CHACHALACA 351 



but once heard they can never be forgotten. Dr. J. C. Merrill (1878) 

 writes: 



During the day, unless rainy or cloudy, the birds are rarely seen or heard; 

 but shortly before sunrise and sunset they mount to the topmost branch of a 

 dead tree and make the woods ring with their discordant notes. Contrary to 

 almost every description of their cry I have seen, it consists of three syllables, 

 though occasionally a fourth is added. When one bird begins to cry the near- 

 est bird joins in at the second note, and in this way the fourth syllable is made; 

 but they keep such good time that it is often very difficult to satisfy one's self 

 that this is the fact. I can not say certainly whether the female utters this 

 cry as well as the male, but there is a well-marked anatomical distinction in the 

 sexes in regard to the development of the trachea. In the male this passes 

 down outside the pectoral muscles, beneath the skin, to within about one inch of 

 the end of the sternum ; it then doubles on itself and passes up, still on the 

 right of the keel, to descend within the thorax in the usual manner. This 

 duplicature is wanting in the female. 



Sennett (1879) says: 



A more intimate acquaintance with this bird enables me to give a better 

 description of its notes than the attempt in my former memoir. The notes are 

 loud and uttered in very rapid succession, and those of the female follow the 

 male's so closely, while so well do they harmonize, although in different keys, 

 that I mistook the first note of one for the last note of the other. It really 

 utters but three syllables, thus : Cha-cha-lac, instead of four, cha-cha-lac-ca, as 

 given before. It also has a hoarse, grating call or alarm note, uttered in one 

 continuous strain and without modulation, something like kak-kak-kak. 



Dr. T. Gilbert Pearson told me that when he went out to camp one 

 night with Mr. Farmer in the heart of the chachalaca country, the 

 latter had told him that there would probably be within earshot of 

 their camp at least 500 chachalacas, a statement about which he was 

 very skeptical. About sundown the concert began, increasing in 

 volume until the din became almost indescribable. Doctor Pearson 

 was convinced, and finally suggested to Mr. Farmer that he call it 

 5,000 instead of 500 birds. 



Game. — The chachalaca has figured largely as a game bird in the 

 Brownsville market. Its flesh is said to make delicious eating. It 

 hardly comes up to a sportsman's idea of what a game bird should 

 be, though one must have a thorough knowledge of its haunts and 

 habits to be successful in hunting it. It has been quite extensively 

 domesticated on many Mexican ranches, lives contentedly with do- 

 mestic poultry, and becomes very tame and makes a good pet. 

 although often so familiar as to be troublesome. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and northeastern 

 Mexico. 



The chachalaca occupies a limited range extending north to south- 

 ern Texas (Rio Grande City, Fort Ringgold, Lomita Ranch, Hidalgo, 



