CARI ACUS. [CEnvttl.r..] eARIAMA, or SARIAMA, the name by which the Palanedea cristata of Omelin, DieholopAus cristat us of Illiger, Micivelsetelits of Geoffroy, the Saris of the Guaranis of Paraguay, and the Scriema or Ceriema of the Brazilian natives, is known to the Portuguese colonists of Brazil.
Martvave, Piso, D'Azara, Geoffrey, and the Prince do Wied have entered into a detailed history of this bird, which has always attracted the notice of zoologists on account of the curious relations which its structure indicates to the Grallatores (Waders), the Galli:lemons birds, and even the Strodhionithr.
It is found in the great solitary mountain-plains, surrounded by the forests which extend over so large a proportion of Brazil, and where its sonorous voice often breaks the silence of the desert. It is also found in Paraguay, but is said to occur there more rarely. It feeds in a state of nature on lizards, insects, and molluscous animals, and not improbably small seeds occasionally.
The habits of the wild earituna are of the most retired description. A tenant of the vast solitudes that form its wide spreading Iforne, it flies from the face of man ; and being almost always on the watch is very difficult of approach. Stalking slowly on the plain its eye instantly notes the distant intruder, and after a moment's hesitation it decides either to stay or fly, according to the circumstances. Those who have had the best opportunities of observing them in their native wilds state that the hunters, though surrounded by these birds, cannot without considerable labour obtain them. As soon as the bird perceives that it is pursued, it sets of with great rapidity ; the .punmer follows on horseback, but it is not till after a ehnrp and tedious course, with all its turns and windings, that the eerie:no, wearied out, either crouches on the ground, or alights on some bush or tree. Till this happens the horseman in vain seeks for an oppor tunity to throw his lasso or pull his trigger.
But NVild as the bird is in its natural state it is easily domesticated, and will live sociably with the other tenants of the poultry-yard. In this state they will eat little pieces of meat, but are said to refuse maize, though it is probable that other kinds of grain may not be disagreeable to them. When thus tamed they will walk about the
hamlet or village where they have been brought up, and oven return after taking short trips in the fields like the poultry. The flesh is described as very good food ; the Brazilians however do not hunt it for the game-bag.
The nest is composed of dry sticks and branches, covered with cow dung, and placed upon a low or a moderately high tree. The eggs are generally two in number and white.
It has the neck covered with long loose barbed feathers, floating and silky upon the nape, somewhat like those of the bittern : when the bird is excited or frightened it can raise them. A light crest consisting of a few disunited feathers forma an ornamental tuft on the front, and advances upon the base of the bill, which it overshadows, reminding the observer of the crests of the Rupicohr (Cocks of the Rock) in its disposition. Space round the eyes naked, the nakedness, which is bluish, reaching to the bill. The upper eye-lid fringed with long dark eye-lashes. Feet long and slender, and the toes very short, whence Geoffroy's name. Tail rounded and of moderate length.
The general colour of the cariama is an earthy-brown on the upper parts, while the lower parts are whitish. All the neck-feathers are finely rayed with rignagn of darker brown than that which forms the general ground-colour of the plumage. The two middle feathers of the tail are brown : the others for the most part black, with white extremities, and marbled with black upon a white ground at their insertion. The wing-feathera are blackish and traversed by white bands dotted with blackish. There are delicate zigzags of a clear brown on the feathers of the front of the neck, the ground colour of theme feathers being whitish. The feathers of the breast and belly are longitudinally rayed with white In the direction of the shafts. The naked part of the leg, the feet, and the toes are of an orange-red. The bill, which is of a bright coral red in the adult, is blackish or marbled with black and reddish in the younger birds. The iris is yellow.