Zoological Illustrations Series II/Plate 107



Body thick. Bill very short, strong, thick, nearly triangular, but the sides compressed, surrounded by long, stiff, bristly feathers, the culmen arched from the base. Wings very convex, the quills graduated; tail very broad, feet short, weak, gressorial.

We have already given the general reader some account of the manners of these very singular birds, and we have said more upon them in ''North. Zool. Vol. 2''. Having figured the male on our 82nd plate, we now exhibit, in the female, that remarkable difference between the sexes, which pervades all the species. Our figure and specific character renders a detailed description of the plumage unnecessary; it should be observed, however, that the lateral tail feathers, in the female, are without those two black transverse bands on the inner web, towards the tip, which are so conspicuous in the male. There is another species from Mexico, which country seems to be the most northern range of these birds. We feel gratified at being able to characterize four typical forms of the genus; all of which, at the same time, are marked by geographic peculiarities.