Chap, VIII. NICAKAGUAN CUKASSOWS. 139 
everywhere ; but both were of a diminutive size ; and the 
former in particular were such beautiful little creatures 
that we soon discontinued our sport. There are three 
kinds of very small pigeons common in Nicaragua. One 
of them, called the Cola-larga, or long-tail, is of an ashy 
colour, and the size of a small thrush or common black- 
bird ; the two others, called Tortola and Carmelita, are 
smaller still ; and the latter, which is scarcely as large as 
a common lark, has some round spots of a splendid blue 
on the wings. There was no want of larger game in the 
vicinity, especially of the different kinds of curassows — 
large birds of the size of a small turkey, and, according to 
my opinion, amongst the most delicate wild-fowl which 
exists. One of the species, common in Nicaragua, is 
called Pavon, or Pajuil, and seems to be the Crax 
Alector. Another is of a very fine plumage, reddish- 
brown with wmite spots, somewhat similar to the banded 
curassow, or Crax fasciolata. A third, which is the most 
common of the three, is of a greyish black, and is called 
Pava. This is often stated to be the female of the pavon, 
but the opinion is erroneous, the pava not even appearing 
to belong to the same genus as the pavon, and having 
more the character of a Penelope or Salpiza. I shot 
several of these birds during our stay at the hacienda of 
San Jose ; but the cook always ate the breast and left us 
the bones ; and as we were the guests of the house we 
could not complain of this impudence, which seems to be 
the general fashion in Central America. 
On one of my walks at San Jose I shot a small kind of 
eagle, or rather Harpy, carrying one of the large green 
parrots called Lora in its claws. It was a bird of prey of 
the proudest appearance, of the most ferocious valour, and 
of an incredible tenacity of life. With the exception of 
