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a deep brown ; on the forehead it has a red fleshy 

 excrescence^ divided into two lobes; the iris of 

 the ejes are yellow, and the pupil brown ; the 

 bill is conical, a little bent towards the point, 

 and about two inches long; the nostrils are ob- 

 long and very open, and the legs, v hich are bare 

 of feathers below the knees, have four long toes 

 that are separate, but more proportionate to its 

 size than those of the Erasil species. The spur, 

 "which is placed on the joint of the wing, is six 

 lines long and three broad, and is of a yellowish 

 colour and conical form. 



A bird as well armed as this cannot want for 

 means of defence in case of necessity, and it of 

 course fights with great courage and \igour 

 every thing that attempts to molest it. It is 

 never seen in elevivic'd places, and uevce perches 

 upon trees, but lives wholly in the piams, and 

 feeds upon insects and worms. It builds its 

 nest in the grass, where it lays four fawn-co- 

 loured eggs, spotted with black, a I'ttle larger 

 than those of a partridge. It keeps in pairs, 

 and the male and female are almost always toge- 

 ther, but it is very rarely to be seen in flocks. 

 When they perceive any one searching for their 

 nest, they at first conceal themselves in the grass, 

 without discovering any apprehension ; but as 

 soon as they see the person approaching the spot 

 where the nest is placed, they rush out with fury 

 to defend it. It is observed that this bird never 



