Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02
MoUND-BUILDING BIRDS.
Curious Habits of the Brush Turkeys
Of Australia.

From the Westminster Gazette.
The continent of Australia, rich in ma
tural curiosites, both in form and habits
is the home of the Megapodes, the So
called brush-turkeys and mallee-hens
which possess the extraordinary habit of
depositing their eggs in prepared excava-
lions in the ground and leaving the incuba-
ton of the eggs to the natural heat engen-
dered In these carefully tended ovens. The
family of Megapodes includes several
species, and all are peculiar to the Aus
tralian region-a region which includes New
Guinea the Malayan and most of the Pa
cific Islands, where many of these NOR
phologically low forms of the game fowl
group are to be found.
For nearly three centuries the tales
brought over to Europe concerning this rep
lillian habit of burying eggs and leaving
them to be Matched by natural heat were
regarded as travellers tales, and generally
discredