THE PENELOPKS. 23 I 



Range. — South America ; vicinity of Tumbcz, Western Peru. 



Habits. — Mr. J. Stolzmann writes : — " This species, the 

 only representative of the Family found on the Peruvian 

 Coast, has now been almost exterminated. I have only seen 

 it at Tumbez, where, thirty years ago, it was still common, and 

 could be found close to the town ; but, thanks to continual 

 persecution, it has retired into the inaccessible mangroves, 

 where I judged there were not more than fifteen pairs left. I 

 gather, however, from what I have been told, that it is still to 

 be found in all the valleys of the larger rivers from Northern 

 Peru to the valley of Chicama. I have no doubt that it also 

 occurs in the valleys of Lambayeque and Naucho (Rio de 

 Sana), but it is everywhere rare and very shy. They tell me 

 that it also inhabits the mangroves at the mouth of the Zuru- 

 milla, which forms the frontier between Peru and Ecuador; 

 and 1 am not sure that it does not occur in the neighbouring 

 districts of the latter republic. The only certain find for this 

 Penelope in the neighbourhood of Tumbez is the Isle of Con- 

 deza, one of the numerous little islands in the delta of the 

 river. This island is entirely surrounded by an impenetrable 

 wood of rhizophores, whilst the centre is covered with hif^h 

 bushes. This Penelope spends the entire day in the inacces- 

 sible thickets, only leaving them at sunrise and sunset to 

 search for food amongst the trees (algarrobes). In January 

 and February, which is the season in which we have looked 

 for this bird, its principal food consisted of the black berries 

 of a bush called lipe, but it also appears to eat the shoots of 

 the algarrobes. 



"It is one of the most difficult birds to procure, but the easiest 

 time to find it is in the early morning and at dusk, when it is 

 feeding ; at other times of the day it is almost impossible to 

 approach it. We were obliged to go to the island during the 

 night; and, as it was then low tide, we had to take a dozen steps 

 up to our knees in mud. On landing we were attacked by clouds 

 of mosquitos, which abound at this season. . . . Suffice it to 



