GALLINULE. 416 



23.— CAYENNE GALLINULE. 



Gallinula Cayanensis, Lid. Orn. ii. 767. 



Fulica Cayanensis, Gm. Lin. i. 700. 



Grande Poule d'Eau de Cayenne, Buf. viii. 182. PL eul. 352. 



L' Ypacaha, proprement dit, Voy. d'Azara, iv. No. 367. 



Cayenne Gallinule, Gen. Sy'n. v. 252. 



LENGTH eighteen inches. Bill three inches long, yellow, with 

 the base green, and the tip dusky ; irides bright red ; chin, sides of 

 the head, and a little way on the neck before greyish white; head, 

 the rest of the neck, lower part of the belly, and thighs dusky grey 

 brown ; back and wing coverts dull olive ; breast, upper part of the 

 belly, and quills, bright reddish rufous; legs red. The young birds 

 are grey, not acquiring any red colour till after the first moult. 



Inhabits Guiana and Cayenne ; is common in the marshy places, 

 and lives on small fish and insects: extends also to Paraguay and 

 Buenos Ay res ; called Ypacaha, from its note expressing that word, 

 and to be heard a mile off; the Spaniards call it Poulette ; sometimes 

 attacks poultry ; and during the absence of the hen, takes away the 

 eggs, and destroys the contents ; the eggs are therefore scarce. This 

 bird will also eat many kinds of fruit, bread, and meat, but most 

 fond of worms ; in appearance is very tame, but will not suffer itself 

 to be handled ; it pilfers, and hides many small articles, which it 

 finds about the house ; but is useful in destroying rats and mice, and 

 after killing them, if not too large, swallows them whole. 



A. — L'Ypacaha noiratre, Voy. d'Azara, iv. No. 376. 



This is thought, by Azara, to be a mere Variety of the Cayenne 

 Gallinule. 



