SPOTTED TINAMU 223 
SPOTTED TINAMU 
Nothura maculosa 
Above pale yellowish brown, barred with black and brown and 
streaked with fulvous white; wing-feathers ashy black, crossed on 
both webs by fulvous bands; beneath rich yellowish brown ; throat 
white ; breast and flanks spotted and banded with brownish black ; 
bill and feet yellowish brown; length 11, wing 5.5 inches. Female 
similar, but larger. 
THE Perdiz comin or Common Partridge of the 
pampas, as it is always called—the naturalist’s name 
of Tinamu being utterly unknown in the southern 
part of South America—is much smaller than the 
Perdiz grande, but in its form, slender curved beak, 
bare legs, and in the yellowish mottled plumage, 
generally resembles it. It also inhabits the same 
kind of open grassy country, and is abundant every- 
where on the pampas and as far south as the valley 
of the Rio Negro in Patagonia. It is solitary; but a 
number of individuals are usually found in proxi- 
mity; and in lonely places on the pampas, where 
they are excessively abundant, I have seen three 
or four meet together and play in the manner of 
kittens, darting out from a place of concealment 
at each other, the pursued bird always escaping by 
turning off at right angles or by suddenly crouching 
down and allowing the pursuer to spring over it. 
It is very tame in disposition, and flies so reluc- 
tantly that it is not necessary to shoot them where 
they are very abundant, as any number can be 
killed with a long whip or stick. It moves on the 
