FAMILY TINAMIDAE 9 



buttressed roots. The location has been in heavy forest, with the site 

 protected by undergrowth so that it is aside from the more open 

 areas that would be traveled normally by predators. The nest sites 

 invariably were carefully sheltered so that it has been chance that has 

 brought them to my attention. Large dry leaves that have fallen be- 

 tween the roots are molded to line a depression 250 mm. in diameter 

 and about 75 mm. deep in the center. The parent sits close and flushes 

 only at near approach, rising then directly from the nest. Native 

 hunters say that it is always the male that incubates. On the two 

 occasions on which I have shot incubating birds as they roared off 

 on the wing they have been males. One killed two hours after sunrise 

 had the cloaca and lower end of the intestine for a distance of 8 

 centimeters packed with a bolus of feces almost 2^ cm. in diameter, 

 indicating that it had remained on the nest through the night. The 

 normal clutch seems to be 6 or 7 eggs. The shell of the egg is 

 smooth, with a porcelainlike sheen that reflects light, causing the 

 blue-green color to appear more brilliant than it really is. In fresh 

 eggs the yolk is colored dark orange. The chicks are active and 

 leave the nest within a day or so after hatching. As their wings 

 begin growth at once, the young are able to fly when no larger in 

 body than a brown robin. 



Usually this species is known as the perdis de area, though in the 

 eastern part of the Republic I have heard it called perdis de montana, 

 and in Bocas del Toro a common name is mountain hen. As one 

 explanation of the first of the names mentioned, I was told an attrac- 

 tive tale of local folklore. According to this, when the Rainbow of 

 Promise appeared in the sky following the Flood, the brilliant colors 

 so frightened the perdis that it flew out in terror from the company 

 of other birds in the Ark of Noah to shelter in the forest, where 

 it has remained hidden ever since ! 



The species ranges from southeastern Mexico through Central 

 America to western Ecuador, eastern Peru, northern Brazil, and 

 French Guiana. Four subspecies are found in Panama. In each of 

 these there are two color phases, one of which is grayer, and the 

 other more rufescent, a fact that needs to be borne in mind in 

 identifying specimens. 



In the measurements under subspecies, in this and in the other 

 species of the family, tail length has been omitted since the coverts 

 above and below are so intermingled with the rectrices that the correct 

 dimension may not be determined satisfactorily. 



