THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



No. 38. JANUARY 1841. 



XXXV. — Horce Zoohgicce. By Sir W. Jardine, Bart., 

 F.R.S.E. & F.L.S., &c. 



No. III. On the History and Habits of the Birds composing 

 the Genus Prionites of Illiger. 



The genus Prionites, or the Motmots of British writers, is a 

 small group of beautiful birds peculiar to the New World. 

 They are all very closely allied by their habits, and have the 

 colours of the plumage and the distribution of its markings 

 assimilating so remarkably with each other, that some confu- 

 sion still exists in the distinction of the species ; and there 

 is also much difficulty in always recognising with certainty 

 that to which the observations of travellers relate. In our 

 latest ornithological system by Mr. Swainson, two species 

 have been separated from Prionites, under the subgeneric 

 title of Crypticus *, characterized by the great dilatation of the 

 bill ; while in the old form, as now restricted, we appear at pre- 

 sent to know six distinct birds f. 



The P. Brasiliensis is the species from which the genus 

 was originally established, and it is the only one regarding 

 the habits of which we have hitherto had any authentic re- 

 cord. The notes of both Azara and V^Vaterton refer to it J, 



* C. platyrhynckits and super ciliaris. — Orn. Illust. pi. 106. and pi. 18. 

 N. S. 



f P. Brasiliensis-, ruftcapillus ; Bahamensis, Sw. ; Mexicanus ; Martii; 

 and coeruleocephalus. — Orn. Illust. pi. 42. N. S. 



X Of this species, described by Azara, two specimens were procured alive, 

 and were kept in confinement for five months. " It is a rare, strong, bold, 

 mistrusting and observing bird ; it ate small pieces of bread, or more readily 

 of raw meat, which before swallowing it struck several times against the 

 ground, as if, believing them alive, it wished to kill them. Sometimes I 

 saw them eat water-melons and oranges ; but they never drank or took any 

 notice of maize, either whole or pounded, nor did they use their feet to hold 

 with. If the piece was large they left it ; but what they liked best were 

 small birds, which I let loose into the room, and they followed them obsti- 



Ann. §Mag. N. Hist. Vol. vi. Y 



