272 SUCCESS AT KNOWSLEY. [CHAP. 11. 



on being startled in this manner the other day, flew up 

 into a high elm about 100 yards off, ascending to the 

 very top : it was, however, a mere frolic ; for on taking 

 his friends, the fowls, to the foot of the tree, he was 

 down in an instant, and quietly followed them home. 

 Both of these are now much heavier than when from 

 the dealer, and with young tail-feathers sprouting abun- 

 dantly, they having lost the whole of their tails on their 

 journey, being foolishly sent in an absurdly small bird- 

 " cage." 



The conclusion eventually arrived at by this able co- 

 adjutor, if not already anticipated by the reader, may be 

 gathered from this last allusion to them, which we have 

 received: "The Knowsley collection must be well worth 

 seeing ; but I was prepared for the account you give of 

 the impracticability of the Cracidae, and had written to 

 Jamrach to say that he need not trouble about the Guans, 

 but let me know when he had anything else suitable." 



The opinion of their impracticability was expressed 

 early in the summer of 1849, after careful inspection 

 and inquiry, and some personal experience ; but the 

 reader may be pleased to know, by way of postscript, the 

 substance of some later information with which we have 

 been honoured respecting these birds at Knowsley Park. 



In 1849 success was attained in hatching both Guans 

 and Curassows : there were living eight of the latter, 

 and one solitary chick of the Penelope superciliaris ; but, 

 at that late period of the year (the middle of September), 

 little hope was entertained of rearing this last. There 

 were indeed hatched ten Curassows (Crax G-lobicera), 

 but one met with an accident when very young, it is 

 believed from the hen jumping down upon it, so had it 

 lived, it would have been a cripple : the other was nearly 

 grown, and died quite suddenly, as is suspected, from 



