The weekly Arizonian., 1859-05-26
A WEEKLY PAPER,
-. T k R N S:
The Quelili, a rare Bird of Sonora.


 Mr. A. S. Taylor, of Monterey, communicates to the San Francisco Herald detailed account of very rare bird, believed to be unknown to naturalists, found in Sonora. Mr. Taylor has collected great variety of information respect ing this singular bird, (whose existence is we'll authenticated) portion of which we extract Mr. Taylor says:
 From the description of three of our friends we are placed in possession of some curious facts relating to the habits and characteristics of this rare and strange bird-a member of Ithe con1or or sarcopagous family ot Dunn 'eril, which we have uot been able to find de- scribed or alluded to in any of the books on natural history in our possession, and 1t may be 1t is species unknown to naturalists. .- An intelligent Sonoranisn of Oquitoa, near Altar in Sonora, who resided in California sev- eral years, gave me the following facts at Mon terey in November and December, 1855, in re- Jlation to this curious bird It inhahts particu- \larly the Pinisria, Altar and Baja, the Papago- ria, the Opstaria, the Apacharia and other h. dian and little known mountain districts of So- mora, Durango and Sinaloa to the east and lsouth, and it is very rare even in these coun- ,4ries It is called Queleli by the Papago Indi- (ans, who have & great veneratlon for 1t. It's weight is from 8 to 10 pounds. The beak is Shard anl curved sharply dewn--its color bright flemon--the iris of the eye pink or light red. tOn the crown of the head it has heshy carbun- ,fcle or comb of black and white, which forms like cravat, and also hangs on both sides of the head, aad which is bare of feathers; the skin of the chops or cheeks is mottled black and white; the neck feathers are black with a ring of white feathers below, forming ruff like a circle of swansdown on lady's tippet the back is striped black and white lengthwise ofthe bird the upper part of the wings is also striped with black and white; the ends of the wing feathers are tipped white the tail feath CTS are striped and tipped the same way as the wings; the under surface of the wings are bar red also the wings measure from l2 to Is inches long from the joint at the body. The chest, belly, and lower part of the body are O lemon color the legs and feet are also yellow with four toes, armed with sharp black claws. The female bird is of smaller size, the colo similar, but more subdued The eggs are red dish and mottled black, sharply peaked, anC weigh about two ounces They make their nest in the highest trees of the mountain sides anC ,peaks, and always go in couples, and never il Hocks When they rise from the ground the, make whirring, rushing noise, moving yer, fast they very rare throughout Sonora, & my informant states, and extremely difficult t take They raise two young in year. gener ally male ana Iemaiei when young, tner plum ageis yellow, black and white. When full growr birds are about the size of the common turke, buzzard In six-months the young begin t Hv--the female lay their eggs in the spring. = They are seen at times turning over and over, il the air in quick motions, from whence the In dians have superstition that they breed in tn air. 1 The Indians also say that the male birt breaks the egg to let the chick out
 They eat dead animals or those lately killed The tongue is red, and has a s..inous process oI its under part, shaped like pen, and said h. the Indians to be used in making a loud, whir ring noise when it rises from the ground The eat very fast, and all other carnverous bird hold it in :rcat fear, Nv informant aforesaid who has travelled throughout Sonora, and see it in different localities, says 1t is most abundan in the Alta Pimeria, of which the Gadsden pun chase forms portiono29 lo- c.r. .,.,o... a.-a But the most singular part of the bird, an which makes it such wonder among the Sonc ranians, is that it has -four Oings, or appends ges, used for assisting flight, on each side of ii