عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ الزَّيَّاتِ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَ اللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) قَطُّ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنِّي سَأَلْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ مَا يُؤْكَلُ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَقَالَ كُلْ مَا دَفَّ وَ لَا تَأْكُلْ مَا صَفَّ قُلْتُ الْبَيْضُ فِي الْآجَامِ فَقَالَ مَا اسْتَوَى طَرَفَاهُ فَلَا تَأْكُلْهُ وَ مَا اخْتَلَفَ طَرَفَاهُ فَكُلْ قُلْتُ فَطَيْرُ الْمَاءِ قَالَ مَا كَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ فَكُلْ وَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ فَلَا تَأْكُلْ .
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ali al-Zayyat (Ali ibn Ri’ab) from Zurarah who has said the following: “I swear by Allah that I have never seen anyone like abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam. I once, said to him (the Imam), ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, what is edible of birds?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use for food all that flap their wings in flight, and do not eat what keeps its wings straight in flight.’ I then asked about eggs. He (the Imam) said, ‘All eggs with ends of similar shapes are not edible and those that have their ends of different shapes are edible.’ I then asked about the birds of water. He (the Imam) said, ‘All that have gizzards are edible and that which have no gizzard are not edible.’”