2o8 Lloyd's natural history. 



"These beautiful birds are eagerly hunted by the Brazilians, 

 especially at the season when their loud deep voice is heard, 

 when it is not difficult to surprise them, as in sparsely inhabited 

 districts they are by no means shy. Their flesh is excellent, 

 and the large strong feathers of the wings and tail are used by 

 the savages for their arrows. The Mutung would be very use- 

 ful, if domesticated, as it is easily tamed. The inhabitants of 

 some districts are well aware of this fact, for tame birds may 

 often be met with amongst them. The Portuguese are not fond 

 of keeping them in captivity, as they swallow anything bright or 

 glittering, as, for instance, money, buttons, &c., which become 

 quite useless through the great muscular powers of the 

 stomach." 



According to Burmeister it inhabits the wooded districts 

 on the East Coast of Brazil, from Rio Janeiro to Bahia, and is 

 known there under the name of ' Mutung.' He only once 

 acquired a specimen from Rio de Pomba, and says that it is 

 seldom found in the more thickly populated districts and is 

 difficult to obtain. As a rule it does not perch very high up on 

 the trees, and is found most frequently in dark copses in the 

 underwood, making its nest either there or quite on the ground.^ 

 Its food is mostly picked up on the ground, and consists 

 as a rule of fallen nuts and the larger kinds of seed. 



ITest. — Is said to be placed in a tree, and composed of sticks 



and Iv.'igs. 



Eggs. — Said to be four in number, large, and whitish in 

 colour. 



IX. spix's wattled curassow. crax globulosa. 



Crax globulosa, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 50, pis. Ixv. Ixvi. (1825); 

 Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 279, pi. xlvi. (1875); x. p. 

 544, pi. xci. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus, 

 xxii. p. 482 (1893). 



* This statement is probably incorrect. 



