The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-12-19

ton, has an important exempIification
here. since in the course of embryonic
development foot appears in state
morphologically finished, indicating its
purpose by the well-developed toes.
each terminated by long, well-devel--
oped claw. Then the developmental
activities were modified, and, instead of
a foot, a wing is the final post-natal re-
suit. The natives call the bird cigana
(gypsy). 1t has been long known to
science under the name opisthocoma
cristata.
THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF ITS GENUS.
An adult specimen, in size and gen.
eral appearance. when inactive. re-
minds one of pheasant, but it bears,
really, no near relation to the pleas
ant; in fact, it has no near relatives
living, being the sole survivor OF its
genus, its family, its order, an order OF
which biologists have found numerous
representatives in fossil state.
Its geographical range is quite linn
tied, it being found only about the
estuary of the Amazon and mouths OF
its lower tributaries. 1t is gregarious.
I rarely found fewer than half-dozen
together Its habitat is peculiar, and
is for the most part limited to single
species of plant. This plant-called by
the natives aninga-is tall, semi
aquatic aroid. 1t has large, heart
shaped leaves, calla-like flowers and
pineapple-like fruit. 1t varies in height
to twenty feet, averaging about eight.
1t grows in denses masses on the low,
fat, muddy margins of the islands,
and bordering the water-courses fire.
quently stands many yards out in the
muddy shadows.
FURTHER PEcULIARITIEs.
never saw it alight upon the ground,
and though the amiga leaf is a frail
and yielding perch the bird seems to
prefer it to all others. They build nests
Of twigs and other coarse vegetable
matter in the amiga tops. the low,
overhanging branches of trees, or
matted vines. Only on rare occasions,
| as when one is tormented beyond en-
durance by its fellows, does the cigana
venture into the forest, and then
not so far but few strokes of its wings
will place its feet on the yielding,
swinging amiga leaf again, where it
rests its breastboone on the perch and
Kisses, awkwardly totterting with out
spread wings and tail, till the amiga
ceases swinging. The habit of steady
ing itself on its perch by squatting upon
its breastbone has caused thickening, a
piling up of epidermal tissue in a hard
callosity, which is anchylosed to the
bone so firmly that in SHINING it must
be broken off or separated with a stout
cartilage knife. This seems to imply a
long association of the cigana and
amiga. The bird is so much of the
time on the amiga that even when at
rest on other perches it is rarely seen
erect. / have not seen it fly further
than across a narrow stream, from one
amiga hedge to another. 1t is quarrel
some, and when its pugnacity is man.
| ifested its pheasant-like appearance
| vanishes and it resembles no other bind.
1t erects its sparsely-plumed crest, and,
awkwardly Hopping its wings, while
trying to keep its equilibrium on the
unstable perch, it throws its neck into
contortions, as though it were choking,
menacing in a ludicrously awkward
manner its fellow, which is having
equal difficulty in retaining its equili-
brium while retaliating from the swing
ing leaf of a neighboring amiga.
While the birds are thus strangely
gesticulating, the noise of their flap
ping wings is accompanied with kissing,
grunting and shrieking.
There are times of general uprising.
1 fhn Ind vrtf
these quarreling birds make jargon in
describable and demoniacal. Then,
| again, they utter most doleful sounds,
as though they were suddenly moved
to mourning for all the extinct opis-
thocomidH.
Such periods of extreme demonstra-
ton occur usually in the night, and
such is the similarity of some of these
sounds to those of jaguar, that, upon
being awakened from sound sleep, even
after hearing them daily for many
months, have held my gun in readi-
ness until other and characteristic
sounds would follow, identifying the
alarming cries with the cigana.
The cries of this bird would seem a.
unbecoming in a typical bird as would
its transient four-clawed feet or as the
process of egg-laying would in typical
mammal.
IMPORTANCE OF THE DISCOVERY.
1t is another answer to those remain
ing unbelievers in evolution demanding
connecting links" and if their desire
for investigating be strong enough,
they may, by padding their dug-oui
into the river hedges Of amiga Of the
lower Amazons, look upon, as the
writer did, these transitory dysteleo-
logical members of the quadrupted
bird, may witness the wonderful meta.
morphosis from a quadrupted wingless
to biped-winged bird. Chicago Tn.
's"e' -