222 Zoological Society : — 



feet. in. 



Length of pectoral 2 



Height of pectoral 9 



of body at anterior end of dorsal .... 4 



of body at origin of tail 1 4 



From gape to muzzle 2 



Vertical height of forehead from gape 1 8 



from insertion of upper jaw . . 10 



From eye to gape 2 



From eye to spiracle 2 



Girth at the dorsal 11 



From cloaca middle to navel middle 5 



From pectoral to pectoral, beneath 1 8 



The latter measurement shows a character that the figures gene- 

 rally misrepresent, the closeness and lowness of the pectoral fins : they 

 are generally represented as if they were about one-third up the sides 

 of the body, and consequently far apart ; but Mr. Beardsworth par- 

 ticularly says that they are so low on the sides, that a stick placed 

 across the body, under the fins, would touch the base of each. 



Notes on the Reproduction of the Australian Wattle- 

 bird (Talegalla lathami) in the Society's Gardens. 

 By a. D. Bartlett. 



The pair of Talegallas kept in the Gardens of the Society, during 

 the spring and summer of the present year formed a large mound 

 composed of leaves, grass, earth, and other materials. Within 

 this mound the female deposited twenty eggs. The time of laying, 

 the interval of time betioeen each egg, and the period of incubation 

 are at present unknown to me. 



But on the morning of the 26th of August a young Talegalla 

 crept out of the mound, and, quite regardless of its parent, ran about 

 searching for worms and other insects, upon which it fed with as 

 much adroitness and apparent knowledge as the chick of a common 

 fowl would exhibit at a month old. 



Towards night this young bird flew about among the branches of 

 the trees and shrubs in search of a safe roosting-place, and, having 

 selected one about 6 feet from the ground, settled down and appeared 

 as comfortable and unconcerned as an adult bird, — the female taking 

 no notice whatever of her offspring. 



Upon carefully looking into the mound two days afterwards (on the 

 28th), I observed a second young bird moving about and busily 

 engaged cleaning its feathers with its bill, the wing-feathers at this 

 time being encased in quill-sheaths. This young bird remained in the 

 mound about twenty-four hours after it had escaped from the shell; and 

 during this time the wing and other feathers were freed from their 

 covering, so that the bird was enabled to fiy immediately upon quit- 

 ting the mound, which it did on the morning of the 29th. This second 

 young bird conducted himself in the same manner as his predecessor. 

 The two young birds took no notice whatever of each other, or of 

 the old female, the three birds appearing perfectly independent of 



