62 



99. Ortalida vetula (Wagler) ? 

 Found plentifully near Omoa. 



Very noisy and pugnacious. Being very good eating, they are 

 much sought after by the Spanish residents, and the eggs and young- 

 taken and placed under hens. The home-reared ones remain do- 

 mesticated and are masters of the poultry, their lightness of wing 

 enabling them to buffet the cocks so effectually as to become masters 

 of the field. 



100. Meleagris ocellata, Temm. 



Formerly these birds descended the Old River towards Belize ; as 

 the country has become more occupied, they have retired further to 

 the interior, and are now only sparely met with about half-way from 

 Belize to Peten ; beyond Peten they are more plentiful. Three 

 wild birds were observed in the summer of 1856 by Mr. Burns, ma- 

 hogany-cutter, residing at the Boom on the Old River, some thirty 

 miles from the town of Belize. They came to the river, near his 

 house, to drink, but took to flight before they could be secured ; 

 they had not previously been seen in the neighbourhood for many 

 years. 



They are extremely shy, and keep to the thick woods, except 

 when they go to the outskirts to feed. When thus occupied, their 

 heads may just be discerned above the grass ; but should they see 

 any one a mile off, they become alarmed and retreat to the woods. 

 The Spaniards shoot them by night during the pairing time in March, 

 when they betray themselves by their cries while at roost. Their 

 flesh is most delicious eating. The wild cocks tread the hen Tur- 

 keys of the residents at Peten, the produce being a very fine cross. 

 The wild race is called the Pavo del Monte by the Spanish residents, 

 and the domestic race the Pavo Real. 



101. Ortyx leylandi, Moore, sp. nov. 



General colour wood-brown ; crest short, brown, darker at the 

 tips ; ear-coverts brown ; chin black, each feather longitudinally 

 striped with white ; stripe above and another below the eye cream 

 colour, bordered posteriorly with black ; nape chestnut ; an irregular 

 band of black feathers spotted on each web with white surrounds the 

 neck ; interscapulium minutely barred with black and brown ; back 

 black, each feather having three narrow rufous bands ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts mottled with black and wood-brown, and banded 

 and tipped with white. Breast, belly, sides, and under tail-coverts 

 rich brown, with prominent irregularly oval white spots bordered 

 with black. Tail ash-brown, with four or five irregular bands of 

 whitish. Primaries ash-brown ; secondaries the same, but freckled 

 on the outer webs ; tertiaries rich chestnut-brown, largely blotched 

 with black, banded and tipped with white, with which colour the 

 inner webs are broadly edged. Bill small and black. Feet greyish 

 horn-colour. 



Total length 6^ inches, wings 3f , tail 2, bill to end of gape 1 2 g -, 

 tarsi 1, middle toe and claw 1£. 



