THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 599 



are July, August and September, Dibrugarh in July and August, 

 Gaohati, May and June, and Tezpur, June. There appear to be no 

 records of its breeding in any of the cold weather months from 

 November to March, and it would really seem as if this Hemipode, 

 unlike others of the genus, except T. tanhi hlanfordi, really had a 

 regiilar breeding season, commencing as a rule with the break of 

 the rains in the middle of Jxine, and continuing until early October. 

 The few nests I have personally seen were just like those of the 

 Common Bustard Quail, and like that bird's, the nest is sometimes 

 roughly domed, sometimes a well made pad, and sometimes a rather 

 meagre affair of grass and roots in some natural hollow. 



The nest is placed in much the same sort of position as is that 

 of its relations already described, but I think it adheres more 

 closely to grass-land for nesting purposes, and also it likes grass 

 which is rather thin and scanty with ample room to run abotit in. 



All Hemipodes, in India at all events, are very easy birds to 

 keep in captivity, and some Aviculturists at home have also been 

 very successful with these birds, and have obtained much informa- 

 tion of great interest as to their polyandrous habits. 



Mr. Seth Smith in the article, to which I have already referred, 

 gives a most interesting account of this bird's breeding habits in 

 captivity : — 



" The pair," he relates, '• as a rule, keep fairly close together, 

 but otherwise appear to take very little notice of one another. 

 As the days lengthened they seemed to become somewhat 

 interested in a certain corner. The hen would sometimes 

 squat in this corner with her breast on the ground and her tail 

 jDointing 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 hen would often 

 be seen 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 meal- 

 worm 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, 

 though I could detect no sound. At any rate, she presented 

 tit-bits to him, precisely the same way as he, later on, present- 

 ed 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 case in which the order is exactly reversed, the 

 females, most unselfishly, presenting the most attractive 

 morsels to their husbands. 



