506 CLASS AVES. 



avers.) This caruncle, the nature of which is muscular, rounded, 

 and altogether wrinkled, hangs negligently and indifferently 

 from one or the other side of the beak at its base. Buffon 

 assures us, that this bird has not only the faculty of elevating 

 this caruncle, but also, that when the bird is animated by any 

 passion, the caruncle swells, is elongated, and rises perpendicu- 

 larly by means of air introduced through an aperture wrought 

 in the palate, and corresponding with the tube of the caruncle, 

 where the bird can retain the air. This error of Buffon is the 

 less surprising, as all the carunculated cotingas which he saw 

 were prepared in such a way, as to lead directly to this suppo- 

 sition ; in fact, the preparers of birds in Cayenne, from which 

 all the specimens of this species in the French cabinets came, 

 are accustomed to run. a small stick, or an iron wire, forcibly 

 through the palate and cranium of these birds, into the 

 caruncle, for the purpose of keeping it upright. Buffon sup- 

 posed this part to be hollow naturally, whereas it is only 

 made so by art. M. Le Vaillant verified this point on an 

 individual brought entire from Surinam in spirits of wine. In 

 cutting it in two he found the caruncle of this ampelis was pre_ 

 cisely of the same nature as that of the turkey, with this only 

 difference, that it is covered with small, convex, rounded, and 

 stiff feathers. This gives to this part, when elongated and 

 erect, the appearance of those fine branches of madripore, 

 which are covered with small white shells, and may be seen in 

 many collections. We are even ignorant, says M. L., if this 

 bird possesses the faculty of erecting this part at will, or if, like 

 the caruncle of the turkey-cock, it is only capable of elongation. 

 It is possible, that the muscles of which it is composed may 

 produce either effect ; but it is very certain that there is no 

 communication between the palate and the caruncle, which is 

 situated precisely at the origin of the forehead. There is even 

 in this place a slight sinking, and the upper part of the frontal 

 bone is furrowed, throughout its entire length, by a cavity 

 whidi appears to divide it into two equal portions. This is 



