//!////> /;/ /7//: MOOKUK. 500 



of excitement ; or th.-y Mould b.- heard in tin- hall or in tin- library, in search of food or 

 information ; or the\ Mould walk upsiaii-. :ui.| then qnickh : M : -aiii. making lli.-ir 

 jH-culiai .Imping, whistling noiM; not ;i d- H.I could U- left O|H-II. but in they walked. Tln-\ 



kept the servant- consumU .,n tin- alert : if went |o o|>. n tin- d.M.r, on turning round she 



found a MMiruk In-hind ln-r ; for they seldom MI-HI together, -eiienilh wandering ajM from 

 arh other. 



If an\ atl-rn|it was madi- to turn th.-m out l.\ fon-i-. they would dart rapidly about the 

 mom, dodging about under the tables, chairs, and sofas, and thru -nd liy squatting down 

 under a sofa or in a corner ; indeed, it was inq.ossib|e to remove the bird, except b\ ,-.\i\ \ing 

 it .away. On attempting this, the long muscular leg* would liegin kicking and strugi;lii 

 when it would leleased, and jNilitely walk out of ii- <>\MI accord. 1 found lh- Iwst 



mi'thcHl Mas to.-nii.,- tln-iu out as if \oii had >o!iu-tliiiiic '-atalilf in \oiir haml, M|H-H thy 

 would follow tin- din-4-tioii in Mhich you wi>h.-<l t lead lln-m. On the housemaid attempting 

 to turn the l>iii| out of one of tin- room*, it kicked her and ton- her dress. They walk into I he 

 staMes amoiitf the hurst's, |K>kin^ Jheii hillfl int.. Mi-' m.in-.-i-. \\' hfii \\ i itiu- in m\ -iiii|\.;i 

 i-hirpini;. whi>tlim: noi>- i> heard; the door, which is a jar, is pushed <'|H-n. and in walk the 

 Mooruks. wh quietly pace round the rtnnii insiHM-tin everything, and then as jxweahly go 

 out again. 



K\en in the very tame utate of these birds, I have Been sufficient of them to know that, 

 if they wen* loose in a wood, it would l>e imi>ossil>le to catch them, and almost an difficult to 

 -IMK.I them. One <la\. \\ h<-p. apparently frightened at something that occurred, I saw one of 

 them Hrour round the \ard at a swift pace, and diMappear under the archway HO rapidly that 

 the eye could hardly follow it, upsetting all the Dmitry in its progress, aa they could not get 

 out of the way. The lower half of the stable diMir, alNiut four fe-t lii^h. was kepi .-hut. to 

 prevent them going in : but this proved no obstacle, as it was easily lea | M>d over by these birds. 



''They never a pj Haired to take any notice of or In- frightened at the jabiru, or gigantic 

 crane, which wa.s in the same yard, although thai .-date, stately bird w:us not pleased at their 

 intrusion. One day I observed the jabiru spreading his longwin^. and clattering his l*-ak, 

 opposite one of the Moornks, as if in ridicule of their wingless condition. The Mooruk, on 

 the other hand, wa.s preening its feathers, and spread im: out its funny little apology for wings, 

 as if proud of display in:, the Miff, horny shafts with which they \M-H- adorned. The Mooruks 

 often throw up all their feathers, ruffling them, and then tlwy suddenly fall flat as before. 

 Their wings aid them in running, but are never used for defence. Captain Devlin says, that 

 the nath--^ cmiMder them to a certain degree sacred, and rear them as jtets. Me does not know 

 whether they are used as food, but if so, not generally; inde-d. their shy dis|M>sition. and 

 power of rapid running, darting through brake and bush, would almo-t pn-clude their capture. 



"The natives cany them in their anus. ;in<l entertain a great affection for them, which 

 will account for their domesticated state with us. The noise of these, birds, when in the yard, 

 resembled that of tin- female turkey: at other times, the j>eculiar chirping noise was accom- 

 panied by a whistling sound, which often reminded me of the chirp of the (tuinea fowl. The 

 contrast of the-- birds with the jabiru. or gigantic crane (. I//// ///// mixfmlix), was very great. 

 The M.MHuk> were sometimes s.-.-n mo\ing aUmt like the female turkey, but wen- more often 

 in a state of rapid motion or excitement; when walking quietly, they wen- \.-i\ inquisitive, 

 poking their Ix-aks into everything, and familiar with every person. The jabiru, on the other 

 hand, was a perfect picture of sedate quietness, looking upon all play as injurious to his con- 

 stitution or derogatory to his dignity, remaining stiff in his gait and serious in hi- demeanor. 

 The Mooruks, by their activity and iiois.-. Mould l.-t , -\.-iv one kno\v they Men- in the yard, 

 M hereas no one would be aware of the presence of the jabiru except by sight ; and when he 

 mores away, it is with a quiet sedate gait. 



'I'll.- Mooruk has, when seen in full face, a fine eagle like expression of countenance, 

 having the same vivid, piercing eye and curved beak. The instant the Mooruk saw an egg 

 laid by a hen. he darted npon it, and breaking the shell, devoured it immediately, as if he 

 had been accustomed to eggs all his life. A servant was opening a cask of ale; as soon as 

 the birds heard the hammering, they both ran down to it, and remained there while it was 



