.VESTS AND EGGS 01' AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 709 



pm-p white, more or less stained with tlie earth of the mouud. Dimeii- 

 sious iu inches of four eggs from the same moimd : (1) 3-85 x 2-42, 

 (2) 3-57 X 2-35, (3) 3-55 x 2-37, (4) 3-o x 2-38. Apparently four types, 

 selected from a full mound (35 eggs) : long oval, 3-7 x 2-42 ; elliptically 

 incUncd, 3-44 x 2-38 ; elliptical, 3-63 x 2-36 ; oval, 3-67 x 2-2. The eggs 

 ;u-e placed small ends downward in circles or tiers; but the exact 

 uumljcr of eggs to a circle and the distances apart of both eggs and 

 cii-cles are not definitely settled. 



Observations. — Of :ill the ti-uly remarkable denizens of the dense 

 Eastern scrubs probably none is more extraordinary than the singular 

 Wattled Talegallus, or so-called Brush Turkey — a mound-raising bird. 



Gould possibly ovei--reached the southern limits of the range of the 

 Talegallus when lie recorded that it was at Cape Howe. But it wa.s 

 foi-merly common in the district of Illawarra. From thence the Tale- 

 gallus has been found up to the Cape York Peninsula. It is also 

 found in some localities inland from the coastal ranges. 



My introduction to this peculiar bird was also pecuUar. Dirring our 

 delightful Cardwell camp there was a bush fire in the vicinity, which 

 caused luany birds to shift quarters, including several TalegalU, wliicli 

 passed close to us, running in Indian file. While in locomotion their 

 bodies assimied a curious forward dip, probably their natural carnage 

 when travelling thi'ough scnxb, which they thread readily and with 

 rapidity. 



Altliough it was close upon the breeding season of the Talegallus when 

 I reached the brigalow scnibs of Coomooboolaroo, these birds had not 

 even commenced to reconstruct their mounds, on account of a distressing 

 di'ought then existing. But during another sea.son, further down the 

 Continent, within the shades of the " Big Scrub," Richmond River, I 

 was fortunate enough to fall in with an egg mound, which made an 

 e.Kcellent subject for a photogi'aphic picture (see illustration). The 

 mound also yielded eight eggs, wliich were embedded at a temperatiu'e 

 of 94 degi-ees, or 4 degrees lugher than the prevailing atmosphere. 

 It was the lltli November (1891). I shall never forget the joy of 

 unearthing the hidden eggs in that sultry atmosphere. The " sweet " 

 toil caused great beads of perspiration to roll oft" the faces of my mate 

 and self, not to mention another " joy " — the coming into contact with 

 stinging trees that grew about the immense moimd. It is stated that 

 the male birds mostly perfonn the work of moimd building. 



The eminent naturahst, Gould, was much elated because of the fact 

 that he was the first to make known the wonderful habits of the Tale- 

 gallus, and immediately upon these habits becoming known to him, he 

 wTote from Sydney, 5tli April, 1840, and published an accoimt in the 

 first volume of the " Tasmanian Joiunal " of that year, without waiting 

 for his own great work. Tlie following Lncludes a recapitulation of some 

 of the remarks as they afterwards appeared in his book : — 



" The most remarkable circumstance connected with the economy 

 of this species is the fact of its eggs not being incubated in the manner 

 of other birds. At tlie commencement of the spring the Wattled Tale- 

 gallus scratches together an immense heap of decaying vegetable matter 



