frg iuA e Rails, in this With Spix*
Illiger, and fLichtenstèln, wç^tt first Wronged it ; and finding the
genus Jlramus a lreM ^ hropesed for it b y -Vi||Rot,’wiftjipgAs we
are to Mmifdf to tM ^ a n k ,;pfe^dp irot hesÿate j, iSippem to.adppt*
Ms naine, and although weAnrast acknowledge ourselves equally
unable with Dr.* Waglev to explain me1* meaning or etonology qf
the5 word, ;we ^®o_ not thM p thisrany reason why we should, with
t f e (Serman ornithologist,. apply to ttiis bird a n eweompJhnd
signifying Spurious Heron.
It wasMsupposedAthat Mouth America ffiight 5furnish iis with a
second species of ;CourIan,*bift i# being now a weft ascertained
fact that the Carau of d’Azara is the same as tjbê Guorauna qf
Mlarcgrave, the bird must stand alone in hisi^pius uifhss new
discoveries shalP supply him with a epmpanicm.-^Thil? being
Settled, we shall proceed to give « minuté- déscrîptioh,, that will
thérëfore comprehend both its generic and specific characters.
Although there can he fio doubt that.our bird is the Guaraûna
-of Mmégrafe, M w^Æ^be ^m m ittin g a greut error to take it for
the Sèolop'ax, (or JYumenius) GîiaraunÊ of systematical writers,4 that
being avfery different bird, a species of genuine Ibis, whfilh they ,
ought to, plaee mmer* their 'and which has nothing^n
common with our bmiî except a somewhat sinplar speckled
appearance, the only source of all this confusion. '
Instituting a* genus, for-this bird does not howeyer decide the
question wherwife ought to he. placed, for it may^till be inquired,
in what p a rt of -the system, shall we arrange the genus. £Fh©
read,cc cannot#fail to be surprised that We, who made a species
%f Rail of the same bird, .should place^B, a s, a genus, in a very
distant family. But this is the result of more maturdHpefl^tign,
and hoWeveV Apparently remote iSay appear to bé a#^r«Mg|gafe
the two families MaMidâfà&à. J10eicke; we hâve alrdüly seen that
the subgenus Afefeo/o claims some* analogy Wifti tne forhierj and
SCOLÖPÄCEOUS COURLAN. 113
the Jlramus forms- a stift be%er and'closer link. It was principally
ph ,aPe|i||ut of Whe’^ re a tly compBfss^d form of its body that We
palled it a Rail? and, upon well examining the singular form of its
bill, which is not observed in any other birdv>eVery 'ornithologist
will'be satisfied .of the propriety of the" course*, we have finally
ad<tptV®k; We „hate no hesitation in .placing it in the Jlrdeidse,
where i t , is, ejninCntly distinguished froin all its fellow'genera
h p its tods efoft $p'the hasq and 'entirely separated^ Together,
with Eiirypyga, it aberrates ^Somewhat towards the Scolopaoidse,
whilst by the manner of insertion of its hind toe, it tends a little
towards the Psophidae,. subfamily Gruinse, -^Cuvier even going so far
to make it a, genuine Gn/s,) und claims again a well-founded
resemblap.ee to the most typical form of the genus Eallus.
rjfcThe Seolppaceous Courlan inhabits principally Cayenne, Brasil,
and Paraguay, where it is rather common: it is numerous in the
island of Cuba, and other* warm parts .of America. In the’XJnited
States, Florida appears „to, beiyit-S most natural residence, and a
few "instances • haSfC .Occurred of its, visiting the middle states*.
The Qqurlan* leads a solitary life,-or at most keep? in. pairs ^
night and day. they cry out in a fond, sonordu?, and resounding
voice, Carau! being in the full sense,qf the word a Crying-bird:
its chief, food is mollppca,. and other aquatic animals, and even
foogs; but notsnakes, nor, fishes: ^ben frightened they move their
tail. Like all'solitary and reserved characters,lyfhis, bird is
remarkably shy :* it carefully hides itself, but as.soon as aware of
being discqyered it starts rapidly, jto a great elevation,, its flight
being long continued: they walk also with great agility, but.never“
willinglygsvade into the wajpt; they a ligbtonthe very summit of
^eeA: theybuild in the g r a ^ n e a r stagnant water, concealing
th e ir, nest .with much a r t :. they lay but two eggs: the young
•follow their parents soon after they are hatched^ mid are covered
with blackish, down, the th.roat onlylbeing whitish,
vou- 'iv*-'—r f