THE WATTLED BRUSH-TURKEYS. TO3° 
Range.— North-east and East Australia. 
Habits.— Dr. Ramsay writes :—‘‘However plentiful this species 
may have been formerly in the Rockingham Bay district, it is 
now very scarce, only one having been obtained during my 
visit. They are still plentiful in the New South Wales scrubs. 
I found that two or more females visited the same mound to 
lay their eggs in, and when this is the case, the mound is 
often twice as large as usual. It seems probable that 
several individuals assist in scratching the mound together, 
when a space often fifty yards in diameter (on level ground) is 
cleared of almost every fallen leaf and twig. The mounds are 
often six feet in height, and twelve to fourteen yards wide at 
the base : sometimes they are more conical. ‘The central por- 
tion consists of decayed leaves mixed with fine dédris, the 
next of coarser and less rotten materials ; and the outside is a 
mass of recently gathered leaves, sticks, and twigs not showing 
signs of decay. In opening the nest these are easily removed 
and must be carefully pushed backwards over the sides, begin- 
ningatthetop. Having cleared these, and obtained plenty of 
room, remove the semi-decayed strata, and below it, where the 
fermentation has begun, in a mass of light fine leaf-mould, will 
be found the eggs placed with the “Azz end downwards, often 
in a circle, with three or four in the centre, about six inches 
apart. At one side, where the eggs have been first laid, they 
will probably be found more or less incubated, but in the centre, 
where the eggs are placed last, quite fresh; and if only one 
pair of birds have laid in the mound, about twelve to eighteen 
eggs will be the complement, and will be found arranged as 
described above. On the other hand, if several females resort 
to the same nest the regularity will be greatly interfered with, 
and two or three eggs in different stages of development will 
be found close to one another, some quite fresh, others within 
a few days of being hatched. There are usually ten eggs in 
the first layer, five or six in the second, three or four only in 
the centre. I found that the females returned every second 
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