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Little Chachalaca (mounted taxidermy)

Object Status:

Extant

Accession Date:

By 1799

Notes:

"Paraka" is a common German name for this species. Peale did not specify the origin of the specimen described in his lecture, but it seems likely to be Cayenne, French Guiana, a major South American trade center in the 18th century. In 1793, Raphaelle Peale (1774-1825) travelled to Cayenne to collect specimens for Peale's Museum. However, to the editor's (MRH) knowledge, there is no detailed inventory of the specimens he brought back, and there are many examples of specimens from northern South America that were donated by other people. For more discussion about Raphaelle's travels, see Lillian B. Miller, 1993, "Father and Son: The Relationship of Charles Willson Peale and Raphaelle Peale", The American Art Journal 25: 4-161. / https://doi.org/10.2307/1594599

Specimen Type:

Dead/preserved

Current Common Name:

Little Chachalaca

Current Scientific Name

Cracidae | Ortalis motmot