4- V7/f i'licai ThuDuou. 



The Great Tinamou. 



( Ukynckotus rufescens.) 



By VV. Siiork Bailv. 



The " I'erdiz graiule "" or (jreal I'artiidgc is one of the 

 hirgest of the South American s^anie birds, and if one rules out 

 the Curassows, (iuans and Waterfowl it is certainly at the top 

 for size. It is not by any means a bad sporting; bird, as it lies 

 well, and when flushed has a stronj^' and rapid flight. As a 

 table bird it is not to be despised, being about the size of a hen 

 pheasant. 



The sexes are alike, and, although I have had my pair 

 of birds under close observation for the last twehe months 1 

 am still unable to sex them. 



They are interesting birds in an a\iary, as their habits are 

 so different from those of most of tlie other lairds one usually 

 keeps. They are solitary birds, and si)end a good deal of their 

 time hiding in clumps of grass and other co\er, usually as far 

 away from each other as it is possible to get. Tlieir neutral 

 colour makes it dif^cult to see them, even when crouched in 

 very short cover, and 1 have, on more than one occasion, almost 

 stepped on one of them. When this hap]:)ens they rise 

 straight up with a tremendous wliirr. louder. I think, than that 

 of a cock pheasant flushed under similar circinnstances. 



Early in the spring one of them, presumably the cock, 

 commenced to sing, if song it can be called, and shortly after- 

 wards 1 found that the hen had scraped out a hollow in a clumj) 

 of grass, and had laid four eggs. It appears from Hudson's 

 book that the cock sits, and. as from the time of commencement 

 of incubation the male's song had ceased, this is probably 

 correct. 1 allowed the bird to sit for a couple of weeks, when 

 on testing the eggs T foimd them to be infertile. I'robably ;i 

 spell of easterly winds about the time the hen w.'is laying- had 

 something to do with this. .\s soon as the eggs were removed 

 the cock again started singing, and the hen was soon again 

 sitting in the same clump of grass. .After allowing the bird 

 to sit for a week or two, 1 removed the eggs, which this time 

 were Ave in number, to a broody hen, and. whil^' I was away 

 for a few days' holidav, three chicks were brought off. Unfor- 



