THE HORNED SCEEAMEE. 
261 
of the birds composing it are^ — the great length of the toes 
and the comparative shortness of the beak, which is more or 
less compressed at the sides, and curved downwards at the 
tip; the shoulder of the wing is armed with one or two 
stout spurs, which are of a horny texture, and are sharp - 
pointed. Their chief peculiarity, however, is the great 
length of the toes, as well as the elongation of the claws, 
which, from their expanse, enable the birds to walk with 
great readiness and rapidity over the leaves of the aquatic 
plants which float on the tropical rivers or marshes. The 
typical genus, Palamedea, contains but one species, the 
Horned Screamer (P. cornuta), so named from a long, 
slender, pointed horn on its forehead, and from the wild, 
screaming noise which it occasionally utters. The compara- 
tive anatomist can soon account for the cause of this, for on 
examining its trachea, he finds that it has an abrupt bony 
box, or enlargement, about the middle"^; but the natura- 
list has not yet determined the use of the horn. On each 
wing there are two strong spurs, with which it is said to 
defend itself and its young from the attacks of the snakes, 
which abound in the watery places frequented by it. This 
bird feeds chiefly on the leaves and seeds of aquatic plants. 
* Blyth, edition of Cuvier's * Animal Kingdom/ p. 248. 
