BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA ( 



the large and broad secondaries nearly as long as longest primaries, some- 

 times a little longer; undersurface of wings strongly concave, the outer 

 primaries strongly bowed or incurved distally, sometimes with terminal 

 portion abruptly attenuate or falcate ; primaries, 10, the outermost much 

 the shortest. Tail nearly as long as to slightly longer than wing, more 

 or less rounded, flat (not vaulted), the rectrices relatively broad, with 

 broadly rounded tips. Tarsus less than one-fourth to about one-third 

 as long as wing, the acrotarsium with a single row of large transverse 

 scutella, the planta tarsi usually with a single row of smaller scutella along 

 outer side and smaller, irregular scutella on inner side; middle toe about 

 two-thirds to three- fourths as long as tarsus, the lateral toe reaching to 

 or slightly beyond penultimate articulation of middle toe (the outer 

 usually slightly longer than the inner) ; hallux about as long as combined 

 length of first two phalanges of outer toe; claws moderately to rather 

 strongly curved (that of hallux most strongly so), moderately large, 

 compressed; a well-developed web between basal phalanges of anterior 

 toes. Plumage in general rather compact, the feathers rather broad and 

 with rounded tips except on anal region and rump, where soft and downy, 

 those of neck sometimes sublanceolate, those of pileum sometimes 

 elongated, forming a bushy erectile crest, more rarely (in Crax) rigid, 

 erect, and recurved terminally; loral region wholly nude, orbital region 

 more or less (sometimes extensively) nude, the throat also sometimes 

 nude, the naked skin sometimes developed into a wattle or dewlap. 



Nidification normal, the nest placed in trees; eggs (said to be only 

 two in number) relatively large, with rough, granular surface, immacu- 

 late whitish. 



Range. — The whole of continental tropical America. 



The Cracidae are arboreal gallinaceous birds that differ from all other 

 Gallinae except the Megapodidae (of the Australian Region) in having 

 the hallux large and on the same level with the anterior toes, and from 

 the Megapodidae in having the legs and feet conspicuously less stout, 

 all the toes shorter ; in having the trachea usually coiled instead of straight ; 

 the presence of two carotid arteries and tufted oil gland, absence of biceps 

 slip, and normal nidification; although, unlike the Tetraonidae, Phasian- 

 idae, and other alectoropode Gallinae, the nest is usually built in a tree, 

 and the eggs, said to be only two in number, are very large in proportion 

 to the size of the bird, plain dull white, and very different in shape and 

 texture of the shell, which is roughly granulated. 



The members of the Cracidae are never of brilliant plumage, though 

 many of them are very handsome birds. They dwell in forests and 

 spend much of their time among the branches of the higher trees, where 

 they build their nests. Easily domesticated, they become excessively 

 tame, gentle, and affectionate. 



The true curassows (subfamily Cracinae), of the genera Crax, Notho- 

 crax, Mitu, and Pauxi, are the largest and finest birds of the family. 



