TINAMOUS. 15 



patches are present near tlie ramp in certain forms. The eggs are 

 specially remarkablCj being highly glossed or burnished, and unlike 

 those of any other bird. 



Between sixty and seventy species are enumerated in the most recent 

 treatise of the group. All are essentially ground-birds, and rarely 

 perch, but haunt the undergrowth of thick forests, the grassy flats inter- 

 spersed with bushes, or open pampas. They are great runners, and 

 generally difficult to flush ; but once on the wing, their flight is strong 

 and swift. The cry is a mellow whistle composed of several notes, and 

 varies somewhat in the different species. The nest is a hole scraped in 

 the ground under the shelter of some bush or tuft of grass, and lined 

 with dry herbage and leaves, and, as in the Stmthious birds, the male 

 undertakes the duties of incubation. The number of eggs is said 

 to vary from four to sixteen, the latter number being probably the 

 produce of more than one female. The eggs vary in colour in the 

 diflerent genera, some being vinous, reddish-chocolate, or dull purple, 

 others dark blue, bluish-green, sage-green, or primrose-colour, the shell 

 in all resembling glazed porcelain or burnished metal. 



In all the Tinamous the plumage is inconspicuous, the general colour 

 being some shade of brown, greyish or buff, more or less mottled and 

 barred. One of the largest ST^ecies is Tinamus solitarius (25), a native 

 of Paraguay and Southern Brazil ; but the most familiar is the Rufescent 

 Tinamou {Rhynchotus rufescens) (27), found in the open pampas from 

 Brazil southwards, and known as the "Perdiz grande." It has been 

 introduced into England, and stands our climate well ; but as a game- 

 bird it cannot be called a success, being of solitary habit and difficult 

 to flush. Once on the wing its flight is very fast and extraordinarily 

 noisy; with constantly vibrating wings, the bird flies straight away 

 for about 1000 yards before it slopes gradually to the earth. Of the 

 other genera belonging to this section possessing a hind toe {Tinamince) 

 examples will be found in Nothoprocta perdicaria (28) and several 

 species of Crypturvs (29-32). Two genera have no hind toe and form 

 the section Tiriamotidinee ; examples of both these will be found in 

 Tinamotis peutlandi (33) and Calopezus elegans (34), remarkable for its 

 long crest of black feathers. 



