154 BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 



or flies off to another part of the brush. It is also in the 

 habit of resorting to the branches of trees as a shelter from the 

 mid-day sun — a peculiarity that greatly tends to their destruc- 

 tion ; for, like the Ruffed Grouse of America, when assembled 

 in small companies, they will allow a succession of shots to be 

 fired until they are all brought down. Unless some measures 

 be adopted for their preservation, this circumstance must lead 

 to an early extinction of this singular species — an event much 

 to be regretted, since, independently of its being an interesting 

 object for the aviary, it is an excellent bird for the table. 



While stalking about the woods the Talegallus frequently 

 utters a rather loud clucking noise ; but whether this sound 

 is uttered by the female only I could not ascertain ; still I 

 think such is the case, and that the spiteful male, who appears 

 to delight in expanding his richly -coloured fleshy wattles and 

 unmercifully thrashing his helpmate, is generally mute. 



In various parts of the brush I observed depressions in the 

 earth, which the natives informed me»were made by the birds 

 in dusting themselves. 



The stomach is extremely muscular, and the crop of one 

 dissected was filled with seeds, berries, and a few insects. 



The adults, which are nearly the size of a female Turkey 

 have the whole of the upper surface, wings, and tail blackish 

 brown ; the feathers of the under surface blackish brown at 

 the base, becoming silvery grey at the tip ; skin of the head 

 and neck deep pink red, thinly sprinkled with short hair-like 

 blackish-brown feathers ; wattle bright yellow, tinged with 

 red where it unites with the red of the neck ; bill black ; 

 irides and feet brown. 



The female, which is about a fourth less than the male in 

 size, is so closely the same in colour as to render a separate 

 description unnecessary. She also possesses the wattle, but 

 not to so great an extent. 



