1838. ] THE AVESTRUZ PETISL. 93 
Fortunately the head, neck, legs, wings, many of the larger 
feathers, and a large part of the skin, had been preserved; and 
from these a very nearly perfect specimen has been put together, 
and is now exhibited in the museum of the Zoological Society. 
Mr. Gould, in describing this new species, has done me the 
honour of calling it after my name. 
Among the Patagonian Indians in the Strait of Magellan, we 
found a half Indian, who had lived some years with the tribe, 
but had been born in the northern provinces. I asked him if he 
had ever heard of the Avestruz Petise? He answered by saying, 
“Why there are none others in these southern countries.” He 
informed me that the number of eggs in the nest of the petise 
is considerably less than in that of the other kind, namely, not 
more than fifteen on an average; but he asserted that more than 
one female deposited them. At Santa Cruz we saw several of 
these birds. ‘They were excessively wary: I think they could 
-see a person approaching when too far off to be distinguished 
themselves. In ascending the river few were seen; but in our 
quiet and rapid descent, many, in pairs and by fours or fives, 
were observed. It was remarked that this bird did not expand 
its wings, when first starting at full speed, after the manner of 
the northern kind. In conclusion I may observe, that the Stru- 
thio rhea inhabits the country of La Plata as far as a little south 
of the Rio Negro in lat. 41°, and that the Struthio Darwinii 
takes its place in Southern Patagonia; the part about the Rio 
Negro being neutral territory. M. A. d’Orbigny,* when at the 
Rio Negro, made great exertions to procure this bird, but never 
had the good fortune to succeed. Dobrizhoffer t long ago was 
aware of there being two kinds of ostriches; he says, “ You 
must know, moreover, that Emus differ in size and habits in 
different tracts of land; for those that inhabit the plains of 
Buenos Ayres and Tucuman are larger, and have black, white, 
and gray feathers; those near to the Strait of Magellan are 
smaller and more beautiful, for their white feathers are tipped 
* When at the Rio Negro, we heard much of the indefatigable labours of 
this naturalist. M. Alcide d@’Orbigny, during the years 1825 to 1833, tra- 
versed several large portions of South America, and has made a collection, 
and is now publishing the results on a scale of magnificence, which at once 
places himself in the list of American travellers second only to Humboldt. 
} Account of the Abipones, a.v. 1749, vol. i, (English translation), p, 314, 
