708 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



crossing the dried beds of the swamps at least two miles from the 

 breeding thicket, which proves that the bird in procm-ing its food 

 docs not confine itself to the brashes around its nest, but merely 

 resorts to them for the purpose of incubating. The native informed 

 us that the only chance of procimng the bird was by stationing our- 

 selves in sight of the mound at a httle distance and remaining quiet 

 and immovable till it made its appearance at sundown. This I attemp- 

 ted, and with the native encamped within twenty yards of the mound, 

 about an hour before sunset, taking the precaution to conceal ourselves 

 well with bushes from the quick eye of the bird, but leaving just a 

 siifficient opening to get a fair sight with my gim. In a half-sitting, 

 half-crouching position I thus remained in breathless anxiety for the 

 approach of the bird I had so long wished to see, not daring to move 

 a muscle for fear of moving a branch or making a noise by crushing 

 a dead leaf, till I was so cramped I could scarcely bear the pain in my 

 Umbs. Tlie bird did not, however, make its appearance, and the native, 

 with the fear of wading thi-ough the tliicket in darkness (for there was 

 no moon), became so impatient that he started up and began to talk 

 so loud and make so much noise that I was compelled to give up all 

 hopes of seeing the bu'd that night. However, just as we were passing 

 the mound, we started the bird from the opposite side, but from the 

 denseness of the thicket and the darkness closing around us, I had no 

 chance of getting a shot at it." 



I have furnished two illustrations of egg-mounds of Mallee Hens — 

 one, in an open state, taken by Mr. D. Le Souef, in the mallee scrub, 

 Victoria ; the other, covered, taken by myself, in some '' stink "-wood 

 scrub in Western Australia. 



558. — Catheturus lathami, J. E. Gray. — (476) 

 BRUSH TURKEY. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 77. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxii., p. 468. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) , 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., pp. 152-3 (1S65) ; Ramsay : Proc. Zool. 

 Soc, p. 116 (1876); *Le Souef: Ibis, p. 15 (1899). 



Geographical Dixtribution. — Queensland and New South Wales. 



Nest. — A large rotund mound of earth, chiefly black vegetable mould, 

 with an admixture of decaying matter, some of the mounds being sur- 

 rounded with sticks. Usually situated in dense scrub or i forest. 

 Dimensions, about 12 feet in diameter at the base, or a circumference 

 of about 34 to 36 feet, and height about 2^ feet. 



Eggs. — Complement to a mound — if used by a pair of birds, twelve 

 to fifteen ; if used by several birds, i.e., three pairs, thirty-five to thirty- 

 six ; elliptical in shape, while some arc more or less compressed at one 

 end; texture of shell coarse; siu'face without gloss, and rough; colour, 



•No dimensions given. 



