THE EXHIBITION OF 1862. 171 
though of a different class, — the Dodo, but recently extinct, 
formed an attractive and prominent feature. 
The most gigantic species, however, of these wingless birds 
Avas Avell represented by a beautiful model of a skeleton, in the 
Austrian court, among’ the illustrations of the late Govern- 
ment exploring expedition undertaken in the Novara frigate. 
This bird, the Palajpteryx ingens of the palaeontologist, was 
found in a cave in the AAvatere valley, in the province of 
Nelson, south isle of New Zealand. The original skeleton is 
at Vienna. But that which gives these birds their greatest 
interest is the possibility, or even probability, that one species — 
it may not be the largest — is still existent, though rare, in the 
middle island of New Zealand, Avhere it is called by the natives 
the Mo a. Fragments of the eggs of some of these great birds 
have also been discovered in New Zealand, bearing a great 
resemblance to those of the Apteryx, having a thin shell and 
smooth surface. The Emeu ( Dromceus Novae Hollandice) is the 
Australian representative of the ostrich tribe, of large size. 
This fleet bird, which affords excellent sport to the hunter, is 
also gradually disappearing before civilization, though at pre- 
sent rather widely diffused over South Australia and the 
neighbouring islands. Its eggs, Avhich might be seen in the 
Western Australian department, are dark green, and six or 
seven in number. Some tippets and muffs also Avere exhibited, 
formed of the feathers or skin of a newly distinguished species, 
first recognized by Mr. Bartlett. 
In the South Australian court also Avas exhibited the Tale- 
gal I a (Avith a representation of its nest), another of those cha- 
racteristic birds with which these regions abound. Mr. Gould, 
Avho visited Australia with the ardent enthusiasm of a true 
ornithologist, has given us the best account of this bird, and 
places it among the Basores (or domestic fowl tribe), and con- 
siders it as the Australian representative of the Turkey, Avhich 
it equals in size. 
The Talegallas are gregarious and shy, rapidly running 
through the tangled brushwood. They utter a loud clucking 
noise as they stalk about the Avood ; and, like the raffed grouse 
of America, Avhen perched on the branch of a tree, they will 
sit composedly to be shot at repeatedly till they are all brought 
doAvn. The most Avonderful part, however, of the history of 
this bird is its nest. It collects together a great heap of 
decaying vegetables as the place of deposit of its eggs ; thus 
making a liofhcd, arising from the decomposition of the col- 
lected matter, by the heat of Avhich the young are hatched. 
Mr. Gould describes this heap as the result of several Aveeks’ 
collection by the birds previously to their laying, and as vary- 
ing in quantity from two or four cartloads, and of a perfectly 
n 2 
