1833.] THE AVESTPtUZ PETISE. 93 



■ ' ' ■■■ " ~ ■ I ■ I II 1.1- I ■ ■■ i^^i^ 



Fortunately the head, neck, legs, Avings, many of the larger 

 feathers, and a large part of the skin, had been preserved ; and 

 from these a very nearly perfect specimen has been put togetlier, 

 and is nou' exhibited in the museum of the Zoological Society. 

 Mr. Gould, in describing this new species, has done me the 

 honour of calling it after my name. 



Among the Patagonian Indians in the Strait of Magellan, \\q 

 found a half Indian, who had lived some years with the tribe, 

 but had been born in the northern provinces. I asked him if he 

 liad ever heard of the Avestruz Petise ? He answered by saying, 

 *' Why there are none others in these southern countries." He 

 informed me that the number of eggs in the nest of the petise 

 is considerably less than in that of the other kind, namely, not 

 more than fifteen on an average ; but he asserted that more than 

 one female deposited them. At Santa Cruz we saw several of 

 these birds. They were excessively wary : I think they could 

 see a person approaching when too far off to be distinguished 

 tliemselves. In ascending the river few Avere seen ; but in our 

 quiet and rapid descent, many, in pairs and by fours or fives, 

 were observed. It was remarked that this bird did not expand 

 its wings, wlien first starting at full speed, after the manner of 

 the northern kind. In conclusion I may observe, that the Stru- 

 thio rhea inhabits the country of La Plata as far as a little south 

 of the Rio Negro in lat. 41°, and that the Struthio Darwinii 

 takes its place in Southern Patagonia ; the part about the Eio 

 Negro being neutral territory. M. A. d'Orbigny,* when at the 

 Rio Negro, made great exertions to procure this bird, but never 

 Iiad the good fortune to succeed. DobrizhofFer | long ago was 

 aware of there being two kinds of ostriches ; he says, " You 

 must know, moreover, that Emus differ in size and habits in 

 different tracts of land ; for those that inhabit the plains of 

 Luenos Ayres and Tucuman are larger, and have black, white, 

 and gray feathers; those near to the Strait of Magellan are 

 smaller and more beautiful, for their white feathers are tipped 



* When at the Rio Negro, vre heard much of the indefatigable labours of 

 this naturalist. M. Alcide d'Orbigny, during the years 1825 to 1833, tra- 

 versed several large portions of South America, and has made a collection, 

 and is now publishing the results on a scale of magnificence, which at once 

 places himst'lf in the list of American travellers second only to Humboldt. 



t Account of the Abipones, a.d. 1749, vol. i. (English translation), p. 31-i. 



