26 
On the morning of the 26th of August, a young telegalla crept 
out of the mound, and quite regardless of its parent, ran about in 
search of worms and other insects, upon which it fed with as 
much adroitness and apparent knowledge as the chick of a com¬ 
mon fowl would exhibit at a month old. Towards night this 
young bird flew about among the branches of the trees and 
shrubs in search of a safe roosting-place, and, having selected one 
about six feet from the ground, settled down, and appeared as 
comfortable and unconcerned as an adult bird—the female 
taking no notice whatever of her offspring. Upon looking 
into the mound two days afterwards (28th), a second young 
bird was observed moving about, and busily engaged cleaning 
its feathers with its bill, the wing feathers being at this 
time enclosed in quill sheaths. This young bird remained in 
the mound about twenty-four hours after it had escaped from 
the shell; and during this time, the wing and other feathers 
were freed from their covering, so that the bird was enabled to 
fly immediately upon quitting the mound, which it did on the 
morning of the 29th. This second young bird conducted 
himself in the same manner as his predecessor. The two 
young birds took no notice whatever of each other, or of 
the old female—the three birds appeared perfectly independent 
of each other—eating, drinking, and roosting separately, and, 
although an occasional small voice was heard from the young 
birds, it did not appear to indicate or excite any notice among 
them. These young birds grow amazingly—so rapidly, that at 
the age of three months they can scarcely be distinguished from 
the adult birds. Iu this colony it is about the month of October 
that the young birds make their appearance, at which season 
of the year their food—the grasshopper—is also found very 
abundant. 
From the preceding observations it appears that two or three 
days may elapse between the laying of each egg. The young 
birds will consequently come out* of the mound in the order in 
which the eggs were laid, as it is evident that incubation must 
commence immediately the egg is laid. If, therefore, twenty 
eggs are laid in forty or sixty days, there must he this number 
of days’ difference in the age between the first and the last of the 
brood, and no two of the young birds could possibly be of the 
same age. 
Perhaps the most remarkable feature connected with this bird 
is the very perfect development of the young, reminding ns 
strongly of the next division of the vertebrate animals (the reptilia). 
