RASORES. 105 



altogether from eight to ten. If the natives rob the inouud, 

 the female will lay again in the same nest, Ijut she will only 

 lay the full number of eggs twice in one summer. I'roin the 

 oommencement of building, until the last eggs are hatched, 

 four moons elapse (this would give a very long period of time 

 before the eggs were hatched). The young one scratches its 

 way out alone ; the mother does not assist it. They usually 

 come out one at a time; occasionally a pair appear toge- 

 ther. The mother, who is feeding in the scrub in the vicinity, 

 hears its call and runs to it. She then takes care of the young 

 one as a European hen does of its chick. When the young 

 are all hatched, the mother is accompanied by eight or ten 

 young ones, who remain with her until they are more than 

 half-grown. The male bird does not accompany them. The 

 two sexes have different calls : that of the female is constantly 

 uttered while she walks about in the scrub with her young 

 ones. 



" The natives frequently find the eggs and nests, but they 

 seldom see the old birds, which are very timid and quick- 

 sighted. They run very fast, like the Emu, roost on trees, 

 and live for a long time without w^ater, but drink when it 

 rains. The natives state that the Entozoa which I found in 

 the bird mentioned above were unusual, and that it must 

 have been in ill health. 



" It is a remarkably stout, compact bird, and appears, 

 when alive, to have as large a body as the female Turkey, but 

 it is shorter on the legs." 



Besides the above valuable notes by Gilbert and Sir George 

 Grey, Mr. Richard Schomburgk has kindly sent me a copy of 

 the * Leopoldina,' Haft iii., October 1862, containing a com- 

 munication from him respecting this bird, which, in the main, 

 agrees with the above statements ; but he has been led to 

 believe that an interval of three or four days elapses between 

 the laying of the eggs by one female; he also j)articularly 

 remarks upon the base of the mound being sunk in tlu" 



