296 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



of this bird, baffles any attempt to give a descrip- 

 tion of the distribution of them which would be 

 satisfactory to the reader. 



There is something remarkable in the great 

 Tinamou, which I suspect has hitherto escaped 

 notice. It invariably roosts in trees ; but the feet 

 are so small in proportion to the body of this 

 bulky bird, that they can be of no use to it in 

 grasping the branch; and, moreover, the hind 

 toe is so short, that it does not touch the ground 

 when the bird is walking. The back part of the 

 leg, just below the knee, is quite fiat, and some- 

 what concave. On it are strong pointed scales, 

 which are very rough, and catch your finger as 

 you move it along from the knee to the toe. 

 Now, by means of these scales, and the particular 

 flatness of that part of the leg, the bird is enabled 

 to sleep in safety upon the branch of a tree. 



At the close of day the great tinamou gives a 

 loud, monotonous, plaintive whistle, and then im- 

 mediately springs into the tree. By the light of 

 the full moon, the vigilant and cautious naturalist 

 may see him sitting in the position already de- 

 scribed. 



The small Tinamou has nothing that can be 

 called a tail. It never lays more than one egg, 

 which is of a chocolate colour. It makes no 

 nests, but merely scratches a little hollow in the 

 sand, generally at the foot of a tree. 



Here we have an instance of a bird, the size of 

 a partridge, and of the same tribe, laying only 

 one egg, while the rest of the family, from the 

 peahen to the quail, are known to lay a consid- 

 erable number. The foot of this bird is very 



