22-i Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds collected 



general appearance. The Plantain patch was thickly overgrown 

 with long grass and weeds ; but on I went, regardless of pro- 

 bable snakes, and certain swarms of agarrapatas, although I 

 had been particularly careful all day not to go where I was likely 

 to carry any off. As for the Trogon, I threw it away in con- 

 tempt, having so much finer game in view. The Curassows, I 

 considered, would amply repay me for a sleepless night, endless 

 scratching, and consequent sores. So I stalked up to them, and 

 shot one, while the others flew off to a not very distant tree. 

 From their flight, cries, and general appearance, I still thought 

 they were Curassows. The bird I had killed fell into a dense 

 thicket, across a stream. Could I only have got at it, I should 

 have been spared additional agarrapatas and disappointment. 

 However, not stopping to pick up the dead one, I followed the 

 others across the Plantain patch, then forced my way through 

 an Aloe fence, which presented a perfect chevaux de frise of 

 spikes, and succeeded in shooting three out of the remaining 

 four. I now felt proud of what I had done, and of how well I 

 had provided for our pot, which was in want of supplies at the 

 time. Edwards, who had been watching me, went to pick them 

 up. As he took hold of the first, he said, " This is a Hawk !" — 

 and Hawks they all were, sure enough, to my great disgust 

 and disappointment. When dead, they still much resembled 

 Curassows, but were Hawks nevertheless — nothing but great, 

 black, stinking, red-legged Hawks. However, I was not disap- 

 pointed in agarrapatas, for I went home well stocked with them, 

 and in no pleasant humour at having little or nothing to repay 

 me for the discomfort I had to undergo. 



The specimens of Ibycter omericanus in the British Museum 

 arc badly stuffed, and set up in an unnatural attitude. They 

 give a very incorrect idea of the appearance of the bird when 

 alive, or recently killed. One specimen which I shot measured 

 23 4 inches in length, and 45 inches in extent across the wings. 

 The irides were orange colour; legs and feet dark orange; claws 

 black ; eyelids deep orange colour ; beak yellow ; cere light 

 leaden blue; base of beak and chin nearly bare of feathers, 

 and deep orange in colour; legs feathered a little below the 

 knee ; tail long and rounded ; wings rounded, fifth feather 



