224 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



ground in a leisurely manner, uttering as it walks 

 or runs a succession of low whistling notes. It has 

 two distinct songs or calls, pleasing to the ear and 

 heard all the year round ; but with greater frequency 

 in spring, and where the birds are scarce and much 

 persecuted, in spring only. One is a succession of 

 twenty or thirty short impressive whistling notes of 

 great compass, followed by half a do^en rapidly 

 uttered notes, beginning loud and sinking lower till 

 they cease ; the other call is a soft continuous trill, 

 which appears to swell mysteriously on the air, for 

 the listener cannot tell whence it proceeds ; it lasts 

 several seconds, and then seems to die away in the 

 distance. 



It is an exceedingly rare thing to see this bird 

 rise except when compelled. I believe the power of 

 flight is used chiefly, if not exclusively, as a means 

 of escape from danger. The bird rises up when 

 almost trodden upon, rushing through the air with 

 a surprising noise and violence. It continues to rise 

 at a decreasing angle for fifty or sixty yards, then 

 gradually nears the earth, till, when it has got to 

 a distance of two or three hundred yards, the violent 

 action of the wing ceases and the bird glides along 

 close to the earth for some distance, and either 

 drops down or renews its flight. I suppose many 

 birds fly in much the same way ; only this Tinamu 

 starts forward with such amazing energy that until 

 this is expended and the moment of gliding comes, 

 the flight is just as ungovernable to the bird as 

 the motion of a brakeless engine, rushing along 



