiore sunt corpore, nec adeò orbiculato ut illae quae ex Papuis insulis advehuntur: pedes autem illi fuisse similes accipitris vel pulli gallinacei pedibus quidem similes, sed valde foedos et ad ipsius avis corpus compressos, ut pedum digiti dumtaxat apparerent; seque ejus esse opinionis, omnes paradiseas aves similibus esse praeditas pedibus, sed incolas ob eorum foeditatem et inconcinnitatem, eos simul cum cruribus resecare et abiicere. Illud ipsum sub extremum Junium praesens mihi confirmabat.

Majorum Paradisearum Aviumsive manucodiatarum majorum Rex creditus

Valde rara erat ea avicula quam Avium Paradisearum majoris generis Regem appellari intelligebam: nam tametsi Paradiseas aves saepe, ut antè dicebam, viderim cum Ulyssipone tum aliis locis, et Batavi naucleri qui singulis annis navigationem in Indiam Orientalem nunc instituere solent ex sua profectione reduces aliquot ejusmodi aves ferè semper referant; nullum tamen Regem conspicere mihi contigerat ante annum Christi millesimum sexcentesimum tertium, Amstelredami videlicet apud quendam mercatorem ejusmodi res exoticas de nautis reducibus redimere solitum, ut porrò cum magno quaestu aliis vendat. Anni verò insequentis initio, significabat mihi honestisimus vir Emanuel Swertz ejusdem urbis civis, similem etiam se habere: itaque ab illo imprimendam curare possem ejus iconem. Quum verò illius paullò antè meminerim, et nemo hactenus similem quod equidem sciam, exhibuerit, mei officii esse putavi, ejus historiam additâ iconem hoc loco proponere.

 Manucodiata maioris generis Rex

Erat autem ea avicula aliis Manucodiatis minor et diversis pennis praedita: nam à capite caudam, duarum unciarum longitudinem vix superabat: caput illi valde parvum, quod cum rostro unciam cum semisse dumtaxat longum erat: ipsa cauda eandem longitudinem habebat: alae verò toto aviculae corporae longè majors, ut quae uncias quatuor cum semisse prolixae essent, et binas uncias ultra extremam caudam porrigerentur: rostri color albus, cuius superna pars unciam longa, et brevibus elegantibusque plumulis sive villis rubri coloris ad mediam usque partem tecta, sericeorum quorundam staminùm instar, quemadmondum et tota capitis pars anterior; inferior verò rostri pars, unciam similiter longa, quam tamen aliquantulum superabat prona: media capitis pars utrimque circa oculos parvas maculas nigras impressas habebat: collum cum pectore exilibus pennis saturè rubris et quasi sanguinei coloris tectum, ut quodammodo sericeis etiam staminibus constare viderentur: omnes deinde pennulae dorsum et remiges alarum pennas caudamque tegentes paenè unius erant coloris: singulae verò alae tredecim pennis remigibus constabant, pronâ quidem parte fusci ex rufo coloris, supinâ autem ex flavor fusci: cauda septem aut octo pennis fuscis erat praedita, quas minùs diligenter distinxit pictor, aut ob pennulas eas tegentes, distinctas exprimere non potuit: supine porrò corporis pars sub pectore, veluti torque minimum ferè digitum lato insignita erat, atris plumulis tamquam sericeis staminibus constante: pennae ventrem tegentes albae erant, sed quae alis proximae, nigrae, et earum quinque aut sex in singulis lateribus paullò longiores: binas videlicet uncias aequabant, atque in latiorem extremitatem viridi elegantissimoque et splendente haud secus ac anatis ferae masculi collum, praeditam, desinebant. Ex ouropygio autem inter caudae pennas binae prodibant…

[p.363]

...veluti setae equinae, tenues firmae tamen, septem aut octo uncias longae, et illae quidem prorsus nigrae, sed quarum extremitates ad unciae longitudinem in orbem convolutae erant, ab uno dumtaxat latere tenuissimis villis praeditae, qui pronâ parte coloris viridis saturi splendentis et elegantis, paenè instar pennularum quae anatis ferae maris collum tegunt, magnam sanè venustatem toto aviculae corpori addentes; supina verò earum pars fusci coloris erat. Intelligebam etiam quosdam esse conspectos, qui setas illas haberent alteram super alterâ versus extremum decussatim sitas.

