24 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS '. ZOOLOGY. 



The naturalists of the Princeton Expeditions did not meet with the 

 spotted Tinamou. The description given is based on a pair obtained in the 

 Province of Buenos Ayres through the courtesy of the Museo de La Plata, 

 and also on the fine series in the British Museum of Natural History. 



The spotted Tinamou is included in the fauna of Patagonia on the 

 strength of Hudson's observations on the Rio Negro, detailed in the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1872, on pages 547 and 

 548. A summary is here appended with Dr. Sclater's comment as it 

 occurs in the text. Mr. Hudson writes: "You will, perhaps, have doubt 

 about this bird being a new species ; so great is its resemblance to the Perdiz 

 comun \i. e., Nothura maculosa (Temm.) P. L. S.], the Lesser Partridge, 

 common everywhere on the Pampas. After arriving in Patagonia, I was 

 told by several persons residing there that there were two species of small 

 Partridge ; one I found to be the Perdiz comun of Buenos Ayres, which 

 frequents only the valley of the Rio Negro; the other was the smaller 

 species, of which I send you several examples, and found only on the 

 high tablelands. The adults of the last species resemble the young of 

 the former; and after having observed them for several months, I am 

 satisfied that they are not identical, nor varieties ; for they differ not only 

 in size and coloring, but in habits. 



"I would far sooner consider the Progne chalybea and P. piirpurea, 

 identical in size, language, and habits as these birds are, one species, than 

 Perdiz chico and Perdiz comun. I will speak first of the Perdiz comun. 

 This bird, so abundant everywhere on the Pampas closely resembles, in 

 all its habits, the Perdiz grande, living entirely amongst grass, as the Rail 

 does amongst reeds ; they are seen singly ; but a number of individuals 

 are usually seen in proximity. They are tame in disposition, and move 

 in a leisurely manner, uttering as they walk or run a succession of soft 

 whistling notes. When numerous it is unnecessary to 'shoot them, as any 

 number can be killed with a long whip or stick. This species has two 

 distinct songs or calls, pleasing to the ear and heard all the year round ; 

 one is a succession of twenty or thirty short, impressive notes of great 

 compass, and ended by half a dozen rapidly uttered notes, beginning loud, 

 and sinking lower till they cease ; the other call is a soft continuous trill, 

 appearing to swell mysteriously in the air; for the hearer cannot tell 

 whence it proceeds ; it lasts several seconds, then seems gradually to die 

 away. 



