THE RELATIONS OF THE SEXES 171 



belonging to the barbs of this region of the feather, whereby 

 the vane becomes more resistant to the rush of air caused by 

 the wings chiring the descent. 



The fact that this curious musical instrument occurs in both 

 sexes makes its interpretation the more difficult ; for there is 

 little difference in the performance of the two sexes, though 

 that of the male is said to be the more resonant. 



The tail of the best performer of all, the Common Snipe, is, 

 it is to be noticed, superficially, but little or not at all modified 

 either in shape or size for the production of this sound. But 

 there are other species of Snipe, e.g., G. stennra, which have 

 greatly increased the number of the tail feathers, and at the 

 same time has reduced the vanes or webs of these to the vanish- 

 ing-point. Yet these birds are unable to produce any sounds 

 appreciable to human ears. 



IV. Where the Sexual R(5le is Reversed 



Before bringing this chapter to a close it is necessary briefly 

 to refer to a most remarkable collection of facts, which show 

 that, in several widely different and unrelated species of 

 birds, the position of the sexes with regard to courtship, the 

 brooding of the eggs, and the care of the young is entirely re- 

 versed, the female playing the part of the male in all these 

 particulars. In consonance with this fundamental reversal of 

 the sexual relations, the females are in every case the more 

 brightly coloured ! Nature has few other such striking illustra- 

 tions of hen-pecked males among the vertebrates ! 



The Quail-like Hemipodes, the Tinamous, ithe Painted 

 Snipe {Rhynched) and the Phalaropes, afford the best-known 

 examples of this, though other instances are on record. 



All these birds appear to be polyandrous, indeed there is 

 little room for doubt in the matter. 



A recent writer, Mr. D. Seth-Smith, has added much to 

 our knowledge of this matter from his observation on captive 

 species of the Australian Hemipode ( Turnix varia). The court- 

 ing of the female recalls that of the male of the Common Pigeon, 

 the crop being inflated with air, the while the proud suitor 

 bows and " coos " to her chosen mate. He describes the court- 

 ing thus : . . . " The male scjuats upon the ground amongst 

 short grass, and the female runs round him in a circle with tail 



