668 D. Setli-Sinith : 



clusively that this species at any rate is polyandrous, that in 

 a wild state the female, after laying one clutch of eggs which 

 male No. 1 takes charge of and incubates, goes off and finds 

 male No. 2, and having laid a second clutch for him, proceeds 

 to find a third husband. 



Most probably all of the Tinamous are polyandrous, but 

 we cannot say for certain that this is so, without many more 

 experiments. I have proved, however, that another species, 

 belonging to a distinct genus, is also polyandrous, and I will 

 proceed to relate my experience with these birds. In the 

 autumn of 1903 1 obtained a pair of the small Tataupa Tinamou 

 (Crypturus tataupa) from Brazil. I had not had them more 

 than a few weeks when I discovered a rough nest on the 

 ground behind some sticks, in a corner of the shed which 

 formed part of their aviary. Three eggs were laid, and the 

 male commenced to sit. During incubation the female took 

 no notice whatever of the nest, but when the male left it she 

 would run to him and show off, evidently with the object of 

 inducing him to pair, which suggested that had there been a 

 second male she would have nested again immediately. 

 However, a second male was unprocurable, and it was too 

 late in the season to allow them to breed again. The three 

 eggs hatched after twenty-one days' incubation, but the 

 weather being cold, the young were not reared. The 

 following spring", however, they comuienced to breed again, 

 the full clutch consisting of six or seven eggs, and the young 

 were reared without difficulty. When the male was sitting 

 it was perfectly evident that the female wanted to find a 

 second mate. She was almost continuously calling, and never 

 failed to display to the male whenever he left the nest. 



On the 6th of June I had the good fortune to obtain a 

 second male of this species, but he was very timid and 

 apparently quite yomig, and I hardly expected that he would 

 breed that year. When this bird arrived the original male 

 had just commenced to sit on a clutch of six eggs, and the 

 female was introduced to the new bird. She at once 

 commenced to display to him but, being quite young and 

 very shy, he would have nothing to do with her, but neverthe- 

 less she made a nest and laid two eggs within three weeks 

 of the completion of the last clutch. 



