Unit \HILL8. 



tluht it axaiN it-elf ,f ,. v ,. r y n|i| M irtiiiiiiy nf alichtin-. thinking. like the unfortunate people 



who live in the court* of m\ nit \. that to -it wh.-n. 



conduct. 



Thi- .lupli, ;,!.- kind ,>f movement extend- t.. its feet aa well as its wings. Sometime* it 

 uill i:ik.- :i !.,/> tit. and will -it in : , lumpi-h. dr..wsy position, as if it were one of the tUowrat 

 l>ird- amoni; tin- f.-atli.-n-d trilled, its body all huddi md it- head Sin 



shoulder-. Hut when roused, it leaps in a single iu-t.-mt fn.m il 

 graceful vivacity. ,-\ers iii..\.-m.-m full ..f lif,. and Darkling win 



with \vmid. -i -ful speed, its head and neck being darted in every dtawtta, lik.- that ..f a * 

 rest i-i pidly raised and depressed, its eyes full of light, and it- voice .m.-iini; l..ud ami 

 animate! .1 



Tli.- \oice of this and other Plantain-eaters is always of a loud character. It i- .|n 

 ahy ;.- it- comrades, concealing itself in the same effective manner. and di-pla\ in- n,..i,- t|, :ill 

 ordinary precaution when in the vicinity <.f hunmn habitation*. Tin- nest of this binl is made 

 iu the hollow ,,f ..om.- d.-ca>ini: tree. Th,- p-neral <-olor of this binl is dark blue. mark. -I with 

 verditer-green. The crest is almost blark. tin- alMlonifii i- L'1-.-.-iii-h. and th.- tliili- rh, --111111. 



'1'iiK r.-!ii:u-kal>l.- binl known by th- name of HOM/IN. ..r CKKXTRD TOURACO, is the sole 

 example of the family or -ub. family, a- th.- .-a-*- may U-. to whirh it U-l..m-. It.s .-xart place 

 in th- catalogue of birds is rather unsettled, some authors i-on-iddin- it to U-lom: to th.- 

 poultry, or the gallinareous birds, and oth.-r-s looking II]MHI it aa one of th.- tru.- PaMerinea. 



It is a very I'm*- binl. U-in^ n.-arly :is large as a ])earo.-k. and ha\ in>j sc/mewhat of the same 

 gait and mode of carnai:.-. Th.- jM-<-uliar construction of tin- foot, tl ..... ut-r t(- <.f which can- 

 not lie turned backward. lu.s induced zoologi.sts of th.- jin-wnt day to nc|>arat- it fn>m the 

 plan tain -enters, and to ron-id.-r it a- a utiiiju*' n-pn-si-ntative of a sub-family. 



This binl is a nativ.- of tmpiral America, being foiin<l iu (tiiiana and tin- Hra/.ils. where it 

 leads a gregarious lif,-. as.s.-mblin^ together in large flock-, mi the banks of creeks and riven. 

 Although so closely re-M-mblinn the jpilliiiac.-..us birds in fffiieral a|iiMranc> and habit-, its 

 flesh is, fortunately for itself. <iuit.- uneatable, l-in impregnated with a -trout: and |n-<'uliar 

 odor that deters any but a starving man fn>m makini; a meal ujton it. Perhaps this odor 

 may be caused by its food, which consist- almost wholly of the leaves of the arum. 



The nest of the Hoatzin is mad.- in the lower |>art of a tree, and is composed exteriorly of 

 slender twigs, and interiorly of mosses and other soft substances. The eggs are about three 

 or four in number, and their color is %r.\\ i-h w hite, U-sprinkled with red spots. The head of 

 this species is adoni.il with a tuft of elomnited and narrow feathers. It- color is brown above, 

 striped with white, and the bn-ast and throat are light brown washed with gray. The abdomen 

 is deep chestnut, and the tail tipped with white. The bill is short, thick, very convex, and 

 bent downwards at the tip. 



HORNBILLS. 



THERE are many strange and wonderful forms among the feath.-n-d tribes ; but there are, 

 perhaps, none which more astonish the Upholder who sees them for the first time, than the 

 group of birds known by the name of HORN BILLS. 



They are all distinguished by a very Urge beak, to which is added a singular h- 1m. t like 

 appendage, equalling the beak itaelf in some species, while in others it is so small as to attract 

 but littl.- notice. (>n ao-oiiut of th>- enormous size of the beak and the helmet, which in some 

 species recede to the crown of the head, tin- binl appears to be overweighted by the mast of 

 horny substance which it has to carry ; but on a closer investigation, the whole structure is 

 found to be singularly light, and yet very strong. 



