44 The Zoologist — Febkoary, 1866. 



being scratched clean, while all below remained untouched, as if the 

 birds had found it more easy to convey the materials down than to 

 throw them up. The eggs are perfectly white, of a long oval form, 

 three inches and three quarters long by two inches and a half in 

 diameter. When disturbed, the waltled Talegallus readily eludes 

 pursuit by the facility with which it runs through the tangled brush. 

 If hard pressed, or when rushed upon by its great enemy, the native 

 dog, it springs upon the lowermost bough of some neiglibouring tree, 

 and by a succession of leaps from branch to branch ascends to the 

 top, and either perches there or flies off to another part of the brush. 

 It is also in the habit of resorting to the branches of trees as a shelter 

 from the mid-day sun — a peculiarity that greatly tends to their 

 destruction ; for, like the ruffed grouse of America, when assembled 

 in small companies, they will allow a succession of shots to be fired 

 until they are all brought down. Unless some measures be adopted 

 for their preservation, this circumstance must lead to an early extinc- 

 tion of this singular species — an event much to be regretted, since, 

 independently of its being an interesting object for the aviary, it is an 

 excellent bird for the table. 



" While stalking about the woods, the Talegallus frequently utters 

 a rather loud clucking noise ; but whether tliis sound is uttered by the 

 female only I could not ascertain ; still 1 think such is the case, and 

 that the spitefid male, who appears to delight in expanding his richly- 

 coloured fleshy wattles and unmercifully thrashing his help-mate, is 

 generally mute. 



" In various parts of the brush I observed depressions in the earth, 

 which the natives informed me were made by the birds in dusting 

 themselves." — Vol. ii. p. 151. 



Equally interesting and not very dissimilar is the economy of Leipoa 

 ocellata ; 1 prefer calling it by the technical name, feeling a very great 

 repugnance to the greco-latin English names which authors are now 

 pleased to confer on exotic species. The fashion was invented by the 

 French: would it were confined to that busy nation. 



Ocellafed Leipoa (Leipoa ocellala). — " This morning I had the good 

 fortune to penetrate into the dense thicket 1 had been so long anxious 

 to visit, in search of the Leipoa's eggs, and had not proceeded far 

 before the native who was with me told me to keep a good look-out, 

 as we were among the Nyou-od's hillocks; and in half an hour after 

 we found one, around which the brush was so thick that we were 



