in ornithology, a genus belonging to the order of gallinace. The cheeks are covered with a smooth naked skin. There are six species, viz. 1. The gallus, or dunghill cock and hen, with a compressed caruncle or fleshy comb on the top of the head, and a couple of caruncles or wattles under the chin; the ears are naked; and the tail is compressed, and erected. This bird, though now one of the domestic fowls, was originally brought from the East-Indies. They feed upon grain, grass seeds, and worms. The cock or male is perhaps the boldest and most heroic of all the feathered tribe. He claps his wings before he sings or crows. He begins to crow about midnight, and seldom ceases till break of day. He is so exceedingly salacious, that one cock is sufficient for ten hens. His flight is very piercing, and he never fails to cry in a peculiar manner when he discovers any bird of prey in the air. The hen is very prolific; she makes her nest on the ground; and the young immediately after they are hatched, follow her, and pick up their food themselves. There are six or eight varieties of this species. 2. The motmot, or Guinean pheasant, is brownish, somewhat red below, with a wedge-like tail, and wants spurs. It is a native of Guinea and Brazil. 3. The colchicus, is red, with a blue head, a wedge-shaped tail, and papillous cheeks. It is a native of Asia. 4. The argus is yellowish, with black spots, a red face, and a blue crest on the back part of the head. It is found in Chinese Tartary. 5. The pictus, has a yellow crest, a red breast, and a wedge-shaped tail. It is a native of China. 6. The nycthemerus, is white, with a black crest and belly, and a wedge-shaped tail. It is a native of China. See Plate CXLII.