XSSTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. yii 



Mr. H. R. Elvcry, of xVlstouville, Ricliiiiond River district, removed 

 from a mound eggs of tlio Brush Tiu-kuy tliat were nearly incubated, 

 and phwed them in an ordinary incubator. When the young was ready 

 to be hatched it did not chip tlie shell, after the manner of domestic 

 poultry, but, with a shake or a sti'Uggle, the shell, which is exceedingly 

 brittle at this stage, burst or exploded into small pieces. When the 

 young emerged, each feather was encased in a kind of conical-shaped 

 gelatinous aip, which fell off as soon as it was dry, and the feather 

 expanded. When liberated in the yard, the yomig bird ran strongly, 

 c;u-iyiug its head downward, like a Quail threading grass. 



During one season (18'J7), from the same mound, Mr. Elvery took 

 tliii'ty-five eggs in five visits between the dates of 25th September 

 and IGth November. There appeared to be three, if not four, types 

 of eggs in the lot. 



A would-be egg robber was once in the act of demolishing a mound 

 for plunder, but instead of coming to a white egg he touched one of the 

 smooth coils of a black snake. Retm-uing with a stick, he saw the other 

 side of tlie mound nio\'ing and out popped snake nmnber two, which was 

 despatched before number one snake received similar attention. 



ConcemLng Brash Tiu'keys in captivity, Mr. D. Le Souef writes : 

 '■ The young, when hatched, are a dark-brown colour, and difficidt to 

 detect in the scmb. They glow qiuckly, and in nine months are barely 

 distinguishable from their parents. They are easily kept in confine- 

 ment ; but, being very pvignacious, the males have to be separated when 

 the nesting season comes on. Two years ago, in the Melboume Zoo- 

 logical Gardens, there were several of these birds in one enclosiu-e. 

 Ihcy made a mound, but had not enough vegetation in it to cause 

 sufficient heat to hatch the fifty-six eggs that were laid m it, consequently 

 they were all addled. Last season only a pair was left in, and I had 

 the mound made up for them, and when one bird had finished laying, 

 had another prt in : she also laid in the mound — one bird laying twelve 

 eggs and the other thu-teen. Seventeen yoimg were hatched and made 

 their own way out. Sixteen of these were reared to matmity, and the 

 one that died did so immediately on escaping from the mound — the 

 other eight eggs were addled." 



At the same Gardens where these birds have been successfully 

 reai-ed, Mr. Sherbom-ne Le Souef has watched the Brush Turkey 

 depositing her egg. She first scratches out a hole about 10 inches deep, 

 neai' the top of the momid, and enters it to lay, her head and portions 

 of neck only being visible above ground. All the time she is occupied 

 at the mound the male bird persecutes her, apparently endeavouring to 

 drive her away. As soon as the egg is laid she leaves, and the male at 

 once scrapes a few leaves, &c., into the hole, and getting in, tramples 

 them well down round the egg, which he first fixes in a perpendicular 

 position. He repeats the operation of scraping in debris several times 

 till the hole is completely filled. 



