LIVING IN THE SOCIETY'S GARDENS. 283 



" I first saw this beautiful species of Curassow in a Peruvian's house, at Santa Maria 

 on the Huallaga, where it was running about along with the common fowls. The bird 

 appeared to be lively and active, and would fight the dogs and fowls, driving them out 

 of the house. A very curious circumstance is that when one of the hens commenced 

 sitting, the bird would drive her off the nest and take her place ; this I witnessed 

 myself: the attempt at incubation, however, was not of long duration ; for the Curassow 

 destroyed the eggs, as I was informed afterwards by the owner. 



" I ascertained that the bird came from the Eio Pastaza ; and 1 believe it is not 

 uncommon on that river and throughout the dense forests on the north-west bank of 

 the Amazons. I have often heard this bird in the middle of the night near Nauta. 



" The Peruvians call it the Monte Piyu. 



" The habits of this bird render it most difficult to obtain, from its living in holes 

 or burrows in the ground. The Indians remain in the forest all night at the place 

 where it is first heard. I was informed by many of the Peruvians, whose word I could 

 rely upon, that these birds come out at night, and ascend to the top branches of the 

 lofty trees in search of food. The Indians are on the look-out, and shoot them just 

 before sunrise as they are descending to return to their places of concealment, where 

 they pass the day." — E. B. 



Natterer (Pelzeln, Om. Bras. p. 288) gives the same account of this bird's nocturnal 

 habits, but says nothing of its living underground. 



Genus III. MiTUA. 



1. MiTUA TUBEROSA. (Plate LI.) 



Cram mitu, Linn. S. N. i. p. 270. 



Pauwi mitu, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 8, et 685 ; Gray, Gen. of B. iii. p. 487, et Haud-1. ii. p. 254. 



Mitu braziliensis, Reichenb. Tauben, p. 137. 



Ourax mitu, Cuv. Reg. An. 1817, i. p. 441 ; Temm. PL Col. 153 ; Bennett, Gard. & Men. ii. p. 129 ; 



Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 288. 

 Urax mitu, Bairm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 349. 

 Crax tuberosa, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 51, t. 67 a. 

 Mitua tuberosa, Bates, Nat. on the Amazons, ii. p. 112, et ed. 2, p. 262 ; Sol. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, 



p. 520, et 1873, p. 307, et Nomencl. p. 135. 

 Urax tuberosa, Bnrm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 348. 



Ourax erythrorhynchus. Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 352, et An. in Men. p. 187. 

 Urax erythrorhynchus. Cab. in Schomb. Guian. iii. p. 747. 



Nigra purpurascente perfusa : ventre imo castaneo : caudse apice albo : loris dense 

 plumosis : pilei plumis elongatis : rostri culmine valde elevate, antice cultrato, postice 



2q2 



