THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
“ The young run as soon as hatched, and their appearance then assimilates 
so closely to that of the young Partridges and Quails that they can scarcely 
be distinguished. 
“ The food of this species consists of insects, grain, and berries ; of the former 
many kinds are eaten, but locusts and grasshoppers form the principal part ; 
a considerable quantity of sand is also found in the gizzard, which is very thick 
and muscular.” 
Mr. G. A. Keartland* * * § observes : — “ They are very local in their habits and 
feed largely on insects, but they fly swiftly when disturbed and run rapidly 
on alighting. They are highly esteemed as game.” 
Mr. A. J. Northl writes : — “ This bird sits very close and wiU allow itself 
to be almost trodden upon before leaving its eggs or young.” 
Mr. A. W. Milligan J remarks : — “ They are early breeders, young birds 
having been obtained in August. Owing to a decided preference to rely upon 
their running powers, they are difficult to flush, but when flushed they fly with 
great speed and offer excellent sport.” 
From Mr. Seth-Smith’s§ notes from observations of this species in captivity 
I gather the following : — 
In May the female began to display before the male by running backwards 
and forwards in front of him with tail erect and crop puffed out like that of a 
Pouter pigeon. The male squats down amongst the grass, and the female runs 
round him in a circle with tail more or less erected and crop extended and carried 
close to the ground. Having run round him once or twice, she stands facing 
him at a distance of perhaps a foot or eighteen inches, and commences ‘booming’ 
or ‘ cooing ’ to him hke a cock-pigeon, at the same time stamping and scratching 
with her feet, while the male responds with a faint chuckling note. An egg was 
laid each day for flve days. Incubation lasted thirteen days. The male took 
charge of the young, the female taking no notice of them. When the young 
were ten days old they could fly, they then took everything from the bill of the 
male. When sixteen days old they were independent. 
The bird described and figured is a female, collected in New South Wales in 
December, 1889. The male and young were collected in South-West Australia 
by Mr. Tom Carter. 
* Birds Melb. Dist., p. 112 (1900). 
t Auatr. Mus. Gat., No. 12, p. 286 (1889). 
.■f Nat. Hist. West Auatr., p. 120 (1903). 
§ Avicultural Magazine, 1905. 
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