96 AUSTRALIAN ZOOLOGY. 
open country. On the plains of the interior itis more abundant 
and less shy than in the settled districts. 
Nidification.—The Australian bustard breeds during Sept., 
Oct. and Nov., and lays but two eggs, on the ground without any 
nest—a small bare spot being selected among the trees on the hill- 
side ; afew small sticks and blades of grass are sometimes found 
gathered round the eggs. The eggs vary both in shape and size, 
some are thickest at an equal distance from each end ; others are 
more elongated, and widest an inch from the thicker end. In 
length they are from 3 to 3°3 inches, and trom 2:1 to 2°3 inches in 
breadth. The ground colour varies from light olive-green to olive- 
brown, having longitudinal smears, spots, and dashes of olive-brown, 
equally dispersed over the surface. In the collection of Mr. J. 
Ramsay, of Nanama, there are seven eggs of bustards: one very 
fine is of a light olive-green sparingly marked with reddish olive- 
brown. The bustard has but one brood in the season. ‘The nest of 
this bird, if worthy of the name of a nest, is often found with only 
a single egg. In the Dobroyde collection, there are 24 eggs, of these 
8 sets were found in pairs. Mr. K. H. Bennett usually found nests 
with one egg. Mr. EK. Ramsay, in 1887, found two nests at 
‘** Kerriegundah,” near Louth, N. 8. Wales, each of which contained 
_buta single egg. During 1868, however, Mr. J. Ramsay found no 
less than four nests containing two eggs each, at Nanama, N. S. 
Wales. Eggs of this bird are otensionally found oi a pale sky-blue 
tint. The wild turkey has bred in the Zoological Gardens, Mel- 
bourne, producing one young one. The Director, in describing the 
bustard’s enclosure, which is of considerable size, containing trees 
_ and shrubs, says—‘‘ The hen bird lays only one egg, depositing it on 
the bare ground.” Perhaps it was Mr. Le Souef’s experience to find 
‘only one egg” as Mr. K. H. Bennett usually did, but Dr. Ramsay 
- has adduced evidence to show that, in New South Wales the 
bustard sometimes lays two eggs. 
How shot.—In the early days of colonization, the Australian 
bustard was easily obtained ; but as it became more wary of man 
aud his firearms, various devices had to be resorted to such as :— 
the sportsman advancing beside a horse and concealed as much as 
possible by it, driving or riding round a bird or birds and gradually 
reducing the circle till within shot, several sportsmen acting in 
concert. This is done on the plains near Gunnedah, thus: The 
party divides, when a bird is discovered, or perhaps a pair, for they 
are not numerous ; the shooters lie in ambush among the long grass, 
the others advance upon the game in such a way as to drive the 
birds towards the shooters, or make them fly over the concealed 
men, who then spring up and fire at them on the wing. As the 
wild turkey is threatened with extinction in Victoria, the Age says 
its sale in that colony is prohibited ; it is permitted in New South 
Wales. When the Archduke of Austro-Hungary visited Sydney 
in 1893, he was escorted by the Hon. F. B, Suttor to Mullengudgery, 
the squatters of the stations near at hand having placed their pro- 
perties at the Archduke’s disposal for the time. The feature of the 


