62 
sisting, and when on its legs occasionally ran for a short distance, 
but often fell, apparently from want of strength to move the large 
and heavy bones of its legs properly. It constantly endeavoured to 
approach the camp fire, and it was a matter of some difficulty to 
keep it from a dangerous proximity to it. Its ery of ‘ ¢ching- 
tching’ was often uttered during the day time, as if recalling 
the parent bird; and when this call was answered by its keeper, 
feigning the note ‘ bullen-bullen,’ the native name for the Lyre bird, 
and which is an imitation of the old birds’ ery, it followed the voice 
at once, and was easily led away by it. It soon became very tame, 
and was exceedingly voracious, refusing no kind of food, but standing 
ready with widely gaping bill awaiting the approaching hand which 
held the food, consisting principally of worms and the larvee of ants, 
commonly called ‘ants’ eggs;’ but it did not refuse bits of meat, 
bread, &e. Occasionally it picked up ants’ eggs from the ground, 
but was never able to swallow them, the muscles of the neck not 
having acquired sufficient power to effect the required jerk and throw- 
ing back of the head; it rarely, if ever, partook of water. It re- 
posed in a nest made of moss and lined with opossum skin, where it 
appeared to be quite content ; while asleep, the head was covered by 
_ one of the wings. When called ‘ dullen-bullen,’ it awoke, looked for 
several seconds at the disturber, soon put its head under the wing 
again, and took no notice whatever of other sounds or voices. That 
the young Menura remains for a long time in the nest is proved by 
the manner in which it disposes of its droppings : our young captive 
always went backwards before dropping its dung, as if to avoid soil- 
ing the nest. It is probable that it leaves the nest in the day time 
when the warmth of the weather invites it so to du, but that during 
the night it remains in the nest; and if the weather should become 
cold the mother shelters her young, the nest being large enough to 
contain both.” 
5. DescripTIon oF A New Species or AMERICAN PARTRIDGE. 
By Joun Gouxp, Esa., F.R.S., ere. 
EvrsycHorRTYxX HYPOLEUCUS, Gould. 
Forehead, stripe over each eye, throat and under surface creamy 
white, head and short crest reddish-brown, minutely freckled with 
darker brown; round the back of the neck a series of dark brown 
feathers, tinted with rufous and spotted with creamy-white ; general 
tint of the upper surface grey, mottled and finely freckled with rufous ; 
the centre of the back marked with large blotches of black; wing- 
feathers freckled with black, and barred on their outer webs with 
black bounded posteriorly with white ; tertiaries bordered with buff, 
lower part of the flanks and under tail-coverts dark brown spotted 
with white ; tail brown, crossed by narrow, irregular, freckled, grey 
bars ; bill black ; feet light brown. 
Total length, 7°5 inches ; bill, 0°5 ; wing, 4-1; tail, 2°4; tarsi, 1°2. 
Hab. Acajutla in Mexico. 
