204 LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY. 



Habits. — Mr. G. F. Gaumer, writing from Yucatan, says : — 

 "This is a very shy bird, living far in the interior of unin- 

 habited forests. Its walk is cautious and almost noiseless ; it 

 is generally found in pairs, though the males often travel alone. 

 It spends most of its time upon the ground, where it finds its 

 food by scratching among the leaves. In the morning and 

 evening it mounts upon the trees which bear its favourite food, 

 to feast upon the best fruits of the forest. It ascends not by 

 a single flight, but by short flights from limb to limb, until it 

 reaches the fruit. While there it makes no noise, but at every 

 moment it listens for the approach of an enemy, which once 

 discovered, it utters a short, impatient cluck, and flies away to 

 a very great distance. The song resembles the deep distant 

 bass roaring of the tiger, or the gentle blowing in the bung- 

 hole of a barrel. The flesh of this bird is highly valued as 

 food, but the bones are always carefully kept away from the 

 dogs and cats, as they are said to be very poisonous. It is 

 sometimes domesticated, though it rarely lives beyond a few 

 months." 



Mr. Charles W. Pjchmond says : — " This bird is rather 

 common. Observed on the Rio Frio, and on the Escondido. 

 It is often kept in captivity. A fine male on the Magnolia 

 plantation was very tame, and answered to the name of 

 " Touie." One of Touie's peculiarities was an abhorrence of 

 women. The moment a dress appeared on the plantation 

 he began to show great distress, uttering his low, plaintive 

 whistle, and running after the object of his wrath, with body 

 leaning forward and almost brushing the ground, head thrown 

 back, and tail raised, giving him a laughable appearance. 

 After picking at the offending dress, and following its wearer 

 about for a time, Touie would quiet down for a bit, but would 

 continue to sulk and utter his note of complaint until the 

 cause of the trouble had departed. This bird raised its crest 

 when excited, or when its curiosity was aroused, but on other 

 occasions kept it depressed." 



