ORDER GALLING. 115 



erroneous idea respecting the omnipotent influence of climate, 

 is dispelled by the light of comparative anatomy, and the 

 hourly progress of scientific discovery and research. What- 

 ever be the cause, nature exhibits a perpetual tendency to 

 the production and reproduction of individual varieties ; and 

 that under all circumstances of climate and locality, but 

 more especially in domesticated animals. 



From all this, and more especially from what we have 

 instanced respecting the breeding of the Hoccos, we shall find 

 that naturalists, founding their observations on individuals 

 born in the domesticated state, have transmitted to us de- 

 scriptions of no great accuracy respecting these birds. The 

 majority of those specimens found in collections of natural 

 history proceeded from the menageries of Holland and of 

 this country. Tiiere the individuals underwent considerable 

 alterations in the coloiu's of the plumage, in consequence of 

 those illegitimate unions to which we have alluded ; it is 

 therefore not surprising that the Hoccos have been so badly 

 described by authors, and that their species have been so 

 often confounded. 



The Teucholi, or Globose Curassow, is a regular species, 

 both male and female of which are distinguished by a cal- 

 lous, globular tubercle, of the bulk of a large nut. This 

 tubercle is situated at the base of the hill, towards the fore- 

 head. It is covered, as well as the base of the two mandibles, 

 by a cere, of a lively yello\Y ; immediately around the eye is 

 a small black space, divested of feathers. This space is 

 separated from the cere by feathers. 



Buffon has confounded the Teucholi with the Mitoupo- 

 ranga, the last described species. Though decidedly distinct, 

 they do certainly appear, on a superficial consideration, to be 

 nearly allied ; but the characters already noticed form a suffi- 

 cient distinction. To them we shall merely add, that the 

 nostrils are pierced in front of and below the tubercle in the 



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