A RAM US SCOLOPACEUS. 
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FAMILY II. ARAMIDiE. THE COURLANS. 
Bill , very long, slightly curved , and quite deeply grooved on basal third. Terminal 
portion of fur cut a, not widened , nor joined to tip of keel which is not wide but high , greatly 
exceeding the width of the sternum which is narrow and without marginal indentations. 
Members of this family are of medium size, with rather long legs and toes. The up¬ 
per mandible is thick for nearly its entire length, but gradually curves downward toward 
the tip; whereas the lower grows more slender for its terminal third, tapering gradually to 
an acute point. The posterior margin of the sternum is indented with a single, central 
scallop. 
GENUS I. ARAMUS. THE COURLANS. 
The generic characters are as given under the Family heading, with the following additions. The oesophagus is not 
wide, is without dilatation, and opens into a large proventriculus provided with simple, oval glands arranged in a zonular 
band. The.space between proventriculus and stomach is long, curved, and lined with a soft membrane which lies in lon¬ 
gitudinal folds. The stomach is rounded, flattened, very muscular, and lined with a hard, rugose membrane. The intes¬ 
tines are not very long and the coeca are moderately well developed, with the blind ends dilated. The trachea is a little 
widened at top, but the remainder is rounded and about the same size for its entire length. It is straight for 4'25, then 
curves gradually around, passing upward for l - 55, turns quite suddenly downward for 1‘00, bends upon itself, laterally and 
upward for '75, then curves down again for l - 15 but passes upward in a final curve for U50, turns down and pursues its 
usual course to the larynx. Tlius there are three distinct whorls of the treachea forming an ellipsis which measures about 
180x l - 30, while there are about 7 inches of the trachea in these convolutions which lie directly in the fork of the fiircu- 
la. The entire length of the treachea is 20'50 and it is provided with lateral muscles which do not, however, follow the 
bends of the treachea, but join together and cross them in an oblique line, then separate to form the sterno-treachealis a 
little further down. These muscles are only 7 inches long. The larynx is flattened and provided with a small bronchialis. 
Tympaniform membrane, present. Sexes, similar. There is but one species within our limits. 
ARAMUS SCOLOPACEUS. 
Courlan. 
Aramus scolopaceus Bon, Am. Orn, III; 1828, 111. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Si\ Ch. Form, slender. Size, medium. Tongue, very long, thin, slender, and narrowing gradually to tip which Ls 
rounded. Head, large. 
Color. Adult. Dark chocolate-brown throughout, glossed above with greenish. Throat, ashy, and all the feathers, 
excepting on posterior portions, are centrally streaked with white. Iris and legs, brown. Bill, brown, yellow at base of 
lower mandible Youny. Similar, but much paler. Nestlinys. Are covered with black down. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Readily known by the peculiar form and chocolate-brown color streaked with white. Constantly resident in Middle 
and Southern Florida. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 27'00; stretch, 41*00; wing, 12'50; tail, 5*25; bill, 5'00; tar¬ 
sus, 5'00. Longest specimen, 28'00; greatest extent of wing, 42'00; longest wing, 13*00; tail, 5 50; bill, 5'50; tarsus, 5'50. 
Shortest specimen, 2fi'00; smallest extent of wing, 40'00; shortest wing, 12-00; tail, 5'00; bill, 4'50; tarsus, 4'50. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed in bushes, composed of sticks, weeds, and grass. Eygs, from ten to fifteen in number, rather elliptical 
in form, ashy-yellow in color, lined, sprinkled, spotted and blotched irregularly with reddish-brown and umber. Dimen¬ 
sions from 1 *70 x 2-35 to 1-75 x 2-50. 
HABITS. 
I have spoken of the Sandhill Cranes as being noisy birds, but they are excelled in 
this respect by the Courlans, whose long, oft-repeated notes have given them the name of 
Crying Birds. They are also called Limpkins in Florida and are particularly abundant in 
the marshes on either side of the St. John’s, from Blue Spring to the mouth of the Wekiva, 
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