Ids MK(lAPri|lllI>.«, 



and thii iy-thiee inches. There were many stones in tliis mound, which made it \ery unpleasant 

 to scratcli out. The number of egf^'s was eif;ht, two ahiiost fresh, one rotten, and the otliers 

 varying to very heavily incubated. This nesting-mound was again scratched up on the 26th 

 February, 191 1, but was much cooler (82° F.), owing probably to the nest being opened out, 

 and did not at that date contain any eggs. These nests must prove i|uite a storehouse for their 

 owners after the breeding season, as they are a shelter for beetles, centipedes, white grubs with 

 red heads in great numbers, small snails, and larvnn and chrysalids of a blue-black hornet with 

 a broad yellow band across the forehead. 



" A nesting-place examined on the 2r)th I'ebruary, 191 1, contained one fresh egg only. The 

 ground diameter thirteen feet, height three feet, top diameter hve feet, and the temperature 105° 

 F. This was evidently a very old mound, parts of it being much hardened and solid. These 

 solid places evidently affected the nesting-mound, for where they occurred the temperature was 

 quite normal, and the earth was quite cool. The mound contained the shells of several eggs 

 evidently portion of an earlier clutch, and these were arranged in a circle in the softer part 

 of the mound, where the heat was great. Another mound examined the same day contained six 

 eggs all fairly well incubated, and was about the sauie size. The temperature was 92" F"., but 

 this nesting-mound was dug late in the afternoon, and this probably affected the temperature. 

 It had been attended to by the birds in the morning, as the scratchinj^s on to the nest were quite 

 fresh and the area around the mound was scratched clean for about thirty feet on either side. 

 The mound was full of grubs and freshly hatched hornets, which latter Hew out with a buzz as 

 they were unco\ered. Eggs occurred at these distances — 24, 12, Hi, 24, s, 12 inches apart." 



Mr. S. Ivobinson writes me as follows: — " My first and only experience ot Tcili-i;iilliis latJnuni 

 was at Moongool Station, on the Yulba Creek, a tributary of the Condamine Iviver, about three 

 hundred miles north-west of Brisbane. In November, 1903, I heard of some being there, in fact 

 I saw the tracks of them walking over the road on my way to Warkon Station, on the Condamine 

 Ri\-er, and having a spare day cainped on the creek, and made a lull day's hunting for the 

 mounds, but shall not repeat the operation, for after getting into the scrub, which was not \ery 

 thick, except with Prick'ly Pear, it was only after miles of walking, and getting rather late, I 

 found one nearly hidden with Prickly Pear. It grows here from three to five feet high, and the 

 trouble to get at it I shall never forget ; howe\ er, there was the mound, and I intended to plunder 

 it, so when all Prickly Pear was cleared away set to work, and finished up by getting twenty- 

 three eggs from it, which was the only one found there. I shot one bird for the pot ne.xt 

 day, and placed it carefully in the buggy until I arrived at my destination, when to my surprise 

 there was an egg shaken out from the dead bird while travelling to Warkon Station. I also 

 found in nesting-mounds, during shearing time, seven, nine, twelve and sixteen eggs. These 

 birds are much more numerous than the Mallee-hen, and where the Prickly Pear is not too thick 

 are easily siiot if one has a good dog to run them into a tree, but like the Mallee-hen will soon 

 become scarce now the foxes have found them out." 



Mr. H. R. Elvery sent me the following notes from Alstonville, in the Richmond River 

 l^istrict. New South Wales: — " Talcgallus laihami was very plentiful in the Big Scrub of the 

 Richmond River when I arrived there in 1881. .\t that time most of the original scrub was 

 standing, and I have since watched the gradual disappearance of these birds as the scrub was 

 cleared. The extermination of the species, as far as this locality is concerned, was hastened 

 through the birds being hunted with ' 'I'urkey ' dogs, or shot. When surprised by one of these 

 dogs the Turkey would take refuge in a tree, and stupidly remain there until the sportsman, 

 attracted to the spot by the barldng of the dog, came along and shot it. I have known 

 one man, who owned a Turkey dog, secure over twenty birds in a day. After levelling down 

 a mound and removing the eggs I would leave it for the birds to reconstruct, and visit the spot 

 about every ten days. I levelled this particular mound down fi\-e times, and each time the birds 



