ARAMUS SCOLOPACEUS. 



SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN. 



[Plate XXVI. Fig. 2.] 



Ardea scolopacei , Gmel. Syst. Nat. i., p. 647, Sp. 87. Lath. Ind. Orn. ii., p. 701, 

 Sp. 89, a very bad description. — Aramus scolopaceus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet, viu., 

 p. 300. Id. Gal. Ois. ii., p. 134, PI. 252. Nob. Ann. Lye. New York, ii., p. 1>5. 

 — Id. Speech. Comp. sp. Philad. Id. Cat. and Syn. Birds U. S. Sp. 237. — 

 Aramus Caraii, Vieill. Nouv. Diet, viii., p. 301. — Rallus Guarauna, III. [mentio 

 duntaxat).— R alius gigas, Light. Berlin. Yog. Yerz. p. 79, Sp. 815. — Rallus 

 ardeoides, Spix, Av. Brasil, ii. PI. 91. — Rallus giganieus, Nob. Add. Orn. U. S. 

 in Journal Ae. Nat. Sc. Philad. v., p. 31. — Nothorodius Guarauna, Wagler, 

 Syst. Avium, i., Sp. 1. Goldfuss, Nat. Atlas, Aves, PI. 239. — Courliri Courlan, 

 Vieill. loe. cit. — Guarauna, Marcgr. Brasil, p. 204. — Courlan ou Courliri, Buff. 

 Ois. VII., p. 442. Id. ed. 1783, viii,, p. 266. Id. PI. Enl. 8i8.— Carau, d'AzARA, 

 Yoy. IV., p. 223, Sp. 366, an excellent description. — Scolopaeeous Heron, Lath. 

 Sy7i. v., p. 102, Sp. 79. Id. Gen. Hist, viii., p. 135, Sp. IIC. 



Here is a bird, which, if any, might be considered as partaking of a 

 double nature, some authors having regarded it as a Heron allied to the 

 Rails, and others as a Kail somewhat analogous to the Herons. But 

 notwithstanding these more striking affinities, and many besides that 

 shall be carefully pointed out, for it is not contented with these, it fully 

 deserves to constitute a genus by itself. After due consideration, there- 

 fore, we have withdrawn it from the Rails, where, unconsciously coin- 

 ciding in this with Spix, Hliger, and Lichtenstein, we at first arranged it ; 

 and finding the genus Aramus already proposed for it by Vieillot, 

 willing as we are to admit it to this rank, we do not hesitate a moment 

 to adopt his name, and although we must acknowledge ourselves equally 

 unable with Dr. Wagler to explain the meaning or etymology of the 

 word, we do not think this any reason why we should, with the German 

 ornithologist, apply to this bird a new compound signifying Spurious 

 Heron. 



It was supposed that South America might furnish us with a second 

 species of Courlan, but it being now a well ascertained fact that the 

 Carau of dAzara is the same as the Guarauna of Marcjirave, the bird 

 must stand alone in his genus unless new discoveries shall supply him 

 with a companion. This being settled, we shall proceed to give a 

 minute description, that will therefore comprehend both its generic and 

 specific characters. 



Although there can be no doubt that our bird is the G-uarauna of 

 Marcgrave, it would be committing a great error to take it for the 

 Scolopax (or N^menius) Guarauna of systematical writers, that being 



(388) 



