THE aUSTARD-gUAIL 
bird of those specks whose voice is their chief asset in the 
courtship period is also designed for the |mrpost-' of attracting 
the female. These beautiful songsters, lie it noted, are more 
often than not clad in a din^y livery very different from the 
brilliant plumage of the songless birds. 
We are not altogether surprised therefore when we find 
that where the male alone broods the eggs and rears the young 
it is the female which is the larger, handsomer sex and further- 
more, the observations available seem to indicate most 
conclusively, that not only has she assumed the mantle of the 
male With regard to dress but that in doing so she has acquired 
the male character with such a thoroaghncss that she 
deliberately woos her small partner to he and is pugnacious in 
disposition ! 
Mr- W. P. Pycraft ("A History of Birds*') says: '*A 
recent writer, Mr. D. Seth-Smith has added much to our 
knowledge of this matter from his observation on captive 
species of the Australian Hemipode iTurtiiv varia). The 
courting of the female recalls tliat of the male of the Comnioo 
Pigeon, the crop being inflated with air^ the while the proud 
suitor bows and *coos' to her chosen mate. He describes 
the courting thus : 'The male squats upon the ground 
amongst short grass and the female runs round him in a circle 
with tail more or less erected and crop puffed out. She then 
stops and faces him and commences 'booming' or 'cooing' 
to him the while stamping and scratching on the ground 
with her feet. The male meanwhile answers her with low 
crooning notes. At this time the female would- very frequently 
pick up a dainty morsel, such as a grub or grain of seed, and 
holding it at the tip of her bill, would call her mate and present 
it to him. So soon as all the eggs were laid the cock 
commenced to sit. and the hen took no more notice of him, but 
commenced to boom as if to call another mate/ *' 
The above facts seem to indicate that hemipodes are 
polyandrous, a conclusion supported by other naturalists. 
[41 ] 
