28o cassell's book of birds. 



domestic favourites, and soon become so tame as to enjoy being caressed and taken in the hand. 

 Their flesli is also much esteemed. 



THE SUPERCILIOUS GUAN. 



The Supercilious Gu.\n (Penelope superciliaris) represents a group recognisable by their 

 comparatively large size, moderately long tail, and soft plumage, as also by the small crest upon 

 their head, and the absence of feathers on the brow, sides of the neck, and throat. Upon the crown, 

 nape, throat, and breast, the plumage of this species is of a slaty black, shaded with grey ; each of 

 the feathers edged with a whitish line, while those of the back, wings, and tail are metallic green, 

 bordered with whitish grey and reddish yellow ; the feathers on the belly and rump are brown and 

 yellowish red, and the quills delicately edged with greyish yellow. A whitish brown stripe passes 

 above the brown eye, which is surrounded by a bare patch of black skin ; the bare throat is deep 

 flesh-red ; the beak greyish brown ; and the foot dusky reddish brown. The female is recognisable 

 from her mate by the comparative indistinctness both of the stripes above the eye and the light 

 borders to the feathers. The young are principally of a pale greyish brown, with a reddish yellow 

 line over the eye, and are delicately marked with undulating lines upon the breast, rump, and leg 

 feathers. This bird is twenty-four inches long; the wing measures ten, and the tail ten and a 

 half inches. 



The Supercilious Guan is an inhabitant of Brazil, and is particularly numerous in the district 

 of Para : it is called by the Indians " Jack-peva." 



THE PIGMY, OR PIPING GUAN. 

 The Pigmy, or Piping Guan (Pipile leiicolophos), represents a group distinguishable from the 

 above birds by their low tarsi, the slender, sickle-shaped form of the three first wing-quills, the slender, 

 erect, and pointed crest, about three inches long, that adorns their head, and the black, bristle-like 

 growth that covers the cheeks and overspreads the throat in small tufts. The upper portion of the 

 body is principally slate-black, with white outer wing tipped with spots of the same dark shade ; the 

 lower part of the back, under breast, belly, and vent are reddish brown ; some parts of the throat 

 and breast have a chequered appearance, owing to the vphite edges of the feathers. The crest is 

 composed of pure white feathers with black shafts ; the quills and tail are black, enlivened by a steel- 

 blue sheen ; the eye is a deep cherry-colour ; the bare face light blue ; the throat light red ; the beak 

 hom-black, with bright blue base ; and the foot red. The female is not so large as her mate, and 

 has a shorter crest, less decided tints, and broader white edges to her feathers. The plumage of the 

 young is dusky brownish black, except on the reddish brown belly and rump ; their crest is but 

 shghtly developed. This bird is twenty-nine inches long and thirty-nine broad ; the wing measures 

 nearly eleven, and tail ten inches and three-quarters. Schomburghk mentions that he met with the 

 Piping Guan in all parts of British Guiana, and saw it in great numbers in the forests near the coast. 

 It is less bold than its congeners, and unhke them, according to the Prince von Wied, builds its nest 

 amongst the branches of the forest trees in which it lives in pairs. Its flesh is excellent, and it is 

 readily tamed. The voice of this species is low and piping. 



THE ARACUAN. 



The Aracuan ( Ortalida Aracuan) and its congeners are smaller than the above birds, with 



longer tails, and tarsi as long as the centre toe. In the wing the outer primaries are rounded at the 



tip, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh quills longer than the rest. The cheeks and sides of the throat 



are bare, the latter divided by a narrow feathered stripe. The plumage, which is composed of soft 



