174 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



down, and mounts vertically to a considerable height. 

 He flies high, the wings curved upward and violently 

 flapped at irregular intervals ; descending he drops 

 suddenly to the earth, the wings motionless, pointing 

 up, and the body swaying from side to side, so that 

 the bird presents the appearance of a falling para- 

 chute* On smooth ground he walks faster than a 

 man, striking out his feet in a stately manner and 

 jerking the tail, and runs rapidly ten or twelve yards 

 before rising. At the approach of night he becomes 

 active, uttering long, clear, piercing cries many times 

 repeated, and heard distinctly two miles away. These 

 cries are most melancholy, and together with its 

 mourning plumage and recluse habits have won for 

 the Courlan some pretty vernacular names. He is 

 called the " Lamenting Bird " and the " Crazy 

 Widow/' but is more familiarly known as the 

 Carau. 



Near sunset the Caraus leave the reed-beds and 

 begin to ascend the streams to visit their favourite 

 fishing-grounds. They are very active at night, 

 retiring again at the approach of morning, and 

 sometimes pass the day perched on trees, but 

 more frequently concealed in dense rush-beds. 



As the breeding-season draws near they become 

 exceedingly clamorous, making the marshes resound 

 day and night with their long, wailing cries. The nest 

 is built among the rushes, and contains ten or twelve 

 eggs big as a Turkey's eggs, and very large for the size 

 of the bird, slightly elliptical, sparsely marked with 

 blotches of pale brown and purple on a dull white 



