on the Breeding in Captivity of the Tataupa Tinamou. 291


newly laid egg, which is an extremely beautiful object, as in fact

are the eggs of all the Tinanious. I think I can best describe

the colour as rich pink chocolate, and the surface is highly

glossed. The colour of the egg unfortunately fades rapidly after

it is blown. I was shown one in the British Museum, the only

one in the collection, which was a dirty whitish colour—about as

different to the thing when fresh as it could possibly be. The

egg measures 1-65" x 1.25".


At page 104 of the present volume I called attention to a

most interesting account of the breeding in captivity of the

Martineta Tinamou ( Calopezas elegans ), by M. Delaurier, in

France, and I pointed out that he had proved this species to be

polyandrous, and I suggested that most probably all of the

Tinamous, and perhaps some other orders, would prove to be

so when their habits were known. Although the evidence that I

am able to bring forward is perhaps not quite as conclusive as it

might be, I have at any rate quite satisfied myself that polyandry

is the order of things with the species now under consideration,

and I think there can be little doubt that it obtains in all of the

Tinamous. I have stated above that the female, very soon after

having laid a clutch of eggs, showed unmistakably that she

wished to pair again with the original male, no other being then

at hand. On the first of June I heard from Mr. Thorpe, of

Hull (the dealer from whom I obtained the original pair of

Tataupas) that he was expecting a single bird of this species

in a few days, and, being anxious to prove whether this species

were polyandrous, I asked him to send it on immediately it

arrived, hoping that it would prove to be a male. It arrived

on the 6th, and I could tell from its small size that it was cer¬

tainly a male, so I was glad to keep it.


At this time the original male had just commenced to sit

on a batch of six eggs ; nevertheless the female, when intro¬

duced to the new male, showed unmistakable signs that she was

not only willing but anxious to nest again immediately. But

having been so very recently imported, and being unusually

timid, the new bird would have nothing whatever to do with

her ; but she made a nest behind some logs of wood and laid



