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NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE FIRST FAMILY OF THE ANSERES. THE SCREAMERS (Palamedeid<e). 

 These singular birds are natives of South America, and are only three in number, the Horned 

 Screamer (Palamedea cornuta), from Guiana ; the Crested Screamer (Ghauna chavaria), from Southern 

 Brazil and Paraguay ; and the Derbian Screamer (Chauna derbiana), from Colombia. They have a 

 horn on the forehead, and very powerful spurs on the wings, and these are of great assistance to the 

 birds in defending themselves and their young from the attacks of birds of prey. As a rule, however, 

 their habits are gentle and shy, but they fly with great power, owing to their broad and powerful 

 wings. The Crested Screamer is said to be domesticated by the natives, and goes about with the 

 poultry, being, from its large bulk and formidable wings, a very able defender of the latter birds. 



THE SECOND FAMILY OF THE ANSERES. THE WILD FOWL (Anatidce). 



In this group, containing the Ducks, Geese, and Swans, the feet are very short, and the tarsus ia 

 always strongly reticulated in front ; the bill is almost straight or. at the most, gently curved, and the 

 tip is convex and rounded at the extremity, in many of the species forming a conspicuous knob, like a 

 finger-nail. The hind-toe, which is present in all, is small, and does not touch the ground. The sides 

 of the face also generally present an angular appearance, having a triangular patch of feathers placed 

 between two bare spaces. The family may be further divided into groups, the Geese, the Swans, 

 the true Ducks, the Scoters and Eider-Ducks, the Mergansers, and the Diving Ducks. 



BLACK SWAN. 



