Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

BIEDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 31
pass some low ridge, or if flushed on a high slope, drop to disappear
behind some shoulder. The wings beat rapidly for 15 or 20 strokes
and then are set for a short sail, to be followed by another series of
wing beats. The flight is swift but the birds are easily killed.
They usually offer quartering shots, and a slight wound at long
range is suflicient to bring them to ground when they may run a
short distance or may crouch with eyes half closed to await Avhat-
ever fate may overtake them. Occasionally one or two ran rapidly
away under cover of bushes, head and neck erect, and tail drooped
so that in form they resembled guinea fowl. Such birds frequently
gave a low whistled call cheef^ heard occasionally as they took wing.
During the warmer part of the day they spent much time in dust
baths in the shade of low bushes, presumably to rid themselves of
vermin. On two that I shot fresh from such baths, rows of mallophaga
occupied the slender feathers of the crest, apparently a refuge
from the dangers of asphyxia as the insects crawled down immedi-
ately into the head feathers of the dead bird.
The call of this species, a low mournful whistle given slowly, that
may be represented as wheet whee whee was on the order of the more
musical note of the rufous-winged tinamou {Rhynchotus) , but with
far less carrying power.
On the level flats above the stream bed of the Rio Negro, crested
tinamou were breeding, though those in the hills a few miles away
did not seem to be in pairs. In traversing the broad flats I saw their
tracks or occasionally had a glimpse of a gray form running rapidly
through the brush, but the cover of AtHphx and creosote bush was
dense, and it was seldom that the birds flushed. By careful stalking
it was possible to work close to whistling males, but I seldom saw
them. On December 3 I found a nest containing broken eggs and
later surprised an adult bird with several chicks. The parent flapped
away on its breast with beating wings to attract my attention, while
the young disappeared instantly. After careful search I located two
and was able to capture one though the other escaped. The grayish
color of the down on these tiny birds simulated that of the earth on
which they crouched so that it was difficult to single them out. They
lay motionless with head outstretched, but unlike young gallinaceous
birds slipped away to one side, when opportunity offered, to a new
hiding place. They remained under cover of the thorny bushes where
it was difficult to get at them and with crouching step ran from
cover to cover. On stopping they suddenly changed direction and
ran a few inches to one side, a maneuver executed so quickly that
it frequently eluded the eye.
The dung of the adult birds is greenish in color and soft in con-
sistency with a very offensive odor. The crop and alimentary tract
of the chick taken was filled with what was unmistakably the ordure