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Recent Work on the Hoatzin.



I am glad, however, that my bird is not over-tame, and has none

of the cackling, fatuous, and drivelling mannerisms of a pet Bluefront.

I feed this bird in the same way as others of the group, i.e. mainly on

canary seed, plus a little oats and maize. On occasions hemp and

sunflower is given, and lettuce leaves and fruit. Those possessing

Dr. Ant. Reichenow’s Vogelbilder aus fernen Zonen, Papageien, will

find the bird figured by G. Mutzel on plate xxxii, fig. 8. The Boche

there calls it the “ Rothstirn-Amazone ”, and groups it in his Antlro-

glossa (A. bodini, Finsch) ; whereas on plate i, fig. 3, the bird described

as Rothstirn-Amazone ( Chrysotis bodini, Finsch) is figured with a green

and red head, and is apparently the bird we call C. finschi. This book

is probably one of the most useful Parrot books in existence, and in the

colour process the faint lilac bands in finschi may not have shown up.

Miitzel’s drawings, as a whole, are very good, especially as I daresay in

a number of instances they had to be made from skins. One little

character seems well stamped in this species, and that is the faint line

of blackish feathers immediately beneath the red-fronted patch,

and extending from the bill to the eye ; and this somewhat obscure

marking gives the bird an austere and slightly fierce expression, which

I do not think H. Goodchild would miss. Of late his very accurate

and characteristic work has been singularly absent from these pages.

I notice my bird exhibits an odd red feather on the lower chest, which

feature is not uncommon in other allied birds. Variation seems very

prevalent in Amazons as a group, although for that matter I cannot

say I ever saw any two living things exactly alike.



RECENT WORK ON THE HOATZIN.


The curious, aberrant South American bird known as the Hoatzin

(Opisthocomus cristatus) is especially associated with the Avicultural

Society, for two of our most distinguished members have done valuable

work on its habits and structure. In his fine books, Tropical Life in

British Guiana and Jungle Peace —both of which have been reviewed



