HISTORY OF MAURITIUS- 
brown. They have a kind of band, resembling what is-called a widow’s peak, at 
the top of the bill, which is of a tan colour. They take great care to keep their 
feathers in a nice state of arrangement, and to clean themselves with their beak. 
The feathers that cover the thighs are curled- at the end, so as to have the appearance 
of shells; and, as they are very thick, produce an agreeable effect. They have 
two projections on the crop, which are formed of feathers whiter than the rest, and 
curiously represent the bosom of a woman. 
“ These birds walk with so much stateliness and grace, as must excite the admi¬ 
ration of all who behold them; and they have often been indebted for their lives, 
to their pleasing appearance. Though they appear rather of a familiar disposition 
when they are left to themselves, it is impossible to domesticate them. Whenever' 
they are taken, they shed tears without making the least noise, and obstinately refuse 
all kind of food; so ,that they soon die from the want of nourishment. Their gizzard 
is always found to contain a brown stone, of the size of an hen’s egg, and of a 
rugged exterior: it is flat on one side and round on the other, and is very heavy 
and hard. This stone appears to be born with them, as they are found to contain 
it when quite young: besides, the channel that passes from the stomach to the 
gizzard is much too narrow to afford a passage for it. We made use of this stone, 
in preference to any other, to sharpen our knives. 
<s This bird builds its nest upon an heap of palm leaves, which it raises about a 
foot and an half from the ground for that purpose. It lays but one egg, which is 
larger than that of our European goose. The cock and hen both sit on it in their 
turns; and the time necessary for hatching extends to seven weeks. During the 
whole period of incubation and nourishing the nestling, which is not capable of 
supporting itself for several months after its birth, the parent birds 4b not suffer 
any of their kind to approach them : the hen reserving to itself the right of driving 
away the intrusive females, and the cock exercising his office, of guarding the pri¬ 
vileged spot against male intruders. Each calling ,foe other, as occasion requires, 
to perform the duty assigned it. 
When the young bird is in a state to maintain itself, the parents continue their 
union. We often remarked, fabulous as it may appear, that, within a few’days after 
the young one has quitted the nest, a troop of thirty, or forty of the old ones 
brought another of the same age to the spot ; where the former with its parents, 
joined the troop, and they all proceeded to some retired place; when:the elder 
birds retired in pairs, and left the two young ones to themselves. As we frequently 
