THE ELEGANT TINAMOU. 499 



pointed, denoting considerable powers of flight, and in many species the two central feathers 

 of the tail are much elongated and project beyond the others. 



These birds are mostly gregarious, assembling in large flocks, but still retaining a division 

 into pairs. One species, the Pin-tailed Sand Grouse, is found in such vast multitudes that 

 they are killed by boys, who arm themselves with sticks and fling these rude missiles at the 

 winged armies. It has been suggested by some writers that this bird is the quail of Scripture. 

 The Sand Grouse runs with considerable rapidity : and as the legs are very short, and the 

 body consequently carried close to the ground, the effect produced very much resembles the 

 toy mice which are wound up like watches, and run about the floor. When coming directly 

 towards the observer, the bird has a very comical aspect, the feet being hardly visible beneath 

 the broad body, and the steps being very short, quick, and tripping. 



The female Sand Grouse makes no nest, but lays her eggs, generally about two or three in 

 number, on the bare ground. The young birds are very strong of foot, and as soon as their 

 plumage has dried, after their exit from the shell, they run about with their mother, and can 

 afterwards lead a vagrant life. 



The male bird has its forehead whitish, then a black patch and then white. The upper 

 part of the plumage is dusky brown, mottled with buff ; and its tail is buff, barred profusely 

 with blackish-brown, the tip being buff, and the last bar very broad and black. The breast 

 is pale buff, and between the breast and abdomen runs a semilunar white band, reaching 

 up to the shoulders. Just below the white there is an equally conspicuous black band, 

 also running up under the ■wings to the shoulders. The abdomen and flanks are pale buff, 

 mottled transversely with black-brown. In the female the plumage is of a more yellow cast, 

 the black patch on the forehead and black band round the chest are wanting, and the white 

 band has a gray tinge. 



Another curious group of birds is known by the title of Sheath-bills, on account of the 

 remarkable sheath of horny substance, which is situated on the base of the bill, and under 

 which lie the nostrils. The use of this appendage is rather obscure. The whole of the bill is 

 short and stout, and it is considerably arched towards the tip. 



One of the commonest species of this group is the White Sheath-bill, a native of Aus- 

 tralia, Xew Zealand, aud neighboring islands. 



This bird is almost exclusively found upon the coasts, finding its food among the mol- 

 lusks, small Crustacea, and bestranded fish and other similar substances. Perhaps, under 

 some circumstances, it may subsist on carrion, and thereby give an evil flavor to its flesh, as 

 there are very contradictory reports as to its value for the table, some specimens having been 

 of so vile an odor that even the sailors, with their proverbial appetites for fresh meat, could 

 not touch the ill-savored flesh, while in other cases the bird is reported to be of excellent 

 quality, and equal to duck in tenderness and flavor. The legs of the Sheath-bill are rather 

 long in proportion to the size of the body ; and as it always frequents the sea-side, running 

 in and out of the water in search of its food, and possesses many of the habits of the waders, 

 it has been classed by some naturalists among these birds. 



The White Sheath-bill is a pretty bird, its whole plumage being pure white, and the legs 

 reddish -black. The generical name, Chionis. is derived from a Greek word, signifying snow, 

 and is given to this bird in allusion to its pure snow-white plumage. In total length the adult 

 male measures about fifteen inches. 



The Elegaxt Tinamou is one of the handsomest, though not the largest, of the family 

 to which it belongs. 



The Tinamous are only found in South America, where they are tolerably common. The 

 word Tinamou is the native name for these birds : and as they bear some resemblance to bus- 

 tards, the generic title of Tinamotis. although rather a barbarous combination of languages, is 

 sufficiently appropriate. 



The Tinamous are found in the open fields, preferring those which lie on the borders of 

 woods. They are very seldom known to perch on branches, and are not very willing to use 



