284 Post Mortem Examinations,.


necessity of caution on the part of observers in accepting results of experi-

ments on birds in captivity, but though the habits of a species may

undergo certain change after many generations, the wild habits remain

almost unaltered for the first few generations at any rate, and a careful

•observer may discover many points connected with their life-history that it

would be quite impossible to find out from the wild birds in their natural

habitat. The results, therefore, of some experiments in the breeding of

the Tinamous and Hemipodes should be entitled to consideration. In

France M. Dulaurier has experimented with the breeding of the Martinetta

or Crested Tinamou, and in England I have done so with the Tataupa

{Crypturus tataupa) and in both cases I think we have proved conclusively

that these two Tinamous at any rate are polyandrous. I would refer those

who may be interested in this subject to the Bulletin de la Societe Nationale

■d'Acclimaiation de France for October, 1903 ; to the Avicullural Magazine

for August and October, 1904; and to the Proceedings of the I Vth International

Ornithological Congress, 1905, page 667-669.


" With regard to the Hemipodes, of the breeding habits of which Dr.

Shufeldt seems to be in ignorance, as with the Rheas and Tinamous, the

males perform the duties of incubation. The male is, with most species,

not only duller but much smaller than the female, and it is as much as he

■can do to cover the clutch laid by one female, and it would be impossible for

him to incubate the combined clutches of two or more birds. Hence

polygamy would be impossible. I have kept several species of Hemipodes

in captivity, and two, the Indian Turnix tanki and the Australian T. varia,

have bred freely under my observation. The female does all the courting,

and after she has paired and laid her clutch of four eggs, and the male has

commenced to sit, she leaves him and recommences her booming call, which

suggests that were there another male available she would pair with him,

and thus show herself to belong to a polyandrous species, like the

Tinamous. The results of my experiments with Turnix were published

both in the Avicultural Magazine and in the Proceedings of the Ornitho-

logical Congress above referred to. Hemipodes are certainly not polyga-

mous, they may be strictly monogamous ; but their habits certainty tend to

suggest that they are polyandrous, though I have never been able to prove

this. David Seth-Smith."



POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS.



Grey Parrot (Mr. Thorniley). Your bird died of enteritis. It was a


female.

Bicheno Finch (Miss Gladstone). Fatty degeneration of the liver was


the cause of death. It was a hen.


Answered by post :


Mr. E. J. Brook. The Hon. Lady Harvey.



