/7/A U I //A' AM//.. 



The general color of this l.ird is l.hckish l>n,\Mi al*>\,-; ti,,. head and \i\>\-r part of the 

 are covered with downy feather* of blackish -l.r..n sprinkled with whit,-. 



\N"IHKI: w.-11-known .-vimple. tli,- Ci:i -i M. > 1:1 VMI i:. ,-r Cn V.IA, isa finer looking bird 

 thun 1 h<- preceding species, though its head i> without lli.- singular apjM-ndage lliat gives the 



Horned Screamer so tiui.j I'd.- n.n f Chaja is given lo this l.ird <.n :t, ,-,,11111 ,,f 



ilia! of (In- in:il>- l-inl in-ill- -, tiaja" an. I of the female " i-liajah 



It is u native of Brazil and Paraguay, and is generally foun.l n,-ar tin- banks of rivers. Ii 

 i- a shy and geii.-mlh s,,litar\ bird. Ix-inc mostly seen singly, sometimes in jmirh, and now and 

 tli. -n in small flicks. Like the horned Screamer, the Chaja is armed with two spurs on 



and c.m employ th.-ni j,, such pur].os,-. that it ran drive away .\ .-n a \ulture. I nlesw 

 attacked. liowt-M-r. tli,- i.ini is quiet, and as it is easily tamed, it may be often seen dc.in.-ti- 

 cated in tin- houses. 



Tin- walk of this bird is bold and dignified; the body U held father horizontal and the 

 bead and -ct. The flight is strong and sweeping, and tlu* Lint ri.se.s on circling wings 



somewhat after the manner of tin- eagle, after obtaining so great an elevation us to bo hurdlv 

 discernible against tl, The fo<xl of the Chaja ron-i-i-. mostly of aipiati,- plants, whirh it 



obtains by wading. The nest of this bird is a rather large edifice of sticks and l.-aves, and is 



plac ! !! ;H uat.-i. 1:... numU i ,,- . _.- > .<..,. : ,i,,| [|,,- \,,iin- ai>- al-L- t.i f,.]i,,u il,.-ir pai.-nt- 



almost as soon as hatched. 



Tiie general hue of the Chaja is a leaden-blue color, diversified with Mack. The bend of 

 the wing is white, and there is a large spot of the same hue at the base of the primaries. 

 Hound the neck is a black collar, the small head is furnished with a crest, the upper part of 

 the u. .k i> clothed with down, and the space round the eye is naked and blood-red in color. 



\\'K now come to the large family of the Kails, a curious group of birds, formed for rapid 

 movement either on the ground or through the water, but not particularly adapted for long 

 flights. Many species inhabit Europe. 



Tho WATER KAIL, one of the examples of this family, is but seldom seen, partly because 

 it really i> not very plentiful, and partly on account of its shy and retiring habita, and its 

 powers of concealment. It frequents ponds, lakes, and similar localities, haunting those 

 places where luxuriant reed-beds afford it shelter and covert. On the least alarm it sets off 

 for the place of refuge, diving to a considerable distance and always pressing towards the 

 reeds, through which it glides with wonderful address, and is immediately out of danger. 

 KM-II a trained dog can hardly flush a Water Kail when once it has reached its reedy refuge, 

 as the bird can thread the reeds faster than the doir can l>i> -ak its way through them, and has 

 always some deep hole or other convenii-nt liiding-phn-e where a dog cannot reach it. 



The food of the Water Kail consists mostly of insects, worms, leeches, molliisks, and 

 similar creatures, all of which can be found either n\>on the aquatic herlwige or in the muddy 

 banks. Mr. Thompson mentions a curious instance of the readily domesticative and insect- 

 hunting pro]* -nsiii, > ,.f this bird. "Some time ago I saw in a gunsmith's shop, one of these 

 bin U. which had been taken alive a day or two before. It was very expert in catching flies in 

 the shop window, running a tilt at them quite regardless of the presence of the stumbling- 

 blocks which J>.-s.-t its jith in the form of pistols, turn-screws, etc. When approached, thin 

 bird struck wickedly with its bill and feet, but never w ith its spurred wings." In the stoma.-h 

 of these birds the same writer found the remains of aquatic mollusks. worms, and a few seeds, 

 and portions of leaves. In captivity it will thrive on raw meat chopped small. 



While walkiug, the bird has a habit of tlirting up its odd little tail, so as to show tl..- 

 whit.- under tail coverts. The nest of the Wat.-r Hail is sh.-lt.-red l,y tli.- thickest herbage of 

 the covert, and is made of coarse grass. There are about seven or cL'ht eggs, and their color 

 is buffy-whit.- s|H)tt.-<l with brown. The young are odd little creatures, round, and BOX 

 with soft thick down. Almost imm.-<liat.-ly aft-r their emancipation from the .-gir-sJi..]!. these 

 little puffy balls of down tumble into the water, and swim about as merrily as if th. > had 

 been accustomed to the exercise for years. 



