752 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I ZOOLOGY. 



the sound proceeds, in hopes of seeing its author, and if he endeavour, 

 by beating the bush, to drive it out, his chance of success will be still 

 smaller. At other times, by standing quietly within the forest, the giiid- 

 gitid will fearlessly hop close to him, and will stand on the trunk of some 

 dead tree, with its tail erect, and strange figure full in view. It feeds ex- 

 clusively on the ground, in the thickest and most entangled parts of the 

 forest. It rarely takes wing, and then only for short distances. It has 

 the power of hopping quickly and with great vigour; when thus awk- 

 wardly proceeding, it carries its short tail in a nearly erect position. I 

 was informed that the giiid-guid builds a nest amongst rotten sticks, close 

 to the ground." (Voyage of Beagle, Birds, pp. 70-71, 1841.) 



Cunningham found it at Gray Harbor, Wellington Island, and says: 

 "It was observed both in the Gulf of Penas and at Halt Bay in the course 

 of a former survey. With its little wings, long body-feathers, short tail, 

 and great legs and feet, it presents a most grotesque appearance." (Nat. 

 Hist. Str. Magell, 1871, pp. 347-348.) 



A. A. Lane says of this species in the Chilian forest: "On first en- 

 countering them at Maquegua I spent hours waiting in their haunts with 

 scarcely any success, and used to sit in the qidla all day, with my gun 

 ready, without even getting a view, although I frequently heard them in 

 close proximity. Their most characteristic song is a series of descending 

 notes on a chromatic scale, which appears to be the same as that of the 

 'Turco' in the central provinces. I thought at first it was the same bird, 

 as it is equally remarkable for the force and distinctness with which the 

 song is uttered. It also gives a weird cackle, somewhat like the sounds 

 produced by Pteroptochus rnbecida, but harsher and more rapidly uttered. 

 The first time I heard this note I was crossing a steep qiiebrada in the 

 dusk, and whilst climbing by means of the shrubs the call resounded 

 abruptly about a few yards off, causing me the most complete amaze- 

 ment, as I could not understand any living creature, unless of consider- 

 able size, making such a noise; and although I examined the place in- 

 tently, and listened carefully, I could get no trace of the individual, and 

 I felt convinced, if of the size I imagined, it could not thus get away with- 

 out my knowing; so I was much perplexed until I found out the owner 

 of this mysterious voice. 



"It has another note (one of alarm), which more resembles the cluck 

 of a hen, pronounced abruptly and intermittently. When the habits of 



