ARAMUS. 33 
vo 
“1. Aramus pictus. 
Tantalus pictus, Bartr. Trav. Florida, p. 291°. 
Aramus pictus, Coues, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1875, p. 3547; Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 409°; 
vi. pp. 389‘, 396°; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 400°; Sharpe, Cat. 
Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 238%. 
Aramus scolopaceus, Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 64°; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 229 *, 
Aramus scolopaceus, var. giganteus, Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 49 ©. 
Aramus giganteus, Salv. Ibis, 1889, p. 378"; 1890, p. 89 2. Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 
ix. p. 177; Richm. op. cit. xvi. p. 528 “; A. O. U. Check-list N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. 
p. 76”. 
Aramus holostictus, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 227 * ; Salv. Ibis, 1870, p. 1157. 
Brunneus, pilei plumis anguste, colli plumis latius albo striatis ; dorsi plumis et tectricibus alarum maculis 
triquetris albis plus minusve celatis notatis ; remigibus et rectricibus brunneis eeneo nitentibus; loris et 
regione suboculari gulaque albis; corpore reliquo subtus brunneo, colli et gutturis imi plumis medialiter 
albo striolatis, pectoris et abdominis plumis latissime albo striatis, plumis singulis triquetrim albis, 
brunneo marginatis; corporis lateribus, tibiis et subcaudalibus brunneis concoloribus ; subalaribus pectore 
concoloribus et eodem modo albo notatis: rostro viridescenti-flavo, apicem versus fusco; pedibus plumbeis, 
unguibus nigris; iride coryllina. Long. tota circa 26:0, ale 12:9, caude 5°5, culm. 4:6, tarsi 4°9. 
(Descr. exempl. ad. ex Cozumel I. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Norvu America, Florida !5,—Muextco, Alvarado? and Uvero®, Vera Cruz, Santa 
Efigenia 91° and Cacoprieto°, Oaxaca (Sumichrast), Tiacotalpam’, Santa Ana, 
Vera Cruz (Ferrari-Perez \*), Cozumel I. (Gaumer*™ 12); British Hoypuras, 
Belize River (Leyland ®'6); Honpuras, Omoa (Leyland *® ™); Nicaragua, Sucuya 
and Omotépe, Lake of Nicaragua (Nutting *°); Costa Rica? (Carmiol’), Rio 
Frio (Richmond 4), La Palma, Gulf of Nicoya (Nutting ?)—Wesr Ivpigs’. 
Our collectors have not sent us specimens of this curious bird from the mainland of 
Mexico, but both Ferrari-Perez 13 and Sumichrast 9 procured several in Vera Cruz, and 
the latter also found it in Oaxaca. Mr. Nutting? says that A. pictus prefers 
marshy country to open water, and that he often heard its harsh and rather mournful 
cry; he also states that the flesh is very good eating. 
The bird is of heavy flight, and, when first flushed, flies with bent neck and hanging 
legs, but when once on the wing the former is stretched out to the full extent and 
the latter are extended behind after the manner of Herons, As arule, the bird escapes 
pursuit by running, baffling even the best dogs; its long toes enable it to walk on the 
leaves of the water-plants and it is also a good swimmer. The nest, as observed in 
Florida, is composed of a large mass of rank weeds, with a depression in the middle. 
Like that of the Clapper-Rails, it is generally secured from inundation by being placed 
amongst, and fastened to, the large tufts of the tallest grasses which grow in the 
vicinity of the lagoons®, The eggs, sometimes aS many as sixteen in number, are 
large for the size of the bird; they are of a rich cream-colour, with spots and blotches 
of yellowish-brown and underlying purple. 
