CHAPTER XV 



THE WAYS OF TINAMOU 



Some day an entire volume will be written about these 

 birds and every word of it will be fascinating reading. For 

 they are surcharged with exciting and unexpected habits and 

 ways of life. Their appearance and voice, roosting, flight, 

 nesting and courtship all are unexpected, often inexplic- 

 able, always thoroughly absorbing. They have somewhat 

 the appearance of bob-tailed partridges and in the tropical 

 jungles almost usurp the place of the quail, partridges and 

 grouse of our northern forests. For these latter birds are 

 of true northern origin and the scattering of forms which 

 have made their way thus far to the south are only hardy 

 pioneers, of small size and laying but few eggs, barely hold- 

 ing their own among the intensive dangers of this region. 



The tinamou are the dominant ground birds of the 

 Guiana jungles. They are so specialized for a terrestrial 

 life that they have unshipped their feathery rudder their 

 tail-feathers have softened, shortened and merged with the 

 rest of the body plumage. Their flight is thus direct, and 

 is seldom sustained over fifty yards. 



By squatting at the sign of danger they unconsciously 

 offer conclusive proof of the concealing character of their 

 garb of browns and greys. At a nearer approach they boom 

 up into the dim air of the mid- jungle, hurling themselves 

 off through the trees with an astounding roar of wings', and 

 then scaling on a long, slowly descending slant, to the 

 ground far beyond view. 



In physical make-up they are dual or triple personali- 

 ties, for they are fowls or pheasant-like from some angles 

 and quite ostrich-like from others. To scientists, tinamou 

 are as yet the most casual of acquaintances. We know only 



