POTOO. 47 



being taken up by the wings, a short, harsh croak- 

 ing. With this exception, it was absolutely silent 

 all the time I had it ; never resenting any moles- 

 tation, save that when irritated by the repeated pre- 

 sentation of any object, as the corner of a hand- 

 kerchief, it would suddenly open its immense 

 mouth, apparently for intimidation ; yet it made 

 no attempt to seize anything. The stomach, not- 

 withstanding three or four days' fast, was crammed 

 with fragments of beetles, among which were the 

 horns of a large Dynastes, that I had not met 

 with. I may mention that the sclerotic ring of 

 the eye consists of distinct plates (see Pen. Cyc. 

 xvi. 225,) thirteen in number, varying in dimen- 

 sions, and not perfectly regular in form. 



I afterwards kept a living Potoo for ten days ; 

 but its manners were exactly the same as above, 

 pertinaciously refusing to eat. Mr. Hill, however, 

 had one which greedily ate large cockroaches that 

 were thrown to it. 



It is remarkable that among a people whose most 

 striking feature is the great development of the 

 mouth, the Potoo has become a proverb of ugliness. 

 The " most unkindest cut of all" that a negro can 

 inflict upon another, on the score of personal plain- 

 ness, is " Ugh ! you ugly, like one Potoo !" 



I have seen that which serves this bird for a nest : 

 it is simply a round, flat mat, about five inches wide, 

 and little more than one thick, composed of the 

 fibrous plant called Old man's beard (Tillandsia 

 usneoides). It was found on the ground on a spot 

 whence the Potoo had just risen : it is in the pos- 



