POWEE— PRAIRIE-CHICKEN 739 



Ardeidx — all the Herons and Bitterns possess them in pairs, 

 forming large thick patches on the breast, the lower back and 

 frequently on the abdomen. These patches are greasy and yellow 

 at the base, but the tufts are very fine, grey or blackish, and 

 produce a bluish powder. 



Balxniceps — a pair of large patches on the middle of the lower 

 back. 



RMnochetus and Euriipyga — numerous, forming tracts as well as 

 detached spots. 



Mesites — five pairs of patches, the arrangement of which some- 

 what resembles the distribution of the powder-downs in the two 

 genera last named. 



Accipitres — at present only found in Elanus, Cymindis and 

 Circus, as a large united patch on the lower back or as a pair on 

 the same part. Nitzsch states that Gypaetns has scattered powder- 

 downs during its immaturity, and probably many other Accipitres, 

 especially of the Vulturidx, will on further examination have to be 

 included. 



Psittaci — numerous scattered tracts and separate tufts on the 

 neck, shoulders and sides of the trunk, in the Cacatuinse, in Chry- 

 sotis and in Psittacus. 



Podargus — a pair of extremely developed patches on the lower 

 back. 



Lepitosoma — resembles the last in the distribution of the patches, 

 but Coracias has only scattered powder-downs. 



Passeres — in this enormous group Artamus is the only genus 

 known to possess them. They occur in all the species, in patches 

 on the sides of the breast, the thighs and lower back, and have a 

 strong barrel, one-third of an inch long. 



(See Feathers, Pterylosis.) 



POWEE, commonly applied in the West Indies to Crax alector, 

 if not to the Curassows generally, and said in 1769, by Bancroft, 

 who spells the word "Powese" {A^at Hist. Guyana, j)p. 193-195), 

 to be so called " by the natives from their cry, which is similar to 

 that name." Frisch in 1763 [Vorstell. Vog. JJeutschl. u. s.w. Haupt- 

 Art. ix. Abth. 2, No. iv.) has the word Poes, which Buffon {Hist. 

 Nat. Ois. ii. p. 374) misprinted Pocs, while P. L. S. Midler 

 {Natursyst. ii. p. 465) spells it Pauwis. It seems possible that the 

 Dutch Pccautv (Peacock) may be the origin of the word. 



PR^COCES, the name given by Sundevall (A". Vet.- Acad. 

 Handl. 1836, p. 70), to his second section of the Class Aves, 

 in contradistinction to Altrices, but subsequently abandoned by 

 him. 



PRAIRIE-CHICKEN, PRAIRIE-HEN, names given by the 



