ODONTOPHORUS GUIANENSIS.

Guiana Partridge.

Specrric Caaracrer.

A
Od. corpore subtus, a pectore ad caudam aurantio-fusco, vel arenaceo-rub os
tae ee. d e0-rubro, griseo-fusco trans-
versim fasciato.

Head decorated with a rather a poy crest, the feathers of which are broad and incline
downwards; the general plumage is mottled brown, buff and black ; cheeks, crown of the
head and cr a deep rusty red, crossed by indistinct bars and freckles of buff; mantle and
upper part of the chest washed with grey ; scapularies and tertiaries very strongly marked
with deep black ; primaries deep brown, crossed on the outer webs with buff; = : deep
fawn-colour, minutely spotted and freckled with black ; under surface from ae oe
wards orange-brown or sandy red, transversely barred with greyish brown ; tail a ae
and of a dark brown, minutely freckled with buff; bill Badifeer blackish brown.

: : : : :
Total length, 10 inches; Sed/, 2; wg, 51; tal, 21; tarsi, 12; middle toe and nail, 1s.
4

a>) ;

\ sy

Tetrao Gwanensis, Ginel. Syst., vol. i. p. 767.

Perdix Gwianensis, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p- 650.—Bounat. and Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn.,
ant 1. p. 216.

Perdix rufina, Spix, Av. Sp. Nov., tom. ii. p. 60. pl. 76’.

Perdrix de la Guiane, Buff. Ois., tom. iv. pl. 513.

Guiana Partridge, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 776.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. pez:

Odontophorus rufus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom. ii. p. 38. pl. 211.

——————  Gwianensis, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit. p- 80.

Tock’ro, of the Macusi, and Duraquara, of the Accawai and Arawaak Indians.

 

Tuts species is very generally dispersed over Guiana, Cayenne and Surinam ; it is also said to inhabit Tri-
nidad. Mr. Schomburgk informs me that it frequents the forests, and never visits the savannahs or open
country; that it is usually encountered either singly or in pairs, and never in coveys; that it runs very
quickly and is a shy bird; that when flushed it takes to the branches of the trees; that the eggs are
deposited upon the ground; and that they are eight or ten in number and of a greenish-white colour.

It utters two distinct kinds of note; one a rather loud whistling call, which is emitted in the morning and
in the evening; the other a sound like Zock’ro, whence its Macusi name. Its flesh is white, tender and
delicate ; it is consequently always eaten by travellers whenever it can be procured, as well as by the natives,
who having their attention arrested
their gun or arrows.

Mr. Waterton, when speaking of this bird in his ‘«¢Wanderings,’
hear a noise in the forests which sounds like ‘ dwraquara’ often repeated. This is the Partridge, a little
It lives entirely in the forests ; and pro-

’

says, ‘ before the morning’s dawn you

smaller and differing somewhat in colour from the English bird.

bably the young brood very soon leave their parents, as you never flush more than two birds in the same

place, and generally only one.
The sexes are very similar in the colour of the plumage and also in size.
Habitat, Guiana and Surinam.

The Plate represents a male, a female, and a brood of young birds of the natural size.

by its call imitate it, and by this means bring the bird within range of

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