第17章

Theseremarks，Imaybepermittedtoadd，directlybearonthecaseoftheSiberiananimalspreservedinice。Thefirmconvictionofthenecessityofavegetationpossessingacharacteroftropicalluxuriance，tosupportsuchlargeanimals，andtheimpossibilityofreconcilingthiswiththeproximityofperpetualcongelation，wasonechiefcauseoftheseveraltheoriesofsuddenrevolutionsofclimate，andofoverwhelmingcatastrophes，whichwereinventedtoaccountfortheirentombment。Iamfarfromsupposingthattheclimatehasnotchangedsincetheperiodwhenthoseanimalslived，whichnowlieburiedintheice。AtpresentIonlywishtoshow，thatasfaras_quantity_offood_alone_isconcerned，theancientrhinocerosesmighthaveroamedoverthe_steppes_ofcentralSiberia(thenorthernpartsprobablybeingunderwater)evenintheirpresentcondition，aswellasthelivingrhinocerosesandelephantsoverthe_Karros_ofSouthernAfrica。

IwillnowgiveanaccountofthehabitsofsomeofthemoreinterestingbirdswhicharecommononthewildplainsofNorthernPatagonia：andfirstforthelargest，orSouthAmericanostrich。Theordinaryhabitsoftheostricharefamiliartoeveryone。Theyliveonvegetablematter，suchasrootsandgrass；butatBahiaBlancaIhaverepeatedlyseenthreeorfourcomedownatlowwatertotheextensivemud-bankswhicharethendry，forthesake，astheGauchossay，offeedingonsmallfish。Althoughtheostrichinitshabitsissoshy，wary，andsolitary，andalthoughsofleetinitspace，itiscaughtwithoutmuchdifficultybytheIndianorGauchoarmedwiththebolas。Whenseveralhorsemenappearinasemicircle，itbecomesconfounded，anddoesnotknowwhichwaytoescape。Theygenerallypreferrunningagainstthewind；yetatthefirststarttheyexpandtheirwings，andlikeavesselmakeallsail。OnonefinehotdayIsawseveralostrichesenterabedoftallrushes，wheretheysquattedconcealed，tillquitecloselyapproached。Itisnotgenerallyknownthatostrichesreadilytaketothewater。Mr。KinginformsmethatattheBayofSanBlas，andatPortValdesinPatagonia，hesawthesebirdsswimmingseveraltimesfromislandtoisland。Theyranintothewaterbothwhendrivendowntoapoint，andlikewiseoftheirownaccordwhennotfrightened：thedistancecrossedwasabouttwohundredyards。Whenswimming，verylittleoftheirbodiesappearabovewater；theirnecksareextendedalittleforward，andtheirprogressisslow。OntwooccasionsIsawsomeostrichesswimmingacrosstheSantaCruzriver，whereitscoursewasaboutfourhundredyardswide，andthestreamrapid。CaptainSturt，[11]whendescendingtheMurrumbidgee，inAustralia，sawtwoemusintheactofswimming。

Theinhabitantsofthecountryreadilydistinguish，evenatadistance，thecockbirdfromthehen。Theformerislargeranddarker-coloured，[12]andhasabiggerhead。Theostrich，Ibelievethecock，emitsasingular，deep-toned，hissingnote：whenfirstIheardit，standinginthemidstofsomesand-hillocks，Ithoughtitwasmadebysomewildbeast，foritisasoundthatonecannottellwhenceitcomes，orfromhowfardistant。

WhenwewereatBahiaBlancainthemonthsofSeptemberandOctober，theeggs，inextraordinarynumbers，werefoundalloverthecountry。Theylieeitherscatteredandsingle，inwhichcasetheyareneverhatched，andarecalledbytheSpaniardshuachos；ortheyarecollectedtogetherintoashallowexcavation，whichformsthenest。OutofthefournestswhichIsaw，threecontainedtwenty-twoeggseach，andthefourthtwenty-seven。

Inoneday’shuntingonhorsebacksixty-foureggswerefound；forty-fourofthesewereintwonests，andtheremainingtwenty，scatteredhuachos。

TheGauchosunanimouslyaffirm，andthereisnoreasontodoubttheirstatement，thatthemalebirdalonehatchestheeggs，andforsometimeafterwardsaccompaniestheyoung。Thecockwhenonthenestliesveryclose；Ihavemyselfalmostriddenoverone。Itisassertedthatatsuchtimestheyareoccasionallyfierce，andevendangerous，andthattheyhavebeenknowntoattackamanonhorseback，tryingtokickandleaponhim。Myinformerpointedouttomeanoldman，whomhehadseenmuchterrifiedbyonechasinghim。IobserveinBurchell’stravelsinSouthAfrica，thatheremarks，“Havingkilledamaleostrich，andthefeathersbeingdirty，itwassaidbytheHottentotstobeanestbird。”IunderstandthatthemaleemuintheZoologicalGardenstakeschargeofthenest：thishabit，therefore，iscommontothefamily。

