BElloniusBellonius figures this bird among the Merulae, induced only by this reason, that those who bring it out of Brasil into Europe call it, the Brasilian Blackbird. Where­fore seeing he speaks nothing concerning the nature of the Bird, and it is alike un­known to me, I also adjoyn it to the Merulae, although in the shortness, or rather crookedness, of its Bill it differs much from them. Those (saith Bellonius) who trade in Countries newly discovered, bring back thence such strange rarities as they think will sell dear with us here: But because they cannot bring the birds themselves alive in Cages, therefore they flay off the skins of such as are more beautiful than the rest, as this is, and bringing them over make a great gain of the sale of them; especi­ally of this which they call, the Brasilian Blackbird; though in bigness it differs from a Blackbird. The colour of the whole body, except the Tail and Wings, which are black; is so deep [perchance by the word intensè he may mean bright] a red, that it exceeds all other rednesses. The Tail is long; the Feet and Legs black; The Bill short, as in a Sparrow. The feathers are red to the very bottom. That which Aldrovandus describes, perchance from a picture, was in some things different from Bellonius his bird. For, saith he, the Wings are not all over black, but all the upper feathers by the shoulders of a deep red. Next to them are some black ones, then red ones again; the subsequent, viz. all the great feathers, being black, as is also the Tail. The Bill also is not so short as in Sparrows, yet thick, and remarkably crooked, without of a dusky colour, within yellow, as I conjecture from the colour of the corners of the mouth [rictûs.] Moreover, the Feet are not black, but of an ash-colour, only a little dusky, being great for the proportion of the Legs: The Claws short, but crooked, of the same colour.