The Game'birds and Rails 



411 



The Megapodes and Brush-turkeys, though dull and uninteresting-looking birds, are, on 

 account of the facts connected with the propagation of their species, quite remarkable. They 

 do not brood over their eggs, as do other birds, but instead bury them, either in sand in 

 the neighbourhood of warru springs or in heaps of decaying vegetable matter. In the latter 

 case the material is often collected by several birds working together. IMounds of 8 feet high 

 and 60 feet in circumference have been found, the work of the Nicobar Meuapode. Such 

 have been many years in use, material being added each season. Into this mass the female 

 digs down and deposits an egg every second day, covering it up as soon as laid. There 



it remains till hatched, when the young, 

 23robably aided by its mother, forces its way 

 up to the surface, and emerges, not a downy 

 nestling as one would expect, but clothed with 

 feathers differing but slightly in texture from 

 those worn in the adult state. Owing to the 

 precocious development, young megapodes are 

 able to fly within an hour after birth. 



There are many different kinds of mega- 

 podes occurring in Australia, Samoa, and the 

 Nicobar and Philippine Islands. 



The Curassows and Guans are very hand- 

 some birds, but probably quite unknown to 

 most of our readers, yet they may always be 

 seen in Zoological Gardens. They are closely 



Phnio bij Scholusia- Photo. Co.] [Pnrso.is Oreen. 



EAZOR-BILLED CDRASSOW. 



So called from the sharp ridge along the top of the beak. 



related to the megapodes, which we have just 

 been discussing; but their nesting habits are 

 quite different. They lay their eggs in nests, 

 either on the ground or in trees, and brood 

 over them like other birds. jMany have 

 brilliantly coloured bare skin on the head 

 and handsome crests. They are natives of 

 Central and South America, where they are 

 often kept by the settlers, as they tame easily. 

 It is said that one of the guans, when crossed 

 with the domesticated fowl, becomes intensely 

 pugnacious, and superior to the game-cock for 

 fighting purposes. 



Plotolj ^ lot t Fl 10 I ] [/ t 01S& 



CHESTED OUEASSOW. 

 So called from its crest of culled feathers. 



Bustard-quail and Plain-wanderers. 



These are small and quail-like in appearance, though they are probably only distant 

 relatives of the Game-birds. But they are, nevertheless, remarkable birds. A great authority, 

 Mr A Hume writing of the Indian Bustard-quail, says of them : " The most remarkable 

 point in the life-history of these bustard-quails is the extraordinary fashion m which, amongst 

 them the position of the sexes is reversed. The females are the larger and handsomer birds. 

 The females only call, the females only fight-natives say that they fight for the males, and 

 probably this is true. The males . . only ... sit upon the eggs, the females meanwhile 

 larking about, calling, and fighting, without any care for their obedient mates; and, lastly, the 

 males tend . . the young brood." 



