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 n, wing 5.5 inches. Female 

 similar, but larger. 



THE Perdiz comti.n 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 



