THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Immature male. Differs from the adult in the absence of the chestnut patch on the breast. 
Nest. “ Constructed of dried grasses, and is placed in a slight depression in the ground under- 
neath the shelter of some convenient shrub or tuft of grass ” (North). 
Eggs. “ Four in number for a sitting, in shape pyriform, of a stone white ground colour, 
thickly freckled and blotched, and a few smudges here and there of different shades 
of umber-brown and slaty-grey, a few nearly obsolete blotches of the latter colour 
appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. Average specimen, 1.35 by .95 
inches ” (North). 
Breeding season. September to February (Ramsay). 
Grey* says : — “ They never fly if they can avoid so doing, and are often caught 
by dogs ; when disturbed, they crouch down and endeavour to hide themselves 
in a tuft of grass. While running about they are in the habit of raising themselves 
in a nearly perpendicular position on the extremities of their toes, so that the 
hinder part of the foot does not touch the ground, and of taking a wide survey 
around them.” 
Colonel V. Leggef writes: — “It was in the vicinity of the Keilor Plains [Vic- 
toria] that I met last January with this singular bird ; and as the locahty I found 
it in was a field of short English grass, I had, fortunately, ample opportunity 
of observing minutely for some time its actions and deportment. In these 
it has every resemblance to a grallatorial, and, as far as can be seen from short 
observations, very little to a rasorial bird. It runs at a medium pace hither 
and thither, checking itself and pausing at times, at the same time twisting about 
its high-carried head like a member of the Plover family. When in a state of 
quiescence, it holds itself erect with its head raised. Its mode of flight, however, 
is entirely peculiar to the bird itself ; it rises suddenly, and for a little space 
proceeds with a dipping Finch-Hke motion, and then settles down into a steady 
fluttering flight, reminding one somewhat of a young Lark. A very peculiar 
feature was exemplified in a second individual (the mate of the bird, the actions 
of which I have just described) which after I had flushed it several times, flew 
off and perched on the lower rail of a ‘ post and rail ’ fence ; it remained in this 
position for a couple of minutes and then again took flight.” 
Mr. KeartlandJ gives his experience of this bird : — “ Furnished with a pair 
of rather long legs, bare for some distance above the joint, the Wanderer can run 
very fast for a long distance, and only takes flight when suddenly startled or hard 
pressed. They will often crouch before a dog and permit themselves to be caught 
instead of retaining liberty by the aid of their wings. They are solitary in their 
habits, seldom more than one or two birds being found in a field. Whilst Quail- 
shooting on April 9th, 1892, our dog made a decided ‘ set ’ but before either of 
us got within shot he started off for about twenty yards, and again ‘ set.’ This 
* Grey in Gould’s Handh. B. Austr., II., p. 188 (1865). 
t Legge, P.Z.8., p. 237 (1869). 
{ Viet. Nat., XVII., p. 167 (1901). 
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