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on the Bfeeding in Captivity of the Tatafipa Tinamou. 289


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and a fourth was left dead in the nest, the fifth egg being addled.

All three are well and strong as I write (July 8th).


I cannot understand why the fourth chick was dead, for it

was right in the nest, and could not therefore have died of cold.

Neither could it have died of starvation, although the chicks

remain in the nest some twenty-four hours after hatching, for

upon dissection its stomach was found to contain a large amount

of yolk, which would have lasted it for several hours.


The young Tataupas are most charming little creatures,

and the very accurate and beautiful drawing which Mr. Gronvold

has prepared to accompany this paper shows the chick just

emerged from the shell, and is, I think, the only illustration that

has ever been made of the young of this species, and I much

doubt if the adult has been accurately figured either.


These chicks are extraordinarily strong on the leg from

the time they leave the nest, and are much more independent

than the young of the true gallinaceous birds, the parent seeming

to take but a casual interest in his chicks. Should a human

being approach close to the brood, he will not attempt to defend

his charges, but will immediately run away, while they will take

shelter in any scrap of herbage or rubbish that may be near.

As far as I have been able to observe, the chicks are absolutely

silent. A faint note is frequently heard, which I at first thought

was uttered bv the chick, but I am now convinced that it is the

parent’s call-note to summon them to him.


A peculiar habit of the adult bird when alarmed was noted

by Azara, as mentioned above, namely, that of squatting 011 the

breast and throwing the tail into the air, forming the under tail-

coverts into a screen to hide the rest of the body, and thereby



fig. 1.



fig. 2.



