Miscellaneous. 211 



quill an inch and a half shorter than the second, which last ia one 

 inch shorter than the third ; 3 — 8 quills about equal. Tail of fifteen 

 feathers, rounded ; the two middle ones longest and pointed. 



Head sparsely covered with feathers, almost bare for a considera- 

 ble distance around the eye. Upper mandible dusky, except at tip, 

 which, with the lower mandible, is whitish ; towards the base it is 

 somewhat striated, and covered by a reddish, fleshy cere, elongated 

 at the angle of the mouth into barbies, which however are only ru- 

 dimentary in comparison with those of the guinea fowl. Beneath 

 the skin a distinct, hard, bony ridge can be felt, extending over the 

 top of the head. Another bony ridge extends over the eye, giving 

 it a sunken appearance. The nostrils are half-closed by a fleshy 

 membrane ; sides of head and front white. Top of head and nape 

 with linear black feathers, elongated on the nape into hackles. 

 Neck and upper part of the breast reddish brown. Tarsus very 

 stout, with large, divided scutellse ; length 3^ inches ; middle toe 

 and nail 2f inches. Total length about 2 feet. 



The second of these birds bears yet more resemblance to a guinea 

 fowl, both in shape and colour, than the preceding, not being so 

 much mottled with reddish brown feathers, but principally with 

 white. The bill appears to be not so much arched ; the upper man- 

 dible is barbled as in the other, and the head is in general the same. 

 Back, shoulders and upper tail-coverts dusky, lineated with whitish 

 like the guinea fowl ; greater wing-coverts fading into white, the 

 te-rtiaries being margined with the same. One quill white. Quills 

 like the other as to colour and markings ; third to sixth nearly equal. 

 From flexure the wing measures 11^ inches. 



Back of head and neck with black linear feathers, not so much 

 like hackles as those of the other bird. Breast, beneath and sides 

 whitish. Tail nearly plucked out, as in the other ; upper tail-coverts 

 full and pendent. The bare flesh around the eye in both birds is 

 tinged with blue. 



The sounds which these birds utter are also intermediate, but 

 partake much more of the harshness of the guinea fowl, although 

 they occasionally cluck not unlike the common hen. 



They are shy, wild and resentful, boldly attacking any one who 

 irritates them. They have several times escaped from custody and 

 flown a hundred yards or more, when they alight and run with great 

 celerity. 



The sex of these birds has not been determined with certainty, but 

 the male characters seem to predominate. During the four years 

 they were on the farm, they were never observed to have sexual in- 

 tercourse with any other fowls. It is designed on a future occasion 

 to notice their anatomical peculiarities, when the productive organs 

 will be carefully examined. 



It has been remarked by a distinguished naturalist, that " many 

 of the birds which compose the gallinaceous order appear to be less 

 difiicult to unite with strange species than those of any other order. 

 From the great majority of pheasants, mongrels may thus be pro- 

 duced; all the Hoccos (Crax) will couple together in a state of do- 



15* 