TheGauchosunanimouslyaffirmthatseveralfemaleslayinonenest。

Ihavebeenpositivelytoldthatfourorfivehenbirdshavebeenwatchedtogointhemiddleoftheday，oneaftertheother，tothesamenest。

Imayadd，also，thatitisbelievedinAfrica，thattwoormorefemaleslayinonenest。[13]Althoughthishabitatfirstappearsverystrange，Ithinkthecausemaybeexplainedinasimplemanner。

Thenumberofeggsinthenestvariesfromtwentytoforty，andeventofifty；andaccordingtoAzara，sometimestoseventyoreighty。Now，althoughitismostprobable，fromthenumberofeggsfoundinonedistrictbeingsoextraordinarilygreatinproportiontotheparentbirds，andlikewisefromthestateoftheovariumofthehen，thatshemayinthecourseoftheseasonlayalargenumber，yetthetimerequiredmustbeverylong。

Azarastates，[14]thatafemaleinastateofdomesticationlaidseventeeneggs，eachattheintervalofthreedaysonefromanother。

Ifthehenwasobligedtohatchherowneggs，beforethelastwaslaidthefirstprobablywouldbeaddled；butifeachlaidafeweggsatsuccessiveperiods，indifferentnests，andseveralhens，asisstatedtobethecase，combinedtogether，thentheeggsinonecollectionwouldbenearlyofthesameage。Ifthenumberofeggsinoneofthesenestsis，asIbelieve，notgreateronanaveragethanthenumberlaidbyonefemaleintheseason，thentheremustbeasmanynestsasfemales，andeachcockbirdwillhaveitsfairshareofthelabourofincubation；andthatduringaperiodwhenthefemalesprobablycouldnotsit，fromnothavingfinishedlaying。[15]Ihavebeforementionedthegreatnumbersofhuachos，ordesertedeggs；

sothatinoneday’shuntingtwentywerefoundinthisstate。Itappearsoddthatsomanyshouldbewasted。Doesitnotarisefromthedifficultyofseveralfemalesassociatingtogether，andfindingamalereadytoundertaketheofficeofincubation？Itisevidentthattheremustatfirstbesomedegreeofassociationbetweenatleasttwofemales；otherwisetheeggswouldremainscatteredoverthewideplain，atdistancesfartoogreattoallowofthemalecollectingthemintoonenest：someauthorshavebelievedthatthescatteredeggsweredepositedfortheyoungbirdstofeedon。

ThiscanhardlybethecaseinAmerica，becausethehuachos，althoughoftenfoundaddledandputrid，aregenerallywhole。

WhenattheRioNegroinNorthernPatagonia，IrepeatedlyheardtheGauchostalkingofaveryrarebirdwhichtheycalledAvestruzPetise。

Theydescribeditasbeinglessthanthecommonostrich(whichisthereabundant)，butwithaveryclosegeneralresemblance。Theysaiditscolourwasdarkandmottled，andthatitslegswereshorter，andfeatheredlowerdownthanthoseofthecommonostrich。Itismoreeasilycaughtbythebolasthantheotherspecies。Thefewinhabitantswhohadseenbothkinds，affirmedtheycoulddistinguishthemapartfromalongdistance。Theeggsofthesmallspeciesappeared，however，moregenerallyknown；anditwasremarked，withsurprise，thattheywereverylittlelessthanthoseoftheRhea，butofaslightlydifferentform，andwithatingeofpaleblue。

ThisspeciesoccursmostrarelyontheplainsborderingtheRioNegro；

butaboutadegreeandahalffurthersouththeyaretolerablyabundant。

WhenatPortDesire，inPatagonia(lat。48degs。)，Mr。Martensshotanostrich；andIlookedatit，forgettingatthemoment，inthemostunaccountablemanner，thewholesubjectofthePetises，andthoughtitwasanotfull-grownbirdofthecommonsort。Itwascookedandeatenbeforemymemoryreturned。

Fortunatelythehead，neck，legs，wings，manyofthelargerfeathers，andalargepartoftheskin，hadbeenpreserved；andfromtheseaverynearlyperfectspecimenhasbeenputtogether，andisnowexhibitedinthemuseumoftheZoologicalSociety。Mr。Gould，indescribingthisnewspecies，hasdonemethehonourofcallingitaftermyname。

AmongthePatagonianIndiansintheStraitofMagellan，wefoundahalfIndian，whohadlivedsomeyearswiththetribe，buthadbeenborninthenorthernprovinces。IaskedhimifhehadeverheardoftheAvestruzPetise？

Heansweredbysaying，“Why，therearenoneothersinthesesoutherncountries。”

