T1NAMHXE. 



This species, called Perdiz chico by the natives, is somewhat smaller 

 and paler in colouring than the common Tinamou of the pampas, but 

 very closely resembles the young of that species. It inhabits Patagonia, 

 and is nowhere very numerous, but appears to be thinly and equally 

 distributed on the dry sterile plains of that region, preferring places 

 abounding in thin scrub. In disposition it is extremely shy, and when 

 approached springs up at a distance ahead and runs away with the 

 greatest speed and apparently much terrified. Sometimes when thus 

 running it utters short whistled notes like the allied species. It rises 

 more readily and with less noise than the pampas bird, and has a much 

 higher flight. It has one call-note, heard only in the love-season a 

 succession of short whistling notes, like those of the N. maculosa, but 

 without the rapidly uttered conclusion. 



The nest is made under a small scrubby bush, and contains from five 

 to seven eggs, in form and colour like those of N. maculosa, except that 

 the reddish-purple tint is paler. 



The figure (Plate XX.) is taken from one of my specimens from the 

 Rio Negro, now in the British Museum. 



432. CALODROMAS ELEGANS (d'Orb. et Geoff.). 

 (MARTINETA TINAMOU.) 



Eudromia elegans, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 498 (San Luis, Mendoza) ; 

 Scl P.Z.S. 1872, p. 545 (Rio Negro). Calodromas elegans, Scl. et 

 Salv. Xomencl. p. 153 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 45 (Chupat), et 1878, p. 406 

 (Centr. Patagonia) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 318 (Bahia Blanca). 



Description. Above densely banded and spotted with black and pale fulvous; 

 head cinereous, with black striations ; a long recurved vertical crest of black 

 feathers, partly edged with cinereous ; two lateral stripes on the hed above 

 and beneath the eye and throat cinnamomeous white : beneath pale cinna- 

 momeous, breast with numerous black cross bars and black shaft-spots ; belly, 

 flanks, and under tail-coverts with broad black cross bands ; wings ashy black, 

 with numerous cross bands of pale cinnamomeous ; bill blackish : feet bluish 

 grey : whole length 14-5 inches, wing 8'3, tail 3'0. Female similar. 



Hab. Northern Patagonia and Western Argentina. 



This fine game bird in its size and mottled plumage resembles the 

 Rhynchotus rufescens of the pampas, which it represents in the Pata- 

 gonian district south of the Rio Colorado. It differs externally in the 

 more earthy hue of its plumage, which is protective and harmonizes 

 admirably with the colour of its sterile surroundings ; also in having a 

 shorter beak, and in being adorned with a long slender black crest, 

 which, when excited, the bird carries directed forwards like a horn. 

 There is, however, an anatomical difference, which seems to show that 



