GREAT TINAMOU. 
407 
belly and sides, and of greenish on the neck : upper 
part of the back, wing-coverts, and tail, marked 
with dusky transverse spots ; fewest on the last : 
the sides of the head, throat, and fore-part of the 
neck, not well clothed with feathers : the secondary 
quills have a mixture of rufous, and the greater 
quills plain ash-colour : the tail is short : the legs 
yellowish brown ; the hind part of them very 
rough, the scales standing out, and giving the 
appearance of the bark of the hr tree.” 
This species inhabits the great forests of French 
Guiana and Cayenne, and roosts upon the lower 
branches of trees, two or three feet from the 
ground : the female lays from twelve to fifteen 
eggs, the size of those of a. hen, and of a beautiful 
green colour : the nest is formed on the ground, 
among the thick herbage, near the root of some 
large tree, and is constructed of moss and dried 
vegetables. The young run after the mother 
almost as soon as hatched, and hide themselves on 
the least appearance of danger : their food con- 
sists of fruit and grain of all kinds, as well as 
worms and insects. Their cry may be heard a 
great way off, and is a kind of dull whistle, w4iich 
is uttered every evening at sunset, and again at 
sunrise : this the Indians imitate, and by that 
means decoy the birds within reach of the gun : 
they also take many during the night, while roost- 
ing on the trees : tlie flesh and eggs are esteemed 
a great dainty. 
