,M O T M O T.
brown: the toes placed three before and one behind : the claw3
hooked and black.
This bird is found at Brafilj Cayenne, Mexico, and other parts of P la ce and
South America, where it is faid to live on infedts. It is a folitary Mabuse*
bird, frequenting thick forefts; foen for "the "moft part fingly,
chiefly on the ground, or fome low branch of a tree, taking fhort
flights when, difturbed, and pronouncing the word lloutou.
It makes the neft on the ground, frequently in fome hole de-
ferted by an Armadillo, or other quadruped: the neft is com-
pofed of dry grafs and ftalks; laying therein for the moft part
two eggs. The flelh is not accounted good to eat.
It may not be amifs here to take notiee of the two middle tail
feathers, which, in Edwards's plate, and the defcription of authors,
of the bird, are bare of webs for an inch and half, or more,
near the ends. I have feen birds in this lituation, and believe it
to be a frequent circumftance, but by no means general nor natural.
Buffon and Brijfon neither defcribe nor figure theirs in this
manner 5 and I can allure the reader, that I have feen birds with
the two middle feathers quite perfeft. In the Leverian Mufeum
there are two, in both of which the webs on one fide only begin to
be bared at the ufual part; but what is remarkable, it is on the op-
pofite fides on each of them: all thefe things confidered, I make
no doubt of its being a mere accidental circumftance, fuch an one as
we have not hitherto come to the knowledge of, that occafions
this appearance.
X x z Le