PHAROMACRUS COSTARICENSIS. 23 



recesses, for the sake of a dollar or two (45. or 85.), which is usually paid 

 for a bird in the flesh. When skinned it fetches as much as 20^. or 25s., 

 as foreigners always buy some specimens before returning home. 



The hunting of these birds has been so extensive of late years that they 

 are rather scarce now ; and I have not the least doubt that this species will 

 be totally extinct before long, if the Governments of Central America do 

 not adopt measures for their preservation. 



This extinction would be greatly to be deplored, as it is, without 

 doubt, the handsomest ornament of the American forests. 



In Costa Rica, hunters of Quetzals generally start on Monday for the 

 forest, and return on Saturday (the market-day). They bring sometimes 

 only one or two, sometimes ten or twelve of these birds, which represent the 

 hunting of the week. They sell them usually from one dollar to one dollar 

 and a half each. Then you have to find a naturalist to skin them. This is 

 done by one or two persons living at San Jose ; they charge from one dollar 

 to one dollar and a half for each skin. These same persons buy some of the 

 birds on their own account, skin them, and sell them to strangers at distinct 

 prices, from three to six dollars. 



Perfect and adult specimens are very difficult to get ; there is scarcely 

 one among twenty. During my stay in Costa Rica I procured a large 

 number of specimens, nearly all of them from the Volcan of Irazu, Navarro, 

 and Naranjo. 



I have also seen the bird at Sarzero, Candelaria, and Cervantes, always 

 at the altitude of from 3000 to 6000 feet. 



When feeding, they go in small bands of from ten to twelve birds. 

 They eat fruits, and are very fond of acorns. In May, these fruits being 

 plentiful, the birds are more easily got at than at any other time of the year. 

 Some of the specimens which I have skinned had acorns in the crop and in 



