The NACUNDA (_Podager nacunda_) has obtained its name from the unusual
size of its mouth, and may be regarded as the type of a South American
group, distinguished by their powerful body, very broad head, strong
beak, and thick plumage; their beak curves slightly downwards at its tip,
and the mouth is surrounded by a growth of very stiff, short bristles;
the nostrils are situated immediately above the upper mandibles. The
wings, in which the second and third quills exceed the rest in length,
are long and pointed; the short tail is composed of broad feathers and
slightly rounded at its tip. The legs are powerful, the tarsi long and
bare, the toes fleshy, and the nail of the middle toe serrated. The
plumage of the Nacunda on the upper part of the body is blackish brown,
marked with fine reddish yellow lines; the head is darker than the middle
of the back, and the region of the shoulder indicated by large blackish
brown spots. The tail-feathers exhibit six or eight dark lines, those of
the male being edged with white. The throat, cheek-stripes, and region of
the ear are reddish yellow, and slightly spotted; the belly, legs, lower
tail-covers, and a line which passes from ear to ear around the throat
are of a pure white; the breast is marked with undulating lines. The very
large eyes are light brown; the beak greyish brown, tipped with black;
the feet flesh-red, shaded with brownish grey. According to the Prince
von Wied, this species is about ten inches long and twenty-seven broad;
the wing measures eight inches and a quarter, and the tail two inches and
two-thirds. These birds are principally found upon the vast savannahs
of South America, where they usually frequent such parts as are covered
with brushwood; they are also constantly seen around the Indian villages,
and are called Chiangos by the natives. Unlike most of their congeners,
they are very social and active, carrying on the pursuit of the insects
upon which they subsist in broad daylight. The Prince von Wied assures
us that he only once saw any great number of them together, and that was
upon a large tract of land in the province of Bahia; they were flying
fearlessly around the horses and cattle, apparently enjoying the intense
heat of the sun, to which they were exposed. Schomburghk describes their
flight as equalling that of the Falcon in swiftness, and the movements
of their wings as resembling those of the Swallow. If disturbed, they
endeavour to conceal themselves from observation among the low grass,
and exhibit so much dexterity in evading pursuit, as to have given rise,
among the Indians, to the strange fancy that the Nacundas possess two
pairs of eyes. As night approaches, their melancholy cry is constantly
to be heard, as they sweep in large parties around the trees, or over
the fields, during their noisy and incessant pursuit of food. Burmeister
found a Nacunda's egg in some long grass under a bush; it was almost
cylindrical in form, the shell yellowish white, thickly marked with three
shades of brown. Azara states that this species lays two eggs.
* * * * *
The TWILIGHT NIGHT JARS (_Chordeiles_) are recognisable by their slender
body, short neck, and large head. Their wings, in which the second
quill exceeds the rest in length, are long and pointed. The tail is
short, formed of broad, powerful feathers, and more or less forked at
its extremity; the legs are smooth, and the toes short; the centre toe
being armed with a very decidedly hooked and serrated claw. Their plumage
is thick, composed of small feathers, and is brighter in hue and more
distinctly marked than that of most of their congeners.