217



On the Nesting Habits of the Brush Turkey.



his prison and now reigns supreme, delighting us with his

lovely song, which calls up the merry happy time we spent at

beautiful Riva.



ON THE NESTING HABITS OF THE BRUSH


TURKEY.


Talegalla lathami.


By A. E. L. Bertung,


Head Keeper of the Zoological Society's Gardens.


Having read Mr. St. Quintin’s most interesting communi¬

cation in the March number of the Magazine, on the Brush

Turkeys in his possession, and thinking some of our members

may care to know the actual method in which the eggs are

deposited, I subjoin the following account as an appendix to his

paper.


The hens I think have perhaps the easiest time in family

arrangements—unless there is any particular strain in passing

the unusually large white egg—as her partner not only prepares

the receptacle for them, but takes care of the eggs afterwards.


As far as I have observed from the birds now in the Zoo¬

logical Society’s collection, the hens lay at intervals of about

five days. Shortly before the female is ready to produce the egg

the male opens the mound at the top, throwing out the material

until the heap assumes the shape of a volcanic crater. When he

has completed this to his satisfaction the hen prepares to deposit

her egg by scratching a small hole on the interior wall of the

mound, the cock anxiously looking on as if to superintend

matters. When this small hole is read}" she stands over it in a

somewhat crouching attitude but with head and neck erect, her

wings and tail being spread as if to prevent anyone from seeing

what is about to take place.


The cock, who is exceedingly amorous,—in fact, so much

so, that I wonder the females are not frequently killed—mean¬

while walks round his mate in a very restless manner, occasion¬

ally peeping under her spread wings as if in a hurry for matters

to come to a conclusion.



