gizzard (as well as in that of the males) a brown stone, the size of a
hen's egg; it is slightly tuberculated (raboteuse), flat on one side,
and rounded on the other, very heavy and very hard. We imagined that
this stone was born with them, because, however young they might be,
they always had it, and never more than one; and besides this
circumstance, the canal which passes from the crop to the gizzard, is
by one-half too small to give passage to such a mass. We used them, in
preference to any other stone, to sharpen our knives.

"When these birds set about building their nests, they choose a clear
spot, and raise it a foot and a half off the ground, upon a heap of
leaves of the palm tree, which they collect together for the purpose.
They only lay one egg, which is very much larger than that of a goose.
The male and female sit by turns, and it does not hatch until after a
period of seven weeks. During the whole period of incubation, or that
they are rearing their young one, which is not capable of providing
for itself until after several months, they will not suffer any bird
of their own kind to approach within 200 paces of their nest; and what
is very singular is, that the male never chases away the females;
only, when he perceives one, he makes, in whirling, his ordinary
noise, to call his companion, which immediately comes and gives chase
to the stranger, and which she does not quit until driven without
their limits. The female does the same and allows the males to be
driven off by her mate. This is a circumstance that we so often
witnessed, that I speak of it with certainty. These combats last
sometimes for a long time, because the stranger only turns off,
without going in a straight line from the nest; nevertheless, the
others never quit until they have chased them away."[17]

[17] Voyage de François Leguat, Gentilhomme, Bressan, 1708.