ON OPISTHOCOMUS CRISTATUS. 169 



NOTE XIV. 



ON THE HABITS AND ANATOMY 

 OF OPISTHOCOMUS CRISTATUS, ILLIG. 



BY 



Dr. C. G. YOUNG. 



April 10th, 1888. 



(Plate 8). 



This bird is known also as the stinking pheasant, 

 anna, stinking anna, and van Batenburg's 

 turkey — after a Dutch Governor of years gone by. It 

 gets the name ))stinking" from the peculiar smell , like fresh 

 cow-dung , that comes from its crop or stomach or both , 

 for when the skin is preserved it possesses no smell , and 

 the body when the inside has been removed is quite sweet. 

 Notwithstanding the possibility of removing the smell by 

 removing the bowels , it is never used as food ; conse- 

 quently it passes its time in peace and plenty. 



It is found in only one place in this country viz. the 

 Berbice River and one of its branches , the Canje Creek , 

 living together in great numbers on the low bushes that 

 border these waters , especially on a „pimpler" {Drepono- 

 carpus lunatus) that stretches its branches over the muddy 

 water and rises and falls with the tide. Any day in the 

 year they can be seen sitting side by side like love-birds 

 on the branches of this shrub or on the low trees behind 

 them. They fly from twig to twig and although I have 



Notes from tlie Leyderi M.aseuzn, "Vol. X. 



