BIEDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 31 



pass some low ridge, or if flushed on a high slope, drop to disappear 

 behind some shoulder. The wings beat rapidly for 15 or 20 strokes 

 and then are set for a short sail, to be followed by another series of 

 wing beats. The flight is swift but the birds are easily killed. 

 They usually offer quartering shots, and a slight wound at long 

 range is suflicient to bring them to ground when they may run a 

 short distance or may crouch with eyes half closed to await Avhat- 

 ever fate may overtake them. Occasionally one or two ran rapidly 

 away under cover of bushes, head and neck erect, and tail drooped 

 so that in form they resembled guinea fowl. Such birds frequently 

 gave a low whistled call cheef^ heard occasionally as they took wing. 

 During the warmer part of the day they spent much time in dust 

 baths in the shade of low bushes, presumably to rid themselves of 

 vermin. On two that I shot fresh from such baths, rows of mallo- 

 phaga occupied the slender feathers of the crest, apparently a refuge 

 from the dangers of asphyxia as the insects crawled down immedi- 

 ately into the head feathers of the dead bird. 



The call of this species, a low mournful whistle given slowly, that 

 may be represented as wheet whee whee was on the order of the more 

 musical note of the rufous-winged tinamou {Rhynchotus) , but with 

 far less carrying power. 



On the level flats above the stream bed of the Rio Negro, crested 

 tinamou were breeding, though those in the hills a few miles away 

 did not seem to be in pairs. In traversing the broad flats I saw their 

 tracks or occasionally had a glimpse of a gray form running rapidly 

 through the brush, but the cover of AtHphx and creosote bush was 

 dense, and it was seldom that the birds flushed. By careful stalking 

 it was possible to work close to whistling males, but I seldom saw 

 them. On December 3 I found a nest containing broken eggs and 

 later surprised an adult bird with several chicks. The parent flapped 

 away on its breast with beating wings to attract my attention, while 

 the young disappeared instantly. After careful search I located two 

 and was able to capture one though the other escaped. The grayish 

 color of the down on these tiny birds simulated that of the earth on 

 which they crouched so that it was difficult to single them out. They 

 lay motionless with head outstretched, but unlike young gallinaceous 

 birds slipped away to one side, when opportunity offered, to a new 

 hiding place. They remained under cover of the thorny bushes where 

 it was difficult to get at them and with crouching step ran from 

 cover to cover. On stopping they suddenly changed direction and 

 ran a few inches to one side, a maneuver executed so quickly that 

 it frequently eluded the eye. 



The dung of the adult birds is greenish in color and soft in con- 

 sistency with a very offensive odor. The crop and alimentary tract 

 of the chick taken was filled with what was unmistakably the ordure 



