Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3

by Alfred Edmund Brehm

THE SUPERCILIOUS GUAN.

The SUPERCILIOUS GUAN (Penelope superciliaris) represents a group recognisable by their comparatively large size, moderately long tail, and soft plumage, as also by the small crest upon their head, and the absence of feathers on the brow, sides of the neck, and throat. Upon the crown, nape, throat, and breast, the plumage of this species is of a slaty black, shaded with grey; each of the feathers edged with a whitish line, while those of the back, wings, and tail are metallic green, bordered with whitish grey and reddish yellow; the feathers on the belly and rump are brown and yellowish red, and the quills delicately edged with greyish yellow. A whitish brown stripe passes above the brown eye, which is surrounded by a bare patch of black skin; the bare throat is deep flesh-red; the beak greyish brown; and the foot dusky reddish brown. The female is recognisable from her mate by the comparative indistinctness both of the stripes above the eye and the light borders to the feathers. The young are principally of a pale greyish brown, with a reddish yellow line over the eye, and are delicately marked with undulating lines upon the breast, rump, and leg feathers. This bird is twenty-four inches long; the wing measures ten, and the tail ten and a half inches.

The Supercilious Guan is an inhabitant of Brazil, and is particularly numerous in the district of Para: it is called by the Indians "Jack-peva."

THE PIGMY, OR PIPING GUAN.

The PIGMY, or PIPING GUAN (Pipile leucolophos), represents a group distinguishable from the above birds by their low tarsi, the slender, sickle-shaped form of the three first wing-quills, the slender, erect, and pointed crest, about three inches long, that adorns their head, and the black, bristle-like growth that covers the cheeks and overspreads the throat in small tufts. The upper portion of the body is principally slate-black, with white outer wing tipped with spots of the same dark shade; the lower part of the back, under breast, belly, and vent are reddish brown; some parts of the throat and breast have a chequered appearance, owing to the white edges of the feathers. The crest is composed of pure white feathers with black shafts; the quills and tail are black, enlivened by a steel-blue sheen; the eye is a deep cherry-colour; the bare face light blue; the throat light red; the beak horn-black, with bright blue base; and the foot red. The female is not so large as her mate, and has a shorter crest, less decided tints, and broader white edges to her feathers. The plumage of the young is dusky brownish black, except on the reddish brown belly and rump; their crest is but slightly developed. This bird is twenty-nine inches long and thirty-nine broad; the wing measures nearly eleven, and tail ten inches and three-quarters. Schomburghk mentions that he met with the Piping Guan in all parts of British Guiana, and saw it in great numbers in the forests near the coast. It is less bold than its congeners, and unlike them, according to the Prince von Wied, builds its nest amongst the branches of the forest trees in which it lives in pairs. Its flesh is excellent, and it is readily tamed. The voice of this species is low and piping.

THE ARACUAN.

The ARACUAN (Ortalida Aracuan) and its congeners are smaller than the above birds, with longer tails, and tarsi as long as the centre toe. In the wing the outer primaries are rounded at the tip, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh quills longer than the rest. The cheeks and sides of the throat are bare, the latter divided by a narrow feathered stripe. The plumage, which is composed of soft and rounded feathers, is principally of an olive-brown on the upper portion of the body, with a somewhat redder shade on the crown of the head, and white edges to the feathers on the breast and fore part of the throat; the three outer tail-feathers are tipped with brownish red. The eye is deep brown, and the bare patch that surrounds it blueish black; the unfeathered portions of the throat are flesh-red; the beak light red; and foot pale flesh-red. The female differs but slightly from her mate; the young exhibit much paler tints than the parent birds. This species is twenty inches and a half long, and twenty-three inches and a quarter broad; the wing measures seven and the tail nine inches.

THE HOACTZIN, OR STINK BIRD (Opisthocomus cristatus).

The Aracuan is an inhabitant of Central Brazil, where it is principally met with in the forests of Bahia.