THE SCRATCIIER FAMILY. i7i 



All these birds feed on grain and seeds, and are provided with a strong 

 gizzard to crush the food. 



The ground is the place where they seek their food, and their strong toes 

 are usually occupied in scratching for it. They are careless nest-makers, and 

 have none of the skill ot the smaller birds. Often the nest is a mere hole 

 scratched in the ground ; nor can they utter sweet and mellow notes like the 

 smaller birds. They can cluck and crow, and scream and gobble, but there is 

 not a single musical voice among them. Some of the tribe — we might say 

 nearly all of them — are splendidly dressed, and belong to warmer countries 

 than our own. The turkey, though he is reared with great care in England, 

 is not a native of our climate. He and his companions in their native state 

 live in the forests of North America ; and his plumage is far more handsome 

 than that of his relative in England. 



The brush turkeys are natives of Australia. They are very curious birds 

 in their habits. In the spring, when the eggs are about to be laid, they set 

 to work and get together a heap of stalks, and grass, and rubbish. It takes 

 them some weeks to make the heap large enough. When the mound is 

 finished, the mother turkeys lay their eggs inside it, and leave them there to 

 be hatched by the heat of the decaying matter. But though the turkey 

 does not sit upon her eggs, she keeps to the spot, to watch over them ; 

 and she will even put in her head to look if all is going on right. 



The little ones come out of the eggs with their feathers on, and their 

 wings strong enough to enable them to fly off to the branches of the trees. 



THE CAPERCAILZIE. 



The grouse family always seem to remind us of the moors and heaths of 

 Scotland, or the mountainous parts of Europe. And such are the places in 

 v/hicli they make their home. 



They are not so gaily attired as the pheasants, and have none of the 

 handsome crests or the brilliant colours so much admired among those rare 

 and beautiful birds. There is no naked skin about the head, except one small 



