SCREAMERS. 



135 



to see a chaha perched on the top of a tree twenty feet from the ground. A week 

 after this occurrence I saw three birds in a similar position, in a small wood on the 

 edge of one of our larger lagoons. During a long residence here, and thorough 

 acquaintance with this species (seeing it every day, in fact), I have never witnessed 

 more than these two cases of such a feat on the part of C. chavaria, and should have 

 been utterly sceptical of the testimony of everybody else to the fact. In the 

 summer-time it is much addicted to soaring, and scores may be seen at a time, 



FIG. 62. Anhima cornuta, horned-screamer. 



rising in great spiral circles till they become mere specks in the sky, and actually 

 disappear at last. Even at this elevation the cry is distinctly audible, and has often 

 drawn my attention to the bird as having really vanished into the blue ether. The 

 cry, which may be often heard at night, is frequently indulged in, and consists of the 

 syllables cAo-Aa, uttered by the male, while the female invariably responds to it, or 

 rather follows it up with cha-ha-U, placing the accent on the last syllable. Preparatory 

 to producing it, if on the ground, the bird draws back its head and neck slightly ; and 



