Habits of the Hoatzin. 329 



be kept up among the more leafy growths, or unless the 

 report of a gun causes them to utter their curious cry. Late 

 in the evening, after feeding, they will be seen settling 

 themselves down in suitable places for the night. 



The cry of the Hoatzin is easily heard when they are dis- 

 turbed, and it is one of which it is not easy to give an exact 

 idea. It recalls slightly the shrill screech of the Guinea- 

 bird (Numida), but is made up of disjointed utterances, 

 like the notes "heigh" or "sheigh" (etas in " sleigh"), 

 pronounced with a peculiarly sharp and shrill nasal into- 

 nation, so as to be quite hiss-like. While they are treading, 

 the noise made is considerable, the cry being more continu- 

 ous and shriek-like. 



Whether from the fact of their occupying situations where 

 they are but seldom disturbed or but little likely of being 

 pursued, or from a natural weakness of wing, the birds 

 are but seldom seen in flight ; and when they take to 

 the wing during disturbance, they do so but for very short 

 distances — a very exceptional flight being once observed of 

 a length of about forty yards with the wind, across a creek, 

 from a high growth on one bank to a lower level on the 

 other. Usually they rise almost with a jump from the 

 branch, seldom in a straight line, but with a marked convex 

 curve to the point where they alight. The flight of the 

 birds, in spite of their great expanse of wings in relation 

 to the weight of the body, is thus extremely awkward, and 

 the body presents a peculiarly humped appearance. During 

 their longer courses the wings are rapidly and violently 

 flapped. 



When suddenly disturbed, as by the discharge of a gun 

 amongst a group of them, they fly or spring away for dis- 

 tances of but a few feet, while those in the immediate vicinity 

 show no other signs of alarm but the loud utterance of their 

 shrill cry. While springing from place to place, when they 

 are feeding or alarmed, they keep their wings fully expanded, 

 and inclined almost vertically when they have first alighted, 

 thus balancing themselves, the crest being then erect and 

 the tail raised and expanded. It is at such times especially 



