60 The Zoologist — February, 1866. 



spermum that if you stray from the native paths it is almost impossible 

 to force your u ay tliruiigli. 



" There is only one male and one female to each mound : they repair 

 an old mound, and do not build a new one; both assist in scratching 

 the sand to the nest. Tlie female commences laying about the bei^in- 

 ning of September, or when the spear-grass begins to shoot. Both 

 sexes approach the nest together when the female is about to lay, and 

 they take an equal share in the luboiir of covering and uncovering the 

 mound. After every smu-ise the female lays an egg, and lays altogether 

 from eight to ten. If the natives rob the mound, the female will lay 

 again in the same nest, but she will only lay the full nnnd)er of eggs 

 twice in one snujuier. From the conuuencemenl of building until the 

 last eggs are hatched four moons elapse (this would give a very long 

 period ol' time before the eggs were hatched). The young one scratches 

 its way out alone; the mother does not assist it. They usually come 

 out one at a time; occasionally a pair ajipear togetlier. The mother, 

 who is feeding in the scrub in tiie vicinity, hears its call and runs to 

 it. She then takes care of the young one as a European hen does of 

 its chick. W hen the young are all hatched, the mother is accompanied 

 by eight or ten young ones, who remain with her until they a>e more 

 than lialf-grown. The male bird does not accompany them. Tiie two 

 sexes have dili'erent calls; that of the female is constantly uttered 

 wdiile she walks about in the scrub with her young ones. 



"The natives Irequently find the eggs and nests, but they seldom 

 see the old birds, which are very timid and quick-sighted. They run 

 verv fast, like the emu, roost on trees, and live for a long time without 

 water, but diink when it rains. The natives state that the Entozoa 

 which I found in the bird mentioned above were unusual, and that it 

 must have been in ill health. 



" It is a remarkably stout, compact bird, and appears when alive to 

 have as large a body as the female turkey, but it is shorter on the legs." 



To l,his Mr Gould adds — 



" Besides the above valuable notes by Gilbert and Sir George Grey, 

 Mr. Richard Schomburgk has kindly lent me a copy of the 'Leo- 

 poldina,' Haft iii., October, 186*2, containing a communication from 

 him resjiecting this bird, which in the main agrees with the above 

 statements, but he has been led to believe that an interval of three or' 

 four days elapses between the laying of the eggs by one female ; he 

 also particularly remarks upon the base of the mound being sunk in 



