(DARWIN'S TINAMOU.)
[Plate XX.]
[Illustration: NOTHURA DARWINI.]
+Nothura minor+, _Darwin, Zool. Voy. 'Beagle,'_ iii. p. 119 (Bahia
Blanca). +Nothura darwini+, _Gray, List of Gall. B. M._ p. 104
(1867); _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1872. p. 547. +Nothura maculosa+,
_Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 45 (Chupat). +Nothura perdicaria+,
_Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 405 (Centr. Patagonia).
_Description._--Above cinereous; feathers of head and back marked
with narrow black and fulvous cross bands and margined with bright
ashy-white edgings; wings ashy black, crossed on both webs by
fulvous bands, except in the two outer primaries: beneath pale
fulvous, throat white; breast more cinereous, and densely covered
with indistinct black and brown cross bars and whitish-grey streaks;
flanks and lower belly with irregular black cross bars; bill
horn-colour; lower mandible and feet yellowish: whole length 8·5
inches, wing 5·4, tail 2·4.
_Hab._ Northern Patagonia.
This species, called _Perdiz chico_ by the natives, is somewhat smaller
and paler in colouring than the common Tinamou of the pampas, but very
closely resembles the young of that species. It inhabits Patagonia,
and is nowhere very numerous, but appears to be thinly and equally
distributed on the dry sterile plains of that region, preferring places
abounding in thin scrub. In disposition it is extremely shy, and when
approached springs up at a distance ahead and runs away with the
greatest speed and apparently much terrified. Sometimes when thus
running it utters short whistled notes like the allied species. It rises
more readily and with less noise than the pampas bird, and has a much
higher flight. It has one call-note, heard only in the love-season--a
succession of short whistling notes, like those of the _N. maculosa_,
but without the rapidly uttered conclusion.
The nest is made under a small scrubby bush, and contains from five to
seven eggs, in form and colour like those of _N. maculosa_, except that
the reddish-purple tint is paler.
The figure (Plate XX.) is taken from one of my specimens from the Rio
Negro, now in the British Museum.