THE ELEGANT TINAMOU. 
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pointed, denoting considerable powers of flight, and in many species the two central feather® 
of the tail are much elongated and project beyond the others. 
These birds are mostly gregarious, assembling in large flocks, but still retaining a division 
into pairs. One species, the Pin-tailed Sand Grouse, is found in such vast multitudes that 
they are killed by boys, who arm themselves with sticks and fling these rude missiles at the 
winged armies. It has been suggested by some writers that this bird is the quail of Scripture. 
The Sand Grouse runs with considerable rapidity ; and as the legs are very short, and the 
body consequently carried close to the ground, the effect produced very much resembles the 
toy mice which are wound up like watches, and run about the floor. When coming directly 
towards the observer, the bird has a very comical aspect, the feet being hardly visible beneath 
the broad body, and the steps being very short, quick, and tripping. 
The female Sand Grouse makes no nest, but lays her eggs, generally about two or three in 
number, on the bare ground. The young birds are very strong of foot, and as soon as their 
plumage has dried, after their exit from the shell, they run about with their mother, and can 
afterwards lead a vagrant life. 
The male bird has its forehead whitish, then a black patch and then white. The upper 
part of the plumage is dusky brown, mottled with buff ; and its tail is buff, barred profusely 
with blackish-brown, the tip being buff, and the last bar very broad and black. The breast 
is pale buff, and between the breast and abdomen runs a semilunar white band, reaching 
up to the shoulders. Just below the white there is an equally conspicuous black band, 
also running up under the wings to the shoulders. The abdomen and flanks are pale buff, 
mottled transversely with black-brown. In the female the plumage is of a more yellow cast, 
the black patch on the forehead and black band round the chest are wanting, and the white 
band has a gray tinge. 
Another curious group of birds is known by the title of Sheath-bills, on account of the 
remarkable sheath of homy substance, which is situated on the base of the bill, and under 
which lie the nostrils. The use of this appendage is rather obscure. The whole of the bill is 
short and stout, and it is considerably arched towards the tip. 
One of the commonest species of this group is the White Sheath-bill, a native of Aus- 
tralia, New Zealand, and neighboring islands. 
This bird is almost exclusively found upon the coasts, finding its food among the mol- 
lusks, small Crustacea, and bestranded fish and other similar substances. Perhaps, under 
some circumstances, it may subsist on carrion, and thereby give an evil flavor to its flesh, as 
there are very contradictory reports as to its value for the table, some specimens having been 
of so vile an odor that even the sailors, with their proverbial appetites for fresh meat, could 
not touch the ill-savored flesh, while in other cases the bird is reported to be of excellent 
quality, and equal to duck in tenderness and flavor. The legs of the Sheath-bill are rather 
long in proportion to the size of the body ; and as it always frequents the sea-side, running 
in and out of the water in search of its food, and possesses many of the habits of the waders, 
it has been classed by some naturalists among these birds. 
The White Sheath-bill is a pretty bird, its whole plumage being pure white, and the legs 
1 eddish -black. The generical name, Chionis, is derived from a Greek word, signifying snow, 
and is given to this bird in allusion to its pure snow-white plumage. In total length the adult 
male measures about fifteen inches. 
The Elegant Tinamou is one of the handsomest, though not the largest, of the family 
to which it belongs. 
The Tinamous are only found in South America, where they are tolerably common. The 
word Tinamou is the native name for these birds ; and as they bear some resemblance to bus- 
tards, the generic title of Tinamotis, although rather a barbarous combination of languages, is 
sufficiently appropriate. 
The Tinamous are found in the open fields, preferring those which lie on the borders of 
woods. They are very seldom known to perch on branches, and are not very willing to use 
