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TINAMOU
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TINAMOU , the name given in See also:Guiana to a certain See also:bird, as stated in 1741 by P. Barrere (See also:France equinoxiale, p. 138), from whom it was taken and used in a more See also:general sense by See also:Buffon (Aist. not. oiseaux, iv. 502). In 1783 j. Latham (Synapsis, ii. 724) adopted it as See also:English, and in 1790 (See also:Index, ii. 633) Latinized it Tinamus, as the name of a new and distinct genus. The " Tinamou " of Barrere has been identified with the " Macucagua " described and figured by Marcgrav in 1648, and is the Tinamus See also:major of See also:modern authors.' Buffon and his successors saw that the Tinamous, though passing among the See also:European colonists of See also:South See also:America as " Partridges, ' could not be associated with those birds, and Latham's step, above mentioned, was generally approved. The genus he had founded was usually placed among the Gallinae, and by many writers was held to be allied to the bustards, which, it must be remembered, were then thought to be struthious." Indeed the likeness of the Tinamou's See also:bill to that of the See also:Rhea (q.v.) was remarked in 1811 by Illiger. On the other See also:hand L'Herminier in 1827 saw features in the Tinamou's sternum that in his See also:judgment linked the bird to the Rallidae. In 1830 J. Wagler (Nat. Syst. Amphibien, &c., p. 127) placed the Tinamous in the same See also:order as the See also:ostrich and its See also:allies; and, though he did this on very insufficient grounds, his See also:assignment has turned out to be not far from the See also:mark, as in 1862 the See also:great See also:affinity of these See also:groups was shown by W. K. See also:Parker's researches, which were afterwards printed in the Zoological Transactions (v. pp. 205-232, 236-238, pls. xxxix.–xli.), and was further substantiated by him in the Philosophical Transactions (1866, pp. 174–178, pl. xv.). Shortly after this T. H. See also:Huxley in his often-quoted See also:paper in the Zoological Proceedings (1867, pp. 425, 426) was enabled to See also:place the whole See also:matter in a clear See also:light, urging that the Tinamous formed a very distinct See also:group of birds which, though not to be removed from the Carinatae, presented so much resemblance to the See also:Ratitae as to indicate them to be the See also:bond of See also:union between those two great divisions. The group from. the resemblance of its palatll characters to those of the See also:Emeu (q.v.), Dromaeus, he called Dromaeognathae, but it is now more usual to place them in a See also:separate order, the Tinamiformes.
The Tinamous are comparatively insignificant in See also:numbers. They are See also:peculiar to the neotropical region—a few See also:species finding their way into See also:southern See also:Mexico and none beyond. Some of them inhabit forests and others the more open See also:country; but setting aside See also:size (which in this group varies from that of a c)uail to that of a large See also:common See also:fowl) there is an unmistakable uniformity of See also:appearance among them as a whole, so that almost anybody having seen' one species of the group would always recognize another. Yet in See also:minor characters there is considerable difference among them; and about sixty-four species are recognized, divided into the genera Tinamus, Notliocercus, Crypturus, Rhynchotus, Nothoprocta, Nothura, Taoniscus and Tinamotis.
To the See also:ordinary spectator Tinamous have much the look of partridges, but the more attentive observer will See also:notice that their
,See also:svi
Rufous Tinamou (Rhynchotus rufescens),
Elongated bill, their small See also:head and slender See also:neck, clothed with very See also:short feathers, give them a different See also:air. The plumage is generally inconspicuous: some tint of See also: See also:Soc., 1868, p. 115, pl. xii.) that this is especially seen in the newly hatched See also:young. He also noticed the still stronger Ratite See also:character, that the male takes on himself the • See also:duty of See also:incubation. The eggs are very remarkable See also:objects, curiously unlike those of other birds; and their See also:shell looks as if it were of highly-burnished See also:metal or glazed See also:porcelain, presenting also various See also:colours, which seem to be See also:constant in the particular species, from See also:pale See also:primrose to See also:sage-See also:green or light See also:indigo, or from See also:chocolate brown to pinkish See also:orange. All who have eaten it declare the flesh of the Tinamou to have a most delicate See also:taste, as it has a most inviting appearance, the See also:pectoral muscles being semi-opaque. Of their habits not much has been told. See also:Darwin (Journ. ch. iii.) has remarked upon the silliness they, show in allowing themselves to be taken, and this is wholly in accordance with what W. K. Parker observes of their See also:brain capacity and is an additional testimony to their See also:low morphological See also:rank. At least one species of Tinamou has bred not infrequently in confinement, and partly successful attempts to naturalize the species Rhynchotus rufescens have been made in See also:England. (A. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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