132 PHASTANIDvE. 



courage with which she remains on her nest when closely 

 approached, she appears to be fully aware. She is also 

 singularly crafty in guarding against its discovery, her 

 devices in this respect exhibiting rather the presence of 

 thought than of mere instinct. She never leaves it nor 

 returns by the same approach, and always covers the 

 eggs over with dry leaves, so as to resemble the surround- 

 ing ground, during her absence in quest of sustenance. 

 In spite, however, of her precautions they are frequently 

 destroyed by other birds or by the smaller animals of the 

 forest. 



It is not uncommon to find a couple of hens on the 

 same eggs, and it is the opinion of some that they thus 

 become partners for the sake of mutual protection : one 

 or other in such instances being always left in charge. 



The eggs differ a good deal in colour and marking ; 

 those which I have seen were rather smaller and more 

 obtuse than the eggs of the domestic turkey, and in place 

 of the small reddish-brown spots with which the latter 

 are mottled, were marked with irregular blotches of a 

 darker colour. 



When the young birds are hatched, the mother leads 

 them carefully to the driest ground in the vicinity, where 

 she endeavours to keep them until they are sufficiently 

 strong to wander more at large. In a very short time 

 they are able to fly to the lower branches of the trees, on 



