M O T M O T. 339 



brown : the toes placed three before and one behind : the claws 

 hooked and black. 



This bird is found at Braftl, Cayenne, Mexico, and other parts of Place and 

 South America, where it is faid to live on infects, k is a folitary Manners. 

 bird, frequenting thick forefts ; feen for the mofl part fingly, 

 chiefly on the ground, or fome low branch of a tree, taking fhort 

 flights when difturbed, and pronouncing the word Houtou. 



It makes the neft on the ground, frequently in fome hole de- 

 ferted by an Armadillo, or other quadruped ; the neft is com- 

 pofed of dry grafs and ftalks ; laying therein for the mofl part 

 two eggs. The flefh is not accounted good to eat. 



It may not be amifs here to take notice of the two middle tail 

 feathers, which, in Edwards's plate, and the defcription of au- 

 thors, of the bird, are bare of webs for an inch and half, or more, 

 near the ends. I have feen birds in this fituation, and believe it 

 to be a frequent circumftance, but by no means general nor na- 

 tural. Buffon and Briffon neither defcribe nor figure theirs in this 

 manner ; and I can afiure the reader, that I have feen birds with 

 the two middle feathers quite perfect. In the Leverian Mufeum 

 there are two, in both of which the webs on one fide only begin to 

 be bared at the ufual part ; but what is remarkable, it is on the op- 

 pofite fides on each of them : all thefe things confidered, I make 

 no doubt of its being a mere accidental circumftance, fuch an one as 

 we have not hitherto come to the knowledge of, that occafions 

 this appearance. 



X x 2 Le 



