Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 21.djvu/703

Rh S E R S E R 677 Hilaire (Ann. du Museum, xiii. pp. 362-370, pi. 26), who had seen a specimen in the Lisbon museum ; and, though knowing it had already been received into scientific nomen- clature, he called it anew Microdactylus marcgravii. In 1811 Illiger, without having seen an example, renamed the genus Dicholophus a term which, as before stated (ORNITHOLOGY, vol. xviii. p. 46, note 1), has since been frequently applied to it placing it in the curious con- geries of forms having little affinity which he called Alec- torides. In the course of his travels in Brazil (1815-17), Prince Max of Wied met with this bird, and in 1823 there appeared from his pen (N. Act. Acad. L.-C. Nat. Curiosorum, xi. pt. 2, pp. 341-350, tab. xlv.) a very good contribution to its history, embellished by a faithful life-sized figure of its head. The same year Temminck figured it in the Planches Coloriees (No. 237). It is not easy to say when any example of the bird first came under the eyes of British ornithologists; but in the Zoological Proceedings for 1836 (pp. 29-32) Martin described the visceral and osteological anatomy of one which had been received alive the preceding year. 1 The Seriema, owing to its long legs and neck, stands some two feet or more in height, and in menageries bears itself with a stately deportment. Its bright red beak, the bare greenish blue skin surrounding its large yellow eyes, and the tufts of elongated feathers springing vertically from its lores, give it a pleasing and animated expression ; but its plumage generally is of an inconspicuous ochreous grey above and dull white beneath, the feathers of the upper parts, which on the neck and throat are long and loose, being barred by fine zigzag markings of dark brown, while those of the lower parts are more or less striped. The wing-quills are brownish black, banded with mottled white, and those of the tail, except the middle pair, which are wholly greyish brown, are banded with mottled white at the base and the tip, but dark brown for the rest of their length. The legs are red. The Seriema inhabits the campos or elevated open parts of Brazil, from the neighbourhood of Pernambuco to the Rio de la Plata, extending inland as far as Matto Grosso (long. 60), and occurring also, though sparsely, in Paraguay. It lives in the high grass, running away in a stooping posture to avoid discovery on being approached, and taking flight only at the utmost need. Yet it builds its nest in thick bushes or trees at about a man's height from the ground, therein laying two eggs, which Prof. Burmeister likens to those of the Land-Rail in colour. 2 The young are hatched fully covered with grey down, relieved by brown, and remain for some time in the nest. The food of the adult is almost exclusively animal, insects, especially large ants, snails, lizards, and snakes ; but it also eats certain large red berries. Until 1860 the Seriema was believed to be without any near relative in the living world of birds 3 ; but in the Zoological Pro- ceedings for that year (pp. 334-336) Dr Hartlaub described an allied species discovered by Prof. Burmeister in the territory of the Argentine Republic. 4 This bird, which has since been regarded as entitled to generic division under the name of Chunga burmeisteri (P.Z.S., 1870, p. 466, pi. xxxvi.), and seems to be known in its native country as the "Chunnia," differs from the Seriema by fre- quenting forest or at least bushy districts. It is also darker in colour, has less of the frontal crest, shorter legs, a longer tail, and the markings beneath take the form of bars rather than stripes. In other respects the difference between the two birds seems to be immaterial. There are few birds which have more exercised the tax- onomer than this, and the reason seems to be plain. The Seriema must be regarded as the not greatly modified heir of some very old type, such as one may fairly imagine to have lived before many of the existing groups of birds had 1 The skeleton has been briefly described and figured by Eyton (Osteol. Avium, p. 190, pis. 3, K, and 28 bis, fig. 1). 2 This distinguished author twice cites the figure given by Thiene- mann (Fortf>flanzungsgesch. gesammt. Vogel, pi. Ixxii. fig. 14) as though taken from a genuine specimen ; but little that can be called Ralline in character is observable therein. The same is to be said of an egg laid in captivity at Paris ; but a specimen in Mr Walter's pos- session undeniably shows it (cf. Proc. Zool. Society, 1881, p. 2). 