286 ' WANDERINGS IN 



Fourth and cliestiiut ill the plumage of this bird, baffles any 



JpURNEY. 



attempt to give a description of the distribution of them, 



which would be satisfactory to the reader. 

 The great Tlicrc is Something remarkable in the great Tinamou, 



Tinamou. 



which I suspect has hitherto escaped notice. It inva- 

 riably roosts in trees ; but the feet are so very small in 

 proportion to the body of this bulky bird, that they can 

 be of no use to it in grasping the branch ; and, moreover, 

 the hind toe is so short, that it does not touch the ground 

 when the bird is walking. The back part of the leg, just 

 below the knee, is quite flat, and somewhat concave. On 

 it are strong pointed scales, which are very rough, and 

 catch your finger as you move it along from the knee 

 to the toe. Now, by means of these scales, and the 

 particular flatness of that part of the leg, the bird is 

 enabled to sleep in safety upon the branch of a tree. 

 : At the close of day, the great Tinamou gives a 

 loud, monotonous, plaintive whistle, and then imme- 

 diately springs into the tree. By the light of the full 

 moon, the vigilant and cautious natm-alist may see him 

 sitting in the position already described. 

 The smaii The Small Tinamou has nothing that can be called a 

 tail. It never lays more than one egg, which is of a choco- 

 late colour. It makes no nest, but merely scratches a 

 little hollow in the sand, generally at the foot of a tree. 



Here we have an instance of a bird, the size of a par- 

 tridge, and of the same tribe, laying only one egg, while 



