MOUNTAIN WITCH. 317 



plied it with confidence to Carunculatus and Nico- 

 baricus, he assigned doubtingly to the larger ground 

 doves of Cuba and Jamaica. But these species have 

 no generic identity; nor if they had, could this 

 name be adopted, as it had been previously used 

 for a genus of Myriapoda. 



This magnificent bird inhabits the most retired 

 mountains, and the deepest woody glades there; 

 places difficult of approach and rarely traversed. 

 In the dense and lofty forest that clothes the brow 

 of Bluefields Peak, it is very numerous, usually 

 seen singly or in pairs, walking on the ground; 

 the freedom of the forest there from underwood 

 allowing it to exercise its fleetness of foot to ad- 

 vantage. If alarmed, it generally seeks to escape 

 by running, its bulk and shortness of wing rendering 

 its flight burdensome and ineffective. Its coo con- 

 sists of two loud notes, the first short and sharp, 

 the second protracted and descending with a mourn- 

 ful cadence. At a distance its first note is inaudi- 

 ble; and the second, reiterated at measured in- 

 had been cut with scissors ; or still more, as if the head were covered with 

 a hood which hung down behind. Forehead blackish grey, softening into 

 a brownish tint behind : below the eye and ear is a large undefined patch 

 of buff ; chin of same hue ; the rest of head, throat, neck, breast, and 

 belly, bluish-grey ; the whole neck richly glossed with pale crimson, 

 changing to brassy-green, especially behind, where the feathers meet in a 

 sharp ridge. Abruptly separated from the neck, a broad belt of dark red 

 extends from each shoulder across the back, reflecting the richest purple. 

 The remainder of back, rump, tail, and wing-secondaries and tertiaries, 

 deep-sea-green, or black, according to the light, glossed with rich purple : 

 on the secondary and primary coverts, the green merges into a dark 

 bistre: primaries bright chestnut, with black shafts and tips. Inner sur- 

 face of wings, thighs, lower belly, vent and under tail-coverts, chestnut. 



