Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3

by Alfred Edmund Brehm

The members of this family occupy the forests of tropical America, where they frequent the trees, and but rarely descend upon the ground, over the surface of which, however, they can run with great rapidity; their flight is slow, horizontal, and never long sustained, and their mode of disporting themselves when upon the branches of trees, easy though slow. During the breeding season they are met with in pairs, and at other times in small parties of some three or four birds. In all the various species the voice is peculiar, but very different in tone, and is heard most frequently during the period of incubation, or in the early morning, when they first awake from sleep. The Indians maintain, and Schomburghk has corroborated the statement, that one species, the Urax tomentosa, always utters its cry at the moment that the beautiful constellation called the Southern Cross attains its greatest altitude. In their wild state the Hoccos subsist principally on fruit and berries of various kinds, and occasionally consume insects, worms, and portions of certain plants; to the strong odour of some of the latter is probably attributable a most unpleasant flavour occasionally observable in their flesh. We are but little acquainted with the incubation of these birds, except that they build a flat nest made of twigs interlaced and lined with leaves, and placed upon the branches at no great distance from the ground. Bates and Schomburghk are of opinion that the large white eggs are but two in number; Gray, on the contrary, states that the female lays as many as five or six. In their native forests the Hoccos exhibit no fear of man, and if attacked, seem perfectly unconscious of danger, even should they see their companions fall dead around them. When living in the vicinity of human habitations, on the contrary, they become extremely timid, and if approached, at once take wing. The Indians not only eat the flesh of these birds, but employ their strong quills and tail-feathers as fans; the small feathers are also used in various kinds of ornamental work. In different parts of America Curassows have long been domesticated, and at one time were, it is said, thoroughly acclimatised in Holland by M. Armschoff, proving in his menagerie as prolific as any of our barn-door poultry.

THE COMMON OR CRESTED CURASSOW.

The COMMON or CRESTED CURASSOW (Crax alector) is nearly as large as a Turkey, being about thirty-six inches long. Its plumage is of a glossy black, and gleams with green and purple when exposed to the rays of the sun; the belly is white. The stout black beak is furnished with a large yellow cere at the base of both mandibles, and the eye is surrounded by a bare skin. The female is black only upon the head, neck, and breast; the feathers upon her belly are rust-red, and those of her wings and legs marked with reddish yellow.

This fine bird is common in Brazil, from Guiana to Paraguay, and is called "Powese" by the natives on account of its cry, which is said to resemble that word. Its flesh is much valued and forms an important article of food to the planters. In their native woods these birds exhibit little fear of man, but become more cautious when in the vicinity of human habitations; they are readily tamed, however, and are constantly kept by the natives as domestic pets. Sonnini mentions having seen them, when in Guiana, running freely about in the streets and entering the houses to obtain food; at night they slept on the house-tops or similar situations, and Bates gives an interesting account of a fine specimen that he saw running about a house quite like one of the family. It attended at all the meals, and passed from one person to another round the table to be fed, attracting the attention of the guests in a coaxing manner by rubbing its head against their cheeks and shoulders. At night it slept on a chest close to the hammock of a little girl to whom it was particularly attached, and followed her about the grounds in all her walks like a dog.

THE CRESTED CURASSOW (Crax alector). ONE-QUARTER NATURAL SIZE.

THE WATTLED CURASSOW.

The WATTLED CURASSOW (Crax carunculata) is distinguishable from the species last described by the inferiority of its size, and the red hue of its cere. The plumage of the male is black, with the exception of the white belly and wings. The eye is brown, the tip of the beak black, the cere red, and the foot yellowish red. The female has part of her throat and breast spotted with white, and the wings and upper part of the belly and legs with reddish yellow, the rump and lower portions of the belly are brownish red. The length of this species is thirty-four inches and the breadth forty-seven inches, the wing measures fourteen and the tail thirteen inches and a half. The Wattled Curassow inhabits the forests on the eastern coasts of Brazil, and is met with from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia.

THE RED CURASSOW.