on Breeding Turnix nigricollis in German Bird-rooms. 201


calling and tremulously moving its tail, until the youngster,

becoming attentive, after much trying and many unsuccessful

pecks, at length picks it out and eats it. Of itself it never takes

the least thing from the ground : during the first days it sits a

good deal on its hinder parts, and in this extraordinary upright

position it also pecks at the food held in front of it. Even from

the first day it pecks into water.


Then he goes with rapid step to the place where loose

sand invites to a bath, the young one still as a little mouse close

behind him ; whereupon the young one being somewhat dis¬

concerted watches the burrowing of the old one. After a few

seconds they again hurry off into the sheltering thicket.


So it goes on from dawn to eve ; their activity takes a

different direction every minute ; their pleasing movements and

positions change almost perpetually.


So long as the youngster was still quite small the female

walked close to it, especially in the vicinity of the nest, with

great strides, proudly erect and nodding in measured fashion,

exactly as if she were ready to try conclusions with every enemy.

Now the male Painted Quail was scarcely permitted to wink,

before she would run towards it with lowered bill, spread wings,

and bristling neck and back feathers ; still at the worst it

avoided the onslaught by getting out of the way, so that such

warlike exhibitions were of little consequence.


The cock was extremely gentle towards the tiny finches :—

Scarcely was the young Hemipode recognizable by its feeble

piping before nearly the entire commonwealth of the bird-room,

full of curiosity, hopped about and fluttered round the nest, sat

on all the twigs and on the ground, stretched their necks, flirted

their tails, and indulged in a long and lively conversation.

Indeed, the most intrepid Vinaceous Waxbills were daring

enough even to peep into the nest, so that they almost touched

the sitting male. The latter only protested by feeble pecking,

whereas a single stroke of the bill would have sufficed to put an

end to their existence.


In the second week the young Hemipode began now and

again to pick up a little food for itself from the ground ; in the

third week it ate almost unaided, was moreover little brooded,

but was still led about.



