496 SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN. 
SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAN. (Aramus scolopaceus.) 
PLATE XXVI.—Fic. 2. 
Ardea scolopacea, Gimel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 647, sp. 87.—Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 701, 
sp. 89, a very bad description.—Aramus scolopaceus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. viii. 
p-. 300; Id. Gal. Ois. ii. p. 134, pl. 252.—Nob. Ann. Lyc. New York, ii. p. 
155 ; Id. Specch. Comp. sp. Philad. ; Id. Cat. and Syn. Birds U. S. sp. 237. 
—Aramus Carau, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. viii. p. 301.—Rallus Guarauna, Jil. 
(mentio duntaxat).—Rallus Gigas, Licht. Berlin. Vog. Verz. p. 79, sp. 815.— 
Rallus ardeoides, Spix. Av. Brasil, ii. pl. 91.—Rallus giganteus, Nob. Add. 
Orn. U. S. in Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. v. p. 31.—Nothorodius Guar- 
auna, Wagler, Syst. Avium, i. sp. 1.—Goldfuss, Nat. Atlas, Aves, pl. 239.— 
Courliri Courlan, Vieill. loc. cit.—Guarauna, Marcgr. Brasil, p. 204.— 
Courlan ou Courliri, Buff. Otis. vii. p. 442; Id. ed. 1783, viii. p. 266; Id. 
Pl. enl. 848.—Carau, D’ Azara, Voy. iv. p. 223, sp. 366, an excellent descrip- 
tion.—Scolopaceous Heron, Lath. Syn. v. p. 102, sp. 79; Id. Gen. Hist. viii. 
p. 135, sp. 116.—My Collection. 
Here is a bird which, if any, might be considered as partak- 
ing of a double nature, some authors having regarded it as a 
heron allied to the rails, and others as a rail somewhat analo- 
gous to the herons. But notwithstanding these more striking 
affinities, and many besides that shall be carefully pointed out— 
for it is not contented with these—it fully deserves to constitute 
a genus by itself. After due consideration, therefore, we have 
withdrawn it from the rails, where, unconsciously coinciding 
in this with Spix, Illiger, and Lichtenstein, we at first arranged 
it ; and finding the genus Avamus already proposed for it by 
Vieillot, willing as we are to admit it to this rank, we do not 
hesitate a moment to adopt his name, and although we must 
acknowledge ourselves equally unable, with Dr Wagler, to 
explain the meaning or etymology of the word, we do not 
think this any reason why we should, with the German orni- 
thologist, apply to this bird a new compound signifying 
spurious heron. 
It was supposed that South America might furnish us with 
a second species of courlan, but it being now a well-ascer- 
tained fact that the Carau of D’Azara is the same as the 
Guarauna of Marcgrave, the bird must stand alone in his 
