Vol. XX. 



ll)20 



J CnisHOLM, Byeeding of Bustai'ds. OQ 



" Great have been the arguments wiu'lhrr llie Bustard lays one 

 or more eggs," writes Mr. A. J. Campbell in " Nests and I'^ggs." 

 It was the same veteran ornithologist who introduced a dis- 

 cussion on the subject at a meeting of the R.A.O.U. at the Mel- 

 bourne Museum in January. As a result of this discussion I have 

 been interested in collecting observations upon the subject in 

 Queensland, where the noble species is still plentiful. From 

 these it would seem that if this fine Australian bird is for was) 

 usuall}' restricted to one egg to the clutch in the south, such is not 

 the case in the north. 



Mr. P. A. Tarrant (Brisbane) M'rites :— " With reference to the 

 Plain Turkey, I have always understood that this bird lays two 

 eggs to a clutch, and I remember three specific instances at 

 Croydon (N.Q.) to bear this out. On two distinct occasions I 

 surprised two chicks with their mothers, and once I dropped upon 

 the female sitting on two eggs. These eggs were on the ground, 

 in a small, bare patch surrounded by tall grass. When visiting 

 the locahty later the eggs had been hatched. In the Gulf country 

 Turkeys breed from January to April, but, as with the Black 

 Duck, a good deal depends upon the season — an early ' wet ' means 

 an early breeding, and a late wet season a late breeding. I have 

 seen, on occasions," adds Mr. Tarrant, " large numbers of Turkeys, 

 generally during March and April, flying from south to north. 

 The flight would be from just after daylight until 8 a.m., and 

 would be resumed again from 5 p.m. until dusk. These birds were 

 found to be very poor in condition, and I have no doubt they 

 were forced to leave the dry Downs country for the more favoured 

 Gulf. It is very likely they found their way back again when 

 conditions were more favourable." 



Mr. T. ]\I. Pitt, of Pittsworth (Darhng Downs), after stating 

 that on more than one occasion he ha'^ seen two Plain Turkeys' 

 eggs, or two young birds, tells this interesting story : — " On 23rd 

 December, 1873, when at a cattle muster on Boondoo Station, 

 Balonne River, about 80 miles below St. George, I saw a Turkey 

 get up, and I picked up two eggs. These I gave to Mr. Adolphus 

 Tuckerman, manager of the station, who took them home and put 

 them on the dining table. Mr. Tuckerman left the follo\\Tng 

 morning for St. George. He was away for a few days, and, as he 

 was a bachelor, the house was pretty well shut up during the 

 time. Tbe stockman's wife was surprised one day to see two 

 young Turkey's walking about on the table. The weather was 

 dry and very hot at the time." 



Further interesting notes regarchng the breeding of the Bustard 

 come from Mr. E. R. Caldwell, R.A.O.U., of Charleville, who 

 states that many bushmen claim that two eggs are more often 

 found to the clutch than one egg. " In the eighties," continues 

 Mr. Caldwell, " these birds used to come in droves on to the hot 

 plains of Northern Victoria, but it was not until I came to Queens- 

 land that I had the opportunity of finding a nest. In a paddock 

 of mine on the Darhng Downs a pair nested for three or four years 



