who had seen both kinds, affirmed they could distinguish them apart
from a long distance. The eggs of the small species appeared, however,
more generally known; and it was remarked, with surprise, that they
were very little less than those of the Rhea, but of a slightly
different form, and with a tinge of pale blue. This species occurs
most rarely on the plains bordering the Rio Negro; but about a degree
and a half further south they are tolerably abundant. When at Port
Desire, in Patagonia (lat. 48 degs.), Mr. Martens shot an ostrich; and
I looked at it, forgetting at the moment, in the most unaccountable
manner, the whole subject of the Petises, and thought it was a not
full-grown bird of the common sort. It was cooked and eaten before my
memory returned. Fortunately the head, neck, legs, wings, many of the
larger feathers, and a large part of the skin, had been preserved; and
from these a very nearly perfect specimen has been put together, and is
now exhibited in the museum of the Zoological Society. Mr. Gould, in
describing this new species, has done me the honour of calling it after
my name.
Among the Patagonian Indians in the Strait of Magellan, we found a half
Indian, who had lived some years with the tribe, but had been born in
the northern provinces. I asked him if he had ever heard of the
Avestruz Petise? He answered by saying, "Why, there are none others in
these southern countries." He informed me that the number of eggs in
the nest of the petise is considerably less than in that of the other
kind, namely, not more than fifteen on an average, but he asserted that
more than one female deposited them. At Santa Cruz we saw several of
these birds. They were excessively wary: I think they could see a
person approaching when too far off to be distinguished themselves. In
ascending the river few were seen; but in our quiet and rapid descent,
many, in pairs and by fours or fives, were observed. It was remarked
that this bird did not expand its wings, when first starting at full
speed, after the manner of the northern kind. In conclusion I may
observe, that the Struthio rhea inhabits the country of La Plata as far
as a little south of the Rio Negro in lat. 41 degs., and that the
Struthio Darwinii takes its place in Southern Patagonia; the part about
the Rio Negro being neutral territory. M. A. d'Orbigny, [16] when at
the Rio Negro, made great exertions to procure this bird, but never had
the good fortune to succeed. Dobrizhoffer [17] long ago was aware of
there being two kinds of ostriches, he says, "You must know, moreover,
that Emus differ in size and habits in different tracts of land; for
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