148 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



Screamer (Chauna cristata), yellow, with olive back ; 



the body fledges before the wings, as in ducks. 

 NEST. A mass of vegetable matter, on the ground or 



in shallow water 



EGGS. Several ; oval, spotless, tinted white. 

 INCUBATION. Seven weeks (Crested Screamer in 



London Zoological Gardens). 



COURTSHIP. Nothing but a slight raising of the wings. 

 FOOD. Grass and aquatic herbage. 

 GAIT. A slow walk ; they swim readily, sitting high, 



and sometimes perch. 

 FLIGHT. Heavy but powerful, rather like a vulture's ; 



they can soar with ease. 

 DISPOSITION AND HABITS. Peaceable, except when 



breeding ; slow and rather sluggish ; they caress 



the young affectionately. In fighting they use the 



spurred wings. 

 NOTE. A loud repeated scream or a hiss. The male 



and female call together. 

 ECONOMIC QUALITIES. Their flesh is good, much like 



that of a wild duck. They will also care for young 



poultry at times. 

 CAPTIVITY. They do well, feeding on soft vegetable 



food (soaked bread and boiled rice) and green stuff. 



They have been successfully bred and reared in 



the London Zoological Gardens. 

 DISTRIBUTION AND SPECIES. South America only, in 



marshes. There are only three species : the 



Kamichi or Horned Screamer (Palamedea cornuta), 



black with a few white markings, and with 



a slender horn on the head ; the Chakar, Chaja, 



or Crested Screamer (Chauna cristata), grey, with 



a narrow crest, and the Derbian Screamer (C. 



derbiana), similar to the last, but darker and 



smaller. 



