242 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



have been examined. It is somewhat doubtful whether this 

 and the preceding species are really distinct from one another, 

 but more material is required to settle the question. 



Range. — North-western and Central South America : Upper 

 Amazons, United States of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, 

 Matto Grosso, and the Rio Madeira. 



Habits. — According to Mr. J. Stolzmann, this species is com- 

 mon in the valley of Huayabamba, and occurs up to an eleva- 

 tion of 6,000 feet at Santa Rosa, but from constant persecution 

 it has become much rarer in the more inhabited parts of the 

 country. He writes : — " One cannot call it a forest bird, for I 

 have never met it in the depths of the forests, and it keeps more 

 to the outskirts, and is met with along river banks and among 

 tangled undergrowth. It is generally found in small flocks ot 

 three or four pairs which, on sighting a human being, utter a 

 weird and hoarse cry, which they repeat several times with out- 

 stretched necks and enquiring gestures. It is not naturally a 

 shy bird, and it is only in the more inhabited parts of the 

 country that it becomes wild. Many times at Huambo, when 

 we were busy working, these birds would fly up and perch on 

 the neighbouring trees, sometimes lighting on the roof of the 

 house, and even on the ladder placed before the window. 

 These visits were especially numerous in wet weather, when 

 numbers of these birds, in company with Pigeons, availed 

 themselves of the dry ground under the verandah of the house. 

 The country people call the places that remain dry during the 

 rains, sheltered by overhanging rocks and such-like, " cal- 

 pares," and it is well known to hunters that these spots are a 

 sure find for birds, more especially Penelopes, Ortalids, and 

 Pigeons. At Troncopola (Huambo) there was a deserted house 

 without walls, and supported by four pillars. Here, if ap- 

 proached cautiously, we always, especially in the morning, 

 found Guans or Pigeons, attracted by the dry ground and 

 ashes. 



" One day, on returning from shooting, I found a flock of 



