THE HOATZIN 



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glossed with dark green, the base of the throat being almost naked, the front of 

 the neck and breast white shading into buff on the sides, with dark shaft stripes 

 to the feathers, and the remainder of the under parts brownish black, while there is 

 a wide white band across the middle of the tail. 



A more numerous group is that of the guans (Penelope) , including 

 fifteen species from Central and South America. In all these the chin 

 and throat are generally naked, with a wattle, and there is a large naked space sur- 

 rounding the eye. An allied form (Penelopina nigra), with the plumage of the 

 sexes different, occurs in the highlands of Guatemala, the male being entirely black 

 glossed with green, and the female rufous above barred with black, and beneath 

 sandy mottled with dark brown. The habits of all these birds appear to be very 

 similar; during the breeding season they are only found in pairs, while at other 

 times they congregate in large flocks, always frequenting the forest, and passing 

 the greater part of their time in the largest trees, when not engaged in searching for 

 fallen fruits and insects. In the 

 next genus (Ortalis), including 

 seventeen Central- and South- 

 American forms, the throat is 

 naked as in the two last, but there 

 is a thin band of stiff-shafted 

 feathers down the middle. The 

 only member of the family which 

 enters North America is the 

 chachalaca (O. vetula}, which has 

 a wide range, extending from 

 Southern Texas through Eastern 

 Mexico and Central America to 

 Colombia; and, as might be ex- 

 pected, the bird varies somewhat 

 in the different parts of its range. DERBIAN GUAN. 



The aburria (Aburria aburri) in- 

 cludes but a single species found in the United States of Colombia and Ecuador, 

 and may be at once recognized by its black plumage glossed with dark green, and 

 the worm-like wattle situated on the naked part of the fore-neck. Finally, there 

 are two species with the chin, throat, and fore part of the neck covered with feathers 

 comprising the last genus (Chamcepetes). 



THE HOATZIN 

 Family OP IS THO c OMIDsE 



The very remarkable pheasant-like bird from the northern and western districts 

 of South America, known as the hoatzin (Opisthoconms hoatzhi), appears on the 

 whole to be most nearly allied to the game birds, and may therefore be mentioned 



