CHAP. ii.J HOPES OF MESSES. BENNETT AND MARTIN. 251 



have not yet received from man the same regular and 

 continued care. Nevertheless, by judicious treatment 

 we might easily succeed in transplanting these useful 

 creatures into Europe; rural economy would find in this 

 genus of birds, as in the two former (the Pauxi or 

 Galeated, and the Hocco or Crested Curassow) im- 

 portant resources and new means of prosperity."* This 

 proposed additional fund of agricultural profit seems 

 surely deserving of consideration and worthy of a trial. 

 Temminck's three volumes were printed in 1815. Mr. 

 Bennett, in 1830, relying upon this opinion of Tem- 

 minck's, and not, the reader is requested to bear in 

 mind, upon any success in acclimating and rearing 

 Guans that had been anywhere attained, writes, " There 

 can be little doubt that with proper care and atten- 

 tion these birds might be added to the stock of our 

 domesticated fowls;" giving as a motive for endeavour- 

 ing to make the addition, the tempting incentive that 

 " they are spoken of as furnishing an excellent dish for 

 the table."f More recently, Mr. Martin, in 1848 or 

 1 849, for the numbers in which the work is published 

 bear no date, states, " The Guans are of more rare oc- 

 currence in our menageries or vivaria than the Curas- 

 sows ; we have, however, very frequently observed the 

 present species the crested Guan and can affirm that 

 it is in all respects as fitted for naturalisation as either of 

 the preceding" [just as much, and no more] ; " indeed, 

 it has been domesticated in Holland, and therefore 

 might be so in our country, though perhaps less pro- 

 fitably, as it appears that, though these birds associate 



* Histoire Naturelle des Pigeons et de Grallinaces, tome iii. p. 46. 

 f Zool. Gardens, vol. ii. 



