AEAMUS. 333 



1. Aramus pictus. 



Tantalm pictus, Bartr. Trav. Florida, p. 291 \ 



Aramus pictus, Coues, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1875, p. 354 ^j Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 409 ^ 



vi. pp. 389*, 396"; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 400 ^• Sharpe, Cat! 



Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 238 \ 

 Aramus scolopaceus, Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 64'; Sutnichr. La Nat. v. p. 229'. 

 Aramus scolopaceus, var. giganteus, Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 49 '°. 

 Aramus giganteus, Salv. Ibis, 1889, p. 378"; 1890, p. 89 '^ Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



ix. p. 177"; Richm. op. cit. xvi. p. 528"; A. 0. U. Check-list N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed 



p. 76 ". 

 Aramus holostictus, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 227 " ; Salv. Ibis, 1870, p. 115 ". 



Brunneus, pQei plumis anguste, colli plumis latius albo striatis ; dorsi plumis et tectricibus alarum maculis 

 triquetris albis plus minusve celatis notatis ; remigibus et rectricibus bruaneis ^neo uitentibus • loris et 

 regione suboculari gulaque albis; corpora reHquo subtus brunneo, coUi et gutturis imi plumis medialiter 

 albo striolatis, pectoris et abdominis plumis latissime albo striatis, plumis singulis triquetrim albis 

 brunneo marginatis; corporis lateribus, tibiis et subcaudalibus brunneis concoloribus ; subalaribus pectore' 

 concoloribus et eodem modo albo notatis : rostro viridescenti-flavo, apicem versus fusco ; pedibus plumbeis, 

 unguibus nigris ; iride coryllina. Long, tota circa 26-0, ate 129, caud« 5-5, culm. 4-6, tarsi 4-9.' 

 (Descr. exempl. ad. ex Cozumel I. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. North America, Florida ^^. — Mexico, Alvarado ^ and Uvero ^, Vera Cruz, Santa 

 Efigenia ^ lo ^juj Cacoprieto ^, Oaxaca {Sumichrast), Tlacotalpam 7, Santa Ana, 

 Vera Cruz {Ferrari-Perez '^% Cozumel I. {Gaumer "^ ^^ '^^) ; British Ho.\duras, 

 Belize Eiver [Leyland ^ ^^) \ Honduras, Omoa {Ley land ^ ^^); Nicaragua, Sucuya 

 and Omotepe, Lake of Nicaragua {Xutting '^ ^) ; Costa Eica " {Cariniol ''), Rio 

 Frio {Bichmond^'^), La Palma, Gulf of Nicoya {Nutting^). — West Indies'^. 



Our collectors have not sent us specimens of this curious bird from the mainland of 

 Mexico, but both Ferrari-Perez ^^ and Sumichrast ^ procured several in Vera Cruz and 

 the latter also found it in Oaxaca. Mr. Nutting^ says that A. pictus prefers 

 marshy country to open water, and that he often heard its harsh and rather mournful 

 cry ; he also states that the flesh is very good eating. 



The bird is of heavy flight, and, when first flushed, flies with bent neck and hanging 

 legs, but when once on the wing the former is stretched out to the full extent and 

 the latter are extended behind after the manner of Herons. As a rule, the bird escapes 

 pursuit by running, baflaing even the best dogs ; its long toes enable it to walk on the 

 leaves of the water-plants and it is also a good swimmer. The nest, as observed in 

 Florida, is composed of a large mass of rank weeds, with a depression in the middle. 

 Like that of the Clapper-Rails, it is generally secured from inundation by being placed 

 amongst, and fastened to, the large tufts of the tallest grasses which grow in the 

 vicinity of the lagoons ®. The eggs, sometimes as many as sixteen in number, are 

 large for the size of the bird ; they are of a rich cream-colour, with spots and blotches 

 of yellowish-brown and underlying purple. 