---

Notes on names:

Antonium Pigafetam  = Antonio Pigafetta, Italian, (c.1491 – c. 1531), the ship's chronicler on Magellan's first voyage around the world that returned in 1522, bringing the first bird of paradise specimens to Europe.

Ulysses Aldrovandus = Ulysse Aldrovandi (1522-1605), a wealthy and well known Bolognese collector-naturalist.

Caesarum Rudolphum = Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, (1552-1612) who had one of the most extensive collections in his time in Prague.

Petrum Pawium = Pieter Pauw/ Peter Pavius, (1564-1612), Dutch botanist and professor at Leiden University with Clusius, and had a collection of naturalia.

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Carolus Clusius, Exoticorum Libri Decem, 1605Manucodiata, Appendix to Ch. I, Lib. V

[p.359]

Because when I wrote the fifth book concerning exotic things, I had resolved not to deal with paradisial birds and parrots, I started with a history of the foulest birds: having this book already with the type set, something happened to make me change my opinion; I did not hesitate to revoke my original decision, and to place the birds of paradise first,  the account of which I reckoned deserved first place amongst birds, and immediately after them, the parrots, of which there is a great variety.

Margin note:[The manucodiata unknown to the ancients,]

For concerning the Manucodiata, that takes its name from paradise, for of all the many of the moderns (for I think that they were unknown to the ancients), have written: but no-one however, in my opinion, more precisely, than C.V [Clarissimus vir] Ulysse Aldrovandi. For concerning all things of which to make a history of this bird he most accurately and exactly discussed, and he distinguished 5 species: for he wrote that he had observed that number. But I see that he and all the rest who have talked about this bird agree in this thing, that they judge it to lack feet, because however many had been seen by them, none were without mangled feet: hence it came about that Antonio Pigafetta, who set out with Magellan, who sailed around the entire globe carried in the ship Victoria,  they were not afraid to accuse Pigafetta of lying and falsehood, because returning from that long journey he first brought news of this bird to European people, an in the diary of his voyage he attributed to this bird, by which he meant to say legs, a palm long, but thin. I myself ,  granted that I held those erroneous opinions, and I judged those birds to be legless (despite the opinion of Aristotle, who asserts that no bird is without feet), those which I saw on my journeys around Spain, staying in Lisbon for two months, and next in Belgium who delighted in this kind of exotic thing, all were without any feet and gutted. (but at that time, to tell the truth, I was not in the least interested to observe whether there was any difference between them) but after the latest voyages in Batavia in the Indies caused, that I changed my opinion without difficulty, when it was certain that certain whole ones retaining feet with legs had been brought to Amsterdam, and I understood from those who had seen them, that those legs were quite similar to the legs of various magpies, but weaker nor so thing, and they had a colour not black, but tending towards chestnut. I wanted to see also if I should be allowed to acquire at least one immediately, I would take care to put it in a plate so that I could offer it to the reader to see and to confirm the truthfulness of Pigafetta: but immediately because of their rarity they were purchased and carried to Frankfurt on the Moen, furthermore, one was carried to Kaiser Rudolf II, (whose Majesty I hear is immensely delighted by these foreign things, and by the knowledge of the wonders of Nature) I was frustrated in my hope. If indeed it should happen that other whole one should be brought and I find out about it in time, I will make the effort to acquire one, or at least a loan, so that I may be able to show its image so as to wreck the commonly held opinion concerning these birds that holds them to be footless. Besides, I am assured that the sailors who brought back these words, though they have not visited the islands in which those birds are born and live, understood, from whom they purchased them, that all are endowed with feet, and walk fly like other birds: but the inhabitants, as soon as they capture them, remove and throw away the feet and the guts, then expose to the sun to dry them up more easily,  they preserve them dry to offer them for sale, or fix them to mens’ helmets in place of the plumes. These birds wander around forests, and they are accustomed to fly in groups of 30 or 40 with their king or leader accompany them, and the king flies above the others. And it was said that if the leader (as the fable says) that if thirst is troublesome, that one bird from the flock is sent first to the water in order to explore: Which if in drinking, it feels no harm, then the whole flock flies together and drinks: if however, it should return ill, that body of water is left by the others and they fly away, in order to look for another one. For this reason, the islanders are accustomed to poison the water in order to capture birds. Seeing one of these birds flying by, they decide in what way the flock gathers, and when they see the taster bird has drunk and flown back, immediately they throw the poison in the water, which while all the flock comes and tastes, it is poisoned, and thus is preyed upon. But also, that they are accustomed to seek/hunt those birds sometimes with arrows, and if it happens that their king is killed, when he falls, the rest of the birds in that flock come down to the ground together at once and allow themselves to be taken, as if, without their king, they do not wish to stay alive.

