THREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAIT.?;. 267 



" Small millets, grass seeds, ants, white and black, and other 

 small grains and insects constitute its food. It feeds almost 

 exclusively in the early mornings and near sunset. At these 

 times it may be seen running about along the paths of gardens 

 or other enclosures, amongst isolated tufts of grass, on the 

 margins of clumps of stunted jujube, and in the edges of low 

 crops, and even in short stubbles, if these occur in the neigh- 

 bourhood of suitable cover. 



" It is a very silent bird, and except during the breeding season, 

 I have never once heard it call ; at that time the females emit a 

 dull note, scarcely likely to attract attention unless you are on 

 the look out for it. I have occasionally heard and noticed it, 

 but not often. 



"The most remarkable point in the life-history of these 

 Bustard-Quails is the extraordinary fashion in which amongst 

 them the position of the sexes is reversed. The females are 

 the larger and handsomer birds. The females only call, the 

 females only fight — natives say that they fight for the males, 

 and probably this is true. What is certain is that, whereas in 

 the case of almost all the other Game Birds it is the males 

 alone that can be caught in spring cages, &c., to which they 

 are attracted by the calls of other males, and to which they 

 come in view to fighting, in this species no male will ever 

 come to a cage baited with a male, whereas every female within 

 hearing rushes to a cage in which a female is confined, and if 

 allowed to meet during the breeding-season, any tw^o females 

 will fight until one or other is dead or nearly so. 



" The males, and the males only, as we have now proved in 

 numberless cases, sit upon the eggs, the females meanwhile 

 larking about, calling and fighting, without any care for their 

 obedient mates ; and lastly, the males, and the males only, J 

 believe, tend and are to be flushed along with the young 

 brood. 



" Ahiiost throughout the higher sections of tne animal king- 

 dom you have the males fighting for the females, the females 



