THE OOLOGIST. 55 



These birds are gregarious in habits, as- l ply of materials previously to laying. The 

 sociating iu small flocks, and inhabiting the mode in which the materials comprising 

 dense brush wood. They are extremely these mounds are accumulated, is equally 

 shy and wary. They are very swirt-footed, singular ; the bird never using its beak, but 

 and owing to the nature of the localities always grasping a quantity in its foot, 

 which they inhabit, easily escape from pur- throwing it backward to one common cen- 

 suit. The greatest enemy of the Brush ter, and thus clearing the surface of the 

 Turkey is the wild dog, and when closely ground for a considerable distance so corn- 

 pursued by them, it hops upon the lower pletely, that scarcely a leaf or a blade of 

 branches of a tree, and by hopping from one grass is left. 



branch to another reaches the top ; the en- "The heap being accumulated, and time 

 tire flock acting together and having ascend- allowed for a sufficient heat to be engen- 

 ed to the top, either remain there oi- fly to dercd, the eggs are deposited, not side by 

 some distant spot where greater coucealnient side, as is ordinarily the case, but planted 

 is offered. They also take to the trees to at the distance of nine or twelve inches from 

 escape the heat of the sun at mid-day, and j each other, and buried at nearly an arm's 

 while thus perched are easily destroyed. A ' depth perfectly upright, with the large end 

 whole flock may thus be shot before they upwards. They are covered up as they are 

 are aroused from their repose — hardly a laid, and allowed to remain until hatched, 

 sportsmanlike amusement, but still furnish- 1 have been credibly inf(jrmed both by na- 

 ing a desirable luxury for the table, which tives and settlers living near their haunts, 

 is more to the purpose with the majority of that it is not unusual to obtain nearly a 

 the colonists. Its food consists of berries bushel of their eggs at one time from a sin- 

 and various seeds. Like others of its tribe gle heap, and as they are delicious eating, 

 it bathes in the dry dust, nuiking large they are eagerly sought for." 

 bare spots. 1 Some of the natives say that the female 



The most remarkable circumstance con- is constantly in the vicinity of the heap, 

 cerning this bird is its method of nesting waiting for the eggs to hatch, and that they 

 and incubation. The eggs are collected to- sometimes uncover them as if for the pur- 

 gether into an '•^evcaleohion" where they pose of liberating the young. Others deny 

 are hatched with the trouble incident to oth- this, and say that the eggs are altogether 

 er birds. Mr. Gould gives an accurate and Ibrsakeu, and the young left to liberate 

 interesting account of its nesting habits, themselves. Mr. Gould inclines to the lat- 

 from which I quote: "■The Brush Tur- ter opinion, as the position of the eggs is 

 key collects together an immense heap of not altered, and although he was not in the 

 decaying vegetable matter as a depository districts inhabited by this bird during the 

 of its eggs, and trusts to the heat engender- incubation, he once foimd in searching for 

 ed by the process of decomposition, for the eggs a young bird, apparently just hatched, 

 development of the young. The heap em- It was covered, not with down, but with 

 ployed for this purpose is collected by the feathers, and if just hatched, was much 

 birds during several weeks previous to the further advanced than the domestic fowl at 

 period of laying. It varies in size from two the same time. The nest is placed in a re- 

 to four cart-loads, and is of a perfectly py- tired spot, usually in a shady glen, and on 

 ramidal form. The construction of the hea[) the slope of a hill. The ground above the 

 is not the task of one pair of birds, but is nest is always scratched clean, while below 

 effected by the united efforts of several ; the it is apparently untouched, as if the bird 

 same site appears to me, from the. great had brought the nuiterial down the hill, 

 size and the entire decomposition of the low- ^ The eggs are perfectly white, of a long o- 

 er part, to be resorted to for several years val, and three inches and three-quarters in 

 in succession, the birds adding a fresh sup- length. 



