ARAMIDES YPECAHA. 



151 



black : beneath, throat white, breast and neck cinereous ; abdomen rosy red, 

 lower belly and thighs grey; flanks and crissum black; under wing-coverts 

 rufous, with black cross bars ; bill yellow ; feet red : whole length 19-0 inches, 

 wing 8-5, tail 3-3. Female similar. 



IJab. Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. 



1 Ypecaha " is the Guarani name, preserved by Azara, of this highly 

 interesting species; by the Spanish it is called " Gallineta," from its 

 supposed resemblance to a fowl. Without any brilliant tints, there is 

 yet something so pleasing to the eye in the various hues of its plumage 

 light brown and drab colour, grey, buff, and black all these colours 

 so harmoniously disposed, the effect heightened by the long straight 

 yellow beak, golden-red eye, and vermilion legs, that I do not know a 

 handsomer waterfowl. 



These Rails are found as far south as the thirty-fifth parallel of lati- 

 tude, and are abundant along the marshy borders of the Plata, frequenting 

 the vast reed-beds and forests of water-loving Erythrina crista-galli. 

 Where they are never persecuted they are bold pugnacious birds, coming 

 out of the reeds by day and attacking the domestic poultry about the 

 houses and even in the streets of the villages situated on the borders of 

 their marshy haunts. But when compelled to place man on the list of 

 their enemies, it is a difficult matter to get a sight of one ; for, like all 

 birds that rise laboriously, they are vigilant to excess, and keep themselves 

 so well concealed that the sportsman may pass through their haunts 

 every day of the year, and the Ypecaha still be to him no more than a 

 " wandering voice." But even persecution does not entirely obliterate a 

 certain inquisitive boldness which characterizes them. Usually they roam 

 singly in quest of food, but have reunions in the evening and occasion- 

 ally during the day, especially in gloomy weather. On misty days they 

 often wander to a distance from the covert, walking with an easy, some- 

 what stately grace, jerking the tail at every stride, and running with a 

 velocity no man can equal. Where there are woods they usually fly, 

 when disturbed, into a tree ; and it is in connexion with this habit that 

 the Ypecaha sometimes makes a curious mistake in places where it has 

 not been much shot at. One day, while pushing my way through a dense 

 growth of rushes, I saw two Ypecahas, not fifteen yards from me, on 

 the horizontal branch of a tree, to which they had evidently flown for 

 safety. I was anxious to secure them, but surprised at their temerity ; 

 and wishing to find out its cause, I approached them still nearer, and 

 then stood for some time observing them. It was easy to see that they 

 fancied themselves quite safe from me while off the ground. In the 

 most unconcerned manner they continued strutting up and down along 

 the branch, jerking their tails, and turning about this way and that, as 



