Dimensions. Total length of skin, male, 5 inches; wing, 2½; tail, 2¾ inches.
Colors. Male.—A well-defined large space behind the eye, fine silky white; quills and tail-feathers light hair-brown, with a tinge of cinereous and margined externally with dark red; entire other plumage above and below bright vermilion, lighter on the under-parts, and tinged with purple on the back; inferior coverts of the wings and axillary feathers pale reddish white; bill and tarsi light colored (yellow?).
Hab. Texas and Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This little Flycatcher is of the same general form as the Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) of the United States, and evidently belongs to the same family, though apparently presenting sufficiently distinct generic characters. It has nearer relatives than our northern species, inhabiting Mexico and Central America, very nearly all of which are clothed in plumage of gay and beautiful colors.
This bird does not resemble any other species with which we are acquainted in such degree as to render especial comparison necessary, and is very easily recognised.
Plate 44
The Texan Guan
Ortalida poliocephala (Wagler)
ORTALIDA POLIOCEPHALA.—(Wagler.)
The Texan Guan.
PLATE XLIV. Adult Male.
This bird is the only one yet discovered in the United States, of a family of Gallinaceous Birds, of which numerous species are found in the warmer countries of America. Various species inhabit Mexico and Central America, some of which, including that now before us, appear to be readily domesticated, and in Mexico especially, may frequently be seen amongst the usual feathered denizens of the farm-yard.
The birds of this group, known by the names of Guans, Curassow birds, and Mexican Turkeys, and the Turkeys proper, are two families of the Gallinaceous birds that are peculiarly American, and not distantly related to each other. Of the Turkeys, two species are known, the most numerous of which is the Wild Turkey of North America. The other, even more handsome in its plumage than the former, has as yet only been found in Central America, and is known as the Honduras Turkey. It is by no means well established that the Domestic Turkey is descended from the wild species of North America. Its origin probably has not yet been discovered.