Mr. D. Seth-Smith,



320


In March the females gradually regained their rufous

collars, and, at the same time, became rather spiteful towards

one another, and had to be separated, one being placed with the

male, in an aviary about twenty feet long by ten feet wide, in

which a temperature approaching 6o° Fahr. was maintained.


The pair, as a rule, kept fairly close together, but other¬

wise appeared to take very little notice of one another. As the

days lengthened they seemed to become somewhat interested in a

certain corner, the warmest place in the aviary, close to the

boiler connected with the hot-water pipes, and just by the door,—

perhaps the worst place they could select for a nest, as it was

impossible to enter the aviary without disturbing the sitting

bird. The hen would sometimes squat in this corner with her

breast on the ground and her tail pointing upwards, and made a

peculiar soft clucking noise. The cock would then go and take

his turn in the same corner, the hen having moved out. At

this time the lieu would often be seen standing rocking her body

backwards and forwards in a peculiar manner, but I saw nothing

approaching actual nuptial display by either sex, in fact they

seemed to regard one another almost with indifference except

when I threw a mealworm to the hen when she would generally

(though not always by any means) hold it in her bill, and

stretching out her body, remain motionless, glancing sideways

at the male, until he ran up and took it. Probably she actually

called him, but I could detect no sound. At any rate, she

presented tit-bits to him in precisely the same way as he, later

on, presented food to his chicks.


Just as the males of other gallinaceous birds will pick up

dainty morsels and gallantly present them to their wives, here

we have a casein which the order is exactly reversed, the females

unselfishly presenting the most attractive morsels to their

husbands.


On April 24th a slight nest of hay was observed in the

above-mentioned corner, and on the following day I discovered

one egg in the nest. On the 27th a second egg was laid, and a

third on the 28th, on which day the male commenced to sit, and,

although the nest was in a perfectly open place, and I was