Heinformedmethatthenumberofeggsinthenestofthepetiseisconsiderablylessthaninthatoftheotherkind，namely，notmorethanfifteenonanaverage，butheassertedthatmorethanonefemaledepositedthem。AtSantaCruzwesawseveralofthesebirds。Theywereexcessivelywary：Ithinktheycouldseeapersonapproachingwhentoofarofftobedistinguishedthemselves。Inascendingtheriverfewwereseen；butinourquietandrapiddescent，many，inpairsandbyfoursorfives，wereobserved。Itwasremarkedthatthisbirddidnotexpanditswings，whenfirststartingatfullspeed，afterthemannerofthenorthernkind。InconclusionImayobserve，thattheStruthiorheainhabitsthecountryofLaPlataasfarasalittlesouthoftheRioNegroinlat。41degs。，andthattheStruthioDarwiniitakesitsplaceinSouthernPatagonia；thepartabouttheRioNegrobeingneutralterritory。M。A。d’Orbigny，[16]whenattheRioNegro，madegreatexertionstoprocurethisbird，butneverhadthegoodfortunetosucceed。Dobrizhoffer[17]longagowasawareoftherebeingtwokindsofostriches，hesays，“Youmustknow，moreover，thatEmusdifferinsizeandhabitsindifferenttractsofland；forthosethatinhabittheplainsofBuenosAyresandTucumanarelarger，andhaveblack，whiteandgreyfeathers；thoseneartotheStraitofMagellanaresmallerandmorebeautiful，fortheirwhitefeathersaretippedwithblackattheextremity，andtheirblackonesinlikemannerterminateinwhite。”

Averysingularlittlebird，Tinochorusrumicivorus，isherecommon：

initshabitsandgeneralappearance，itnearlyequallypartakesofthecharacters，differentastheyare，ofthequailandsnipe。TheTinochorusisfoundinthewholeofsouthernSouthAmerica，wherevertherearesterileplains，oropendrypastureland。Itfrequentsinpairsorsmallflocksthemostdesolateplaces，wherescarcelyanotherlivingcreaturecanexist。

Uponbeingapproachedtheysquatclose，andthenareverydifficulttobedistinguishedfromtheground。Whenfeedingtheywalkratherslowly，withtheirlegswideapart。Theydustthemselvesinroadsandsandyplaces，andfrequentparticularspots，wheretheymaybefounddayafterday：likepartridges，theytakewinginaflock。Inalltheserespects，inthemusculargizzardadaptedforvegetablefood，inthearchedbeakandfleshynostrils，shortlegsandformoffoot，theTinochorushasacloseaffinitywithquails。

Butassoonasthebirdisseenflying，itswholeappearancechanges；thelongpointedwings，sodifferentfromthoseinthegallinaceousorder，theirregularmannerofflight，andplaintivecryutteredatthemomentofrising，recalltheideaofasnipe。ThesportsmenoftheBeagleunanimouslycalledittheshort-billedsnipe。Tothisgenus，orrathertothefamilyoftheWaders，itsskeletonshowsthatitisreallyrelated。

TheTinochorusiscloselyrelatedtosomeotherSouthAmericanbirds。

TwospeciesofthegenusAttagisareinalmosteveryrespectptarmigansintheirhabits；onelivesinTierradelFuego，abovethelimitsoftheforestland；andtheotherjustbeneaththesnow-lineontheCordilleraofCentralChile。Abirdofanothercloselyalliedgenus，Chionisalba，isaninhabitantoftheantarcticregions；itfeedsonsea-weedandshellsonthetidalrocks。Althoughnotwebfooted，fromsomeunaccountablehabit，itisfrequentlymetwithfaroutatsea。Thissmallfamilyofbirdsisoneofthosewhich，fromitsvariedrelationstootherfamilies，althoughatpresentofferingonlydifficultiestothesystematicnaturalist，ultimatelymayassistinrevealingthegrandscheme，commontothepresentandpastages，onwhichorganizedbeingshavebeencreated。

ThegenusFurnariuscontainsseveralspecies，allsmallbirds，livingontheground，andinhabitingopendrycountries。InstructuretheycannotbecomparedtoanyEuropeanform。Ornithologistshavegenerallyincludedthemamongthecreepers，althoughopposedtothatfamilyineveryhabit。

Thebestknownspeciesisthecommonoven-birdofLaPlata，theCasaraorhousemakeroftheSpaniards。Thenest，whenceittakesitsname，isplacedinthemostexposedsituations，asonthetopofapost，abarerock，oronacactus。Itiscomposedofmudandbitsofstraw，andhasstrongthickwalls：inshapeitpreciselyresemblesanoven，ordepressedbeehive。Theopeningislargeandarched，anddirectlyinfront，withinthenest，thereisapartition，whichreachesnearlytotheroof，thusformingapassageorantechambertothetruenest。