SURF-BIRD 925 



of what Pallas had done, called it Scolopax Solaris,^ and in referring 

 it to that genus he was followed by Latham {Gen. St/nops. iii. p. 156), 

 by whom it was introduced to English readers as the " Caurale Snipe." 

 Thus within a dozen years this bird was referred to three perfectly 

 distinct genera, and in those days genera meant much more than 

 they do now. Not until 1811 was it recognized as forming a genus 

 of its own. This was done by Illiger, whose appellation Eurypyga 

 has been generally accepted. 



The Sun-Bittern is about as big as a small Curlew, but with 

 much shorter legs and a rather slender, slightly decurved bill, blunt 

 at the tip. The wings are moderate, broad and rounded, the tail 

 rather long and broad. The head is black with a white stripe over 

 and another under each eye, vae chin and throat being also white. 

 The rest of the plumage is not to be described in a limited space 

 otherwise than generally, being variegated with black, brown, chest- 

 nut, bay, buff, grey and white — so mottled, speckled and belted 

 either in wave-like or zigzag forms as somewhat to resemble certain 

 moths. The bay colour forms two conspicuous patches on each 

 wing, and also an antepenultimate bar on the tail, behind which i& 

 a subterminal band of black. The irides are red ; the bill is greenish 

 olive ; and the legs are pale yellow. As in the case of most South- 

 American birds, very little is recorded of its habits in freedom, 

 except that it frequents the muddy and wooded banks of rivers, 

 feeding on small fishes and insects. In captivity it soon becomes 

 tame, and has several times made its nest and reared its young, 

 which when hatched are clothed with mottled down {Proc. Zool. 

 Soc. 1866, p. 76, pi. ix. fig. 1), in the Zoological Gardens, where 

 examples are generally to be seen and their plaintive piping heard. 

 It ordinarily walks with slow and precise steps, keeping its body in 

 a horizontal position, but at times, when excited, it will go through 

 a series of fantastic performances, spreading its broad wings and 

 tail so as to display their beautiful markings. This species inhabits 

 Guiana and the interior of Brazil ; but in Colombia and Central 

 America occurs a larger and somewhat differently coloured form 

 which is known as E. major. 



For a long while it seemed as if Eurypyga had no near ally, but, 

 on the colonization of New Caledonia by the French, an extremely 

 curious bird, known as the Kagu (p. 471), was found inhabiting 

 most parts of that island, and a few years later the affinity of the 

 two forms, though not very close, was made manifest. 



SUE,F-BIED,2 Audubon's name, since generally adopted, for 



^ Possibly he saw in the bird's variegated plumage a resemblance to the 

 Painted Snipes (p. 886). His specific name shews that he must have known how 

 the Dutch in Surinam called it. 



" In thanking the author for this article, I must express my dissent from the 

 proposal with which it concludes. — A. N. 



