2IO ALLEN S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



and the secondary quills uniform black. These characters, as 

 well as the white belly and the tail-feathers being tipped with 

 ivhite^ distinguish it from the females of all the allied species. 

 Size smaller; wing, i4'5 inches. 



Ranje. — Northern South America ; Venezuela. 



Habits. — In 187 1, J\Ir. A. Warmington forwarded three living 

 examples of this species to the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, and furnished the following notes : — " The three 

 Curassows (one male and two females) were captured at 

 'Maron' near Tucacas, N. Venezuela, and at the present 

 time are nearly two years old, having been taken from the 

 nest when scarcely larger than a chick of two months old. 

 They soon became perfectly tame and would follow me about. 

 When able to fly they made short flights, always quickly return- 

 ing and seldom alighting. At night they invariably roosted 

 on the highest spot they could find in the home corral. They 

 are called by the natives ' Poru.' Their cry is a sort of 

 mournful prolonged whistle, and in the forest, when eight or 

 ten are together, has a very singular effect. It is not common 

 to see these birds on the ground. When they alight in a tree 

 they almost invariably utter their cry, and at the same time 

 raise the tail-feathers like a fan, thus exposing the white plumage 

 beneath, and offering a conspicuous and tempting mark for 

 the sportsman. They are excellent eating. I have never 

 heard of these birds breeding in confinement, though I cannot 

 say they do not. The young ones are exceedingly beautiful and 

 delicate little creatures, marked very much like, and having a 

 very similar appearance to young Partridges or Quails. They 

 become much attached to individuals who treat them kindly. 

 These birds are common in all parts of Venezuela where there 

 is a forest." 



Daubenton's Wattled Curassow is only found in the low 

 country ; in the mountains its place appears to be taken by 

 the Helmeted Curassow {Pauxis pausi). 