People recognize two kinds of these birds: one of the bigger ones which are more handsome, one of the little ones that are less handsome. But each race has a particular king, each of a different colour. The Major type of birds,  of which the King is of an elegant and  attractive colour, [p.360] in the Island of Aru or Arou (for the vowel 'u' is pronounced) are only found there: but the smaller kind come from islands Papua, next to the island Gilolo, and their king is less handsome, endowed with black feathers, the size of a starling, and having some feathers like the bristles of horses. If indeed the king is black, it may be the 4th species presented in C.V. Aldrovandi's [work]: When the inhabitants who sell these birds were asked what name they give these birds by sailors, they responded that they were Boeres, Birds: a name for all birds, nor is there a particular word to distinguish these.

Besides, when I got sight of a very elegant bird of the larger kind at the house of C.V Pieter Pauw, Doctor of Medicine and foremost professor at the in the University of Leiden in Batavia, whose form I took care to display in a plate, so that I should show it with a short history added, as faithfully as I was able, which should in fact by rights have had first place, in the 5^th book of exotica: but since six book already printed as mentioned above were put into print, an appendix, with certain others which I found out about later, I judged fit to be included.  

The mass of the little body of this bird approaches very close to the size of a swallow, and from the crown of its head to its rump, it scarcely exceeds 5 inches long: from the beak to the top of the head around the eyes and neck are covered thick with short feathers like silk threads, the top or furthest side indeed was of a yellow colour, but the underneath where inserted into the skin, dusky: the lower part of the head next to the lower part of the rostrum, up to the  eyes to the throat, is also dotted with  shortest and densest threadlets almost black in colour, rather than little feathers,

From the throat right up to the breast the feathers resemble the form of featherlets, or rather as if decorated with silken threads, those being saturated with green colour so elegant and splendid, as in the throat of a wild male duck, that no more elegant can be seen; the feathers covering the breast are very fine, but long and very soft, coloured dark rufus, looking like nothing so much as silken thread: the beak is sufficiently feeble, and pointed, which in the part next to the head is blackish, but the furthest edge was whitish, it was an inch and a half long: in the head next to the beak appear the very small traces of eyes: moving on, the feathers of the back and the stomach and the tail had a colour on the reddish side of dusky: the tail itself was furnished with 10 feathers six and a half inches long, upon which two smooth long feathers, like the thread or cord of a shoemaker, yet strong, of a very dark black, having a length of two foot and three of four inches, from the same origin from which the tail feathers emerge, jointly inserted into the rump, and those [two cords], indeed, rather thick at the origin around the shaft, they were studded up to a length of four inches or more with dense featherlets, ...

[p.361]

... like thin slender hairs, on one side, and on the other to about three inches, but they became gradually thinner towards the end, and though they were destitute of those hairs, they were however roughish, as if the hairs, if they had had any, had been cut back. Of the wing feathers however, which have various lengths: some of them indeed, the lower ones to whit, being crammed together, did not exceed six inches of length, nay rather, some were even shorter, some were eight or nine inches long, others, 12, the longest moreover were a foot and a half long: and great was the variety of colours among them; for some shone with a golden colour; some had a colour as if from blood red from black, but yet, however, splendid; those that cover the rest are ashen, and going from off-white to ash, the sides of them are sparsely studded with hairs; in short, they are all absolutely lovely, which if I had been able, I willingly would have liked to express more clearly in the proposed plates, [yet] because they were growing so crammed together, but it was not conveniently possible, lest the shape of the whole bird should suffer.

Then one of the same kind I saw at the house of the most noble and learned man Joseph Scaliger, the size of its body was somewhat smaller that is, and at most four inches and a half long from the head to the rump, the feathers of the tail moreover had the same length as the feathers just described, and those smooth and long feathers like strings and growing together from the rump did not exceed a length of one foot and three quarters....