3 A supposed fossil Cariama from the caves of Brazil, mentioned by Bonaparte (C.R., xliii. p. 779) and others, has since been shown by Reinhardt (Ibis, 1882, pp. 321-332) to rest upon the misinterpretation of certain bones, which the latter considers to have been those of a Rhea. 4 Near Tucuman and Catamarca (Burmeister, Reise durch die La Plata St'iaten, ii. p. 508). become differentiated. Looking at it in this light, we may be prepared to deal gently with the systematists Avho, having only the present before their eyes, have relegated it positively to this, that, or the other Order, Family, or other group of birds. There can be no doubt that some of its habits point to an alliance with the BUSTARD (vol. iv. p. 578) or perhaps certain Plovers (see PLOVER, vol. xix. p. 227), while its digestive organs are essentially, if not absolutely, those of the HERON (vol. xi. p. 760). Its general appearance recalls that of the SECRETARY-BIRD (supra, p. 617) ; but this, it must be admitted, may be merely an analogy and may indicate no affinity whatever. On the one hand we have authorities, starting from bases so op- posed as Prof. Parker (P.Z.S., 1863, p. 516) and Sundevall, placing it among the Accipitres, 5 while on the other we have Nitzsch, Prof. Burmeister, 6 Martin (ut supra], and Dr Gadow (Journ. f. Ornithologie, 1876, pp. 445, 446) declaring in effect that this view of its affinities cannot be taken. Prof. Huxley has expressed himself more cautiously, and, while remarking (P.Z.S., 1867, p. 455) that in its skull " the internasal septum is ossified to a very slight extent, and the maxillo-palatine processes may meet in the middle line, in both of which respects it approaches the birds of prey," adds that " the ossified part of the nasal septum does not unite below with the maxillo-palatines," and that in this respect it is unlike the Accipitres ; finally he declares (p. 457) that, as Otis connects the Geranomorphss with the Charadriomorphse, so Cariama connects the former with the Aetomorphie, "but it is a question whether these two genera may be better included in " the Geranomorphx, " or made types of separate groups." (A. N.) SERIES. A series is a set of terms considered as arranged in order. Usually the terms are or represent numerical magnitudes, and we are concerned with the sum of the series. The number of terms may be limited or without limit ; and we have thus the two theories, finite series and infinite series. The notions of convergency and divergency present themselves only in the latter theory. Finite Series. 1. Taking the terms to be numerical magnitudes, or say numbers, if there be a definite number of terms, then the sum of the series is nothing else than the number ob- tained by the addition of the terms ; e.g., 4 + 9 + 10 = 2 3, 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 15. In the first example there is no apparent law for the successive terms ; in the second example there is an apparent law. But it is important to notice that in neither case is there a determinate law : we can in an infinity of ways form series beginning with the apparently irregular succession of terms 4, 9, 10, or with the apparently regular succession of terms 1, 2, 4, 8. For instance, in the latter case we may have a series with the general term 2", when for n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . the series will be 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, . . ; or a series with the general 5 The author of vol. i. of the British Museum Catalogue of Birds even refers it to the Family Falconidae and sub- Family Polyborinse, though he regards the OSPREY (vol. xviii. p. 56) as the type of a dis- tinct sub-Order, thereby showing a want of penetration which it is difficult to excuse. Here it needs only be said that, whereas in a few points Pandion differs from the normal Falconidae, Cariama diverges in characters too numerous to mention. The suggestion that the Order Accipitres might be justifiably enlarged so as to include the Seriema has before (ORNITHOLOGY, vol. xviii. pp. 45, 46) met with conditional approval ; but that this remarkable and peculiar form should Jbe treated in the way just described indicates an amount of neglect of evidence hardly to be expected at the present day. 6 Nitzsch, as Prof. Burmeister states in his masterly contribution to the natural history of this bird (Abhandl. naturf. Oesellsch. Halle, i. pp. 1-68, pis. 1, 2), in 1834 saw a defective skeleton sent to Munich by the Brazilian travellers Spix and Martins. His description of it was not, however, published until 1853. To it is appended a description by Dr Creplin of some Entozoa found in the Seriema, but this unfortu- nately seems to give no help as to the systematic position of the bird.