104 CLASS AVESr 



the bill, in the position of the nostrils, and the mode of their 

 aperture, in the construction of the feet, toe&, and claws, are 

 characters which must determine generic separation ; we can- 

 not hesitate, therefore, to assign a peculiar genus to each of 

 the kinds of birds in question, no more than we can to 

 separate both one and the other from penelope. 



The pauxis and curassows are stout birds, of the size of 

 the turkey and the peacock. Their wings are very short in 

 proportion to the volume of the body ; the four external 

 quills are the shortest, and are equally graduated ; the fifth 

 and sixth are the longest. The tail is long, and composed of 

 twelve strong and broad quills. The legs are long and 

 robust ; the toes are long, three before and one behind ; the 

 front toes are united by a membrane, which extends as far as 

 the first articulation ; the hind toe is articulated lower down 

 on the tarsus than in the other genera of gallinae, but it is 

 not situated on a level with the other toes, as it is in the 

 pigeons. 



The pauxis have the bill short, strong, and compressed ; on 

 the upper mandible arises a prolongation of the same corneous 

 substance as the mandible itself, and forming one piece with 

 it. The nostrils are basal, lateral, and pierced perpendicu- 

 larly near the forehead behind the corneous prolongation, half 

 closed above, and open underneath. 



In the curassows, the bill is of moderate length, com- 

 pressed, and more high at its base than broad. The upper 

 mandible is elevated, curved from its origin, and vaulted ; 

 the base of the bill is covered with a cere ; on the head is a 

 tuft of waving and frizzled feathers ; the nostrils are lateral, 

 pierced longitudinally in the cere, half covered at top, and 

 open before. 



Many characters, which have now been indicated in the 

 manners and forms of the pauxis and curassows, will equally 

 apply to the genus Penelope. The birds of this genus. 



