694 C U R A S S O W ,
P lace and
.Manks iu.
The gibbofity, which is more or lefs feen at the bafe of the
upper mandible, has been flightly palled over in the above-mentioned
defcriptions; but it feems to vary fo exceedingly in all the
fpecimens that I have feen, that I am inclined to think, with
Edwards, that the larger gibbofity is the effeft of age, and that
it is always proportionably fmaller in the females than the males-,
and in the laft, when young, it is very little elevated: the bare
fpace round the eyes alfo varies much; in fome birds it is totally
bare of feathers, and of the fame colour as the b ill; in others
ftill bare, but black j and in many individuals well covered with
Ihort feathers.
Thefe birds are natives of Mexico and Peru, and in the ftate
of nature are perhaps of fuch colours as the male and- female firft
defcribed; but as they foon become familiar, they are kept in all
the warmer parts of America and the Weft India iflands as we do
Pur kies in England; and in .courfe, like them, fubjeft to infinite
varieties. In the wild ftate they frequent mountainous places, and
are fo exceedingly tame as to fuffer themfelves to be lhot at
feveral times without offering to efcape. They feed on fruits,
and perch of nights on trees : the flefh is white, and efteemed
very good food.
They are frequently kept tame in our menageries in England,
and readily mix with other poultry, feeding on bread and grain j
but this climate is not near warm enough for their nature, not
being able to bear the dampnefs of the grafs of our meadows,
which renders them fubjedt to have their toes rot off. They
will often live in this ftate fome time; and in one inftance which
we faw, the whole of one foot was gone, and but part of one toe
left on the other, before the creature died.
IQ Crax
Crax globicera, Lin. Syji. i. p. 270. 4.
he Hocco de Curaffow, Brif. orn. i. p. 300. 13,
Gallus Indicus alius, Aldr. Rail Syn. p. 52. 7.
Another Indian Cock, Will. orn. p. 162.
CuraiTow Cock and Hen, Alhin. ii. pi. 31, 32..
Curaffow Bird, Edo.u. pi. 293. f. 1.
g I Z E of the others. The tip of the bill is alh-coloured;
the reft of it yellow : on the top over the noftrils is a round
knob like a cherry,, very hard, and of a fine yellow : the irides
are red : round the eyes white : on the head the feathers are
long, and form a creft, that points-forwards ; the feathers of it are
hlack, with white tips, which are a little bent: the reft of the
plumage is black, except the lower part of the belly, vent, and
acrofs the thighs, all of which are white: legs pale ferruginous.
The female has the head and hind part of the neck black:
the creft is black, croffed with a white band : fome of the neck
feathers have white tips-: the fore part of the neck and breaft,
back, and wings, are of a dull brown: the upper part of the
belly white, with fome of the feathers tipped with black :. lower
part of the belly, vent, and thighs, pale yellowiftr brown: the
tail is black, croffed with four broad bands of- white : the knob
on the bill is yellow, as in the male-, but the bill, and legs are
afh-colour.
Inhabits Guiana, efpecially about Curaffow; and perhaps, on
further inveftigation, may prove a mere variety of the former
ones.
Crax.
'dm
GLOBOSE C.
D escription^
Female*.
PtACRo