470 CLASS AVES. 



subgenus among the gallinae, to which indeed its natural 

 habits appear to approximate it. 



The Agami of America, as some writers call it, (Pso- 

 phia Crepitans,) is the Caracara of BufFon, but not 

 of Marcgrave ; it is called Camy Camy at Surinam. These 

 birds, which are never seen in marshes, on the borders of 

 waters, or on the sea-shore, are spread through the moun- 

 tainous forests of the hottest parts of South America, 

 where they live on wild fruits. They are often met in 

 numerous flocks in the interior of the lands of Guiana, 

 but they do not love open and inhabited places. Some- 

 times they run with rapidity ; sometimes walk with a 

 grave step, and sometimes bovmd along. They often stand 

 on one foot, like the storks ; and their body, like that of those 

 birds, assumes various attitudes. Their wings and tail, more 

 especially, being very short, their flight is heavy ; and when, 

 though by no means of a distrustful character, they fly from 

 the fowler, they are soon observed to alight at a little dis- 

 tance on the ground, or on the lowest branches of trees, where 

 they are easily caught ; but, more generally, in case of a sur- 

 prisal, these birds have recourse to their speed in running for 

 security, and their starting is always preceded by a sharp 

 cry. They construct no nests, but form a hollow at the foot 

 of a tree, in which the female lays from ten to sixteen eggs, of 

 a clear-green, nearly spherical, and more bulky than those of 

 hens. They breed twice or three times a year. 



The name of Trumpet Bird, has been given to the Agami, 

 from a peculiar faculty which it possesses of producing deep 

 sounds, not unlike some tones of a trumpet. The Greek- 

 formed name psophia from no-otpfw, (to make a noise,) has 

 been bestowed upon it for the same reason ; this noise was 

 supposed to proceed from the anus, but, in fact, it originates 

 from a peculiar conformation of the trachea and the lungs, 

 and is heard only through the tissue of the membranes and 

 flesh, and produces an effect similar to that of the grumbling 



