THE GUANS. 



247 



leave the nest as soon as hatched, the old ones leading them 

 into the thickets, where they are very hard to capture. I had 

 the pleasure, at the ranch, of seeing six hatch under a hen. 

 The little ones looked and acted exactly like chickens, picking 

 up the corn-batter thrown to them, running in and out from 

 under the hen's wings, and jumping upon her back. Four of 

 the six died within the first two weeks, but the others lived 

 and thrived. A few are domesticated every year at almost 

 every ranch, and they become inconveniently familiar, getting 

 about under foot, jumping upon tables, beds, &c." 



Mr. G. F. Gaumer, writing from Yucatan about the "Cha- 

 cha-la-ca," says : — " This bird spends most of its tmie in the 

 trees, where it lives upon the fruit, flowers, and tender leaves. 

 Its neutral green plumage renders it very difficult to spy out 

 the bird. When disturbed it jumps to the ground to ascertain 

 the nature of its danger, gives one or two long leaps, and again 

 mounts upon a limb, from which it quickly flies from one 

 branch to another until it escapes in the distance. In the 

 male the trachea is wonderfully prolonged beneath (he skin 

 of the breast and abdomen almost to the anus, whence it returns 

 and enters the chest at the proper place. With the great 

 trumpet-like instrument the bird makes a peculiar noise, which 

 may be heard at a league's distance. The song is harsh and 

 sonorous, and never produced alone ; but after each part the 

 female, with a finer shriller voice, repeats it in such rapid 

 succession, that it seems like one bird doing the whole. The 

 usual time of singing is in the morning and evening, but it 

 frequently sings at other hours." 



Eggs. — Generally three or four in number, occasionally five, 

 longish ovals; shell, creamy-white, finely pitted. Measure- 

 ments, 2'3 by I "6 inches. 



XIV. THE WHITE-VENTED GUAN. ORTALIS LEUCOGASTRA. 



Penelope aldivenur^ Gould {?iec Wagler), Voy. Sulph. Zool 

 p. 48, pi. 31 (1844). 



