106 CLASS AVES. 



of the mandible, half-closed by a membrane, and open 

 before. 



The pauxis, curassows, and penelopes construct their nests 

 on trees, and the female deposits many eggs there. Sonnini 

 says that the number of these varies from two to five, accord- 

 ing to the age of the females ; but D'Azara extends this 

 number to eight. It is quite certain that when domesticated 

 and accustomed to the climate, these birds lay eggs in as 

 great abundance as our peacocks, turkeys, and pintados. 

 The young ones run about immediately on quitting the egg, 

 and eat directly, like chickens. The females gather the 

 young under their wings to protect them from the cold, and 

 they have at such times a peculiar note of appeal. These 

 are facts well authenticated ; but they do not much accord 

 with the habit above-mentioned of constructing their nests on 

 trees when in the wild state. On this last supposition the 

 questions may be put — in what manner do the parents feed 

 their ofi"spring ? and at what epoch do the young ones quit 

 the nest and provide for their own subsistence ? M. Tem- 

 minck is inclined to think that the curassows and penelopes 

 carry their young ones, soon after they are born, to the 

 ground, and that they employ the same mode of doing this 

 as the wild ducks do when they happen to place their nest on 

 a tree near a pond or a lake, a habit which is peculiar to 

 many species of America. They descend with their young 

 from the summit of the highest trees, taking them one by 

 one with the bill. It is usually the male that performs this 

 operation, while the female assembles her brood around her, 

 in proportion as the male brings them down. M. Vieillot 

 relates a story in strong confirmation of this fact. Being 

 engaged in the chase in the woods of America, he roused a 

 small wood-hen (Scolopax Minor) , surrounded by her young 

 ones, which could not fly. On going a little aside, this gen- 



