FAMILY CRACIDA 
CHACHALACA 
311. Ortalis vetula meecalli. 21 in. 
Plumage olive-brown above, and gray below; head 
erested; sides of head and chin, naked, orange-red. 
These birds are found in southern Texas, in dense 
woods, thickets and chaparral. They are very noisy, 
their calls being loud, harsh, clackings, ** cha-cha-lac,” 
repeated rapidly and taken up by all the birds in the 
neighborhood. They are not usually shy and are often 
domesticated. They are also hunted to some extent, — 
but their flesh is said not to be very good eating, and 
their body is quite small compared to the length of the 
bird. 
Nest.—A frail platform of sticks, placed in serub- 
by brush or bushes, a few feet above the ground. They 
lay four white or buffy-white eggs, the shell of which 
is very rough and hard (2.25x 1.55); April. 
Range.—Eastern Mexico north to southern Texas. 
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