300 On the Breeding of Turnix Varia.


back of the head, and narrow white stripes passing from the

base of the upper mandible over the eyes to the back of the head ;

chin and throat white.


They grow very rapidly, and at ten days old are able to fly.

On June 23rd, when sixteen days old, they were perfectly

feathered and capable of existence without their parent, who was

taken away from them and put back with the female. By the

first of July the young were equal in size to and in plumage

resembled the adult male, the only difference being that many

of their feathers retained the nestling-down at the tips.


As I have said, the female continued her booming call-

note while her mate was occupied with the cares of incubation,

and when he left the nest to feed she would immediately com¬

mence to display to him and did not give him much peace until

he returned to the nest, when she would wander off and continue

her booming. This showed an evident desire to pair again,

which desire would without much doubt have been gratified had

there been a second male available. When the male was restored

to her after rearing the young, she commenced a search for a

new nesting site at once, and within three days had made a nest

and laid an egg, which was followed by three more during the

next three days. The cock however refused to sit, and I

imagine the eggs were infertile. Again the female made a nest

and laid the first egg of a third clutch on July 6th, the other

three being laid in various parts of the aviary. They were

collected and put into the nest but the male refused to sit. *


The reason for the male not sitting a second time may

have been that, being a polyaudrous species, the same male

would probably, under natural conditions, only be required to

incubate one clutch of eggs during the season.


When we consider the polyandrous habits of the

Hemipodes the question naturally arises as to what becomes of

the numerous progeny which must be hatched, and why is it

that the Bustard Quails are not extremely numerous in their

native countries ? It must be remembered, in the first place,

that whereas the true Quails lay from six to a dozen or more eggs



* A fourth nest was finished and the first egg laid on July 14th, and the male is now

(July 22nd) sitting steadily on four eggs.



