254 Allen's naturalist's library. 



fourth less so. First primary much shorter than the second; 

 fourth equal to the tenth, and the sixth slightly the longest. 

 Tarsus lon2;er than the middle toe and claw. 



r. THE black wattled guan. aburria aeurri. 



Penelope abiirri, Lesson, Diet. Sci. Nat. lix. p. 191 (1829). 

 Aburria cariniculata, Reichenb. Syst. Av. p. xxvi.(i852);Tacza 



nowski, Orn. Perou. iii. p. 277 (1886). 

 Almr7'ia aburri, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 520 



(1893). 

 Adult Male and Female. — Whole plumage black, glossed with 

 dark green. Total length, 29 inches; wing, t4-i4"5 ; tail, 12; 

 tarsus, 27 ; middle toe and claw, 2*9. 



Range. — Western South America ; the interior of the United 

 States of Colombia, Ecuador, and Northern Peru. 



Mr. J. Stolzmann found the Black Wattled Guan very com- 

 mon at Tambillo, but it appeared to become scarcer to the east 

 of the Maranon,and much wilder in the Amazon District. At 

 Tambillo it is most common in the valley, and becomes rarer 

 as the higher altitudes are reached, where its place is taken by 

 Pe?ieIope sclateri^ though it was obtained at an elevation of 

 7,000 feet. At Huambo it was decidedly scarce. 



" Its cry," he says, " is the most curious that I have heard. It 

 begins with a note repeated several times, resembling the sound 

 of a trumpet, ascending in semi-tones that can only be heard 

 when one is close at hand. Then it gives vent to a very loud 

 guttural cry, which begins in a low key, and, gradually ascending 

 in quick time to a high note, again descends. This cry reminds 

 one of that of the Crane. As a rule it flies without making any 

 noise, so much so, indeed, that it frequently escapes unob- 

 served. Its cry is most often heard in the nesting-season, that 

 is, between the months of September and February ; and when 

 calling it remains stationary and in a crouching position. The 



