CRAX, in ornithology, the curassou, a genus of birds, belonging to the order of gallinæ. The base of the beak of each mandible is covered with wax; and the feathers of the head are curled. There are five species, viz. 1. The alecator, or Indian hen of Sloane, is about the size of a small turkey. It is black, with a white belly. A yellow wax covers about one half of each mandible; the tongue is entire; the temples are bare and black; the tail is roundish, and consists of 14 prime feathers; the legs are strong, and of a dusky brown colour. They are frequent at Guiana; and are called powwse by the natives from their cry, which is somewhat similar; are pretty numerous in the woods, and make no small part of the food of the planters, being supplied therewith by the Indian hunters; and their flesh is reckoned delicate, much like that of a turkey. They are easily brought up tame, and are frequently found in the Dutch settlements of Berbice, Essequibo, and Demerary. They are called at Brasil by the name of curasso. It is found in the warm parts of America. 2. The rubra, or Peruvian hen, is red, with a bluish head: it is a native of Peru. These birds are natives of Mexico Plate CLI.
and Peru. They feed on fruits, and perch of nights on trees: the flesh is white; and esteemed very good food. They are frequently kept tame in our menageries in England, and readily mix with other poultry, feeding on bread and grain; but this climate is not near warm enough for their nature, they not being able to bear the dampness of the grass of our meadows, which renders them subject to have their toes rot off. They will often live in this state some time; and in one instance which Mr Latham saw, the whole of one foot was gone, and but part of one toe left on the other, before the creature died. 3. The mitu, or Brazilian pheasant, is black, with a dusky belly, and red wax: it is a native of Guinea and Brazil. 4. The globicera, has a yellow protuberance between the nostrils, and is of a bluish-black colour: it is likewise a native of Brazil. 5. The pauxi, or Mexican pheasant of Brissonius, is of a bluish colour, with blue wax, and the tip of the tail and belly white: it is a native of Mexico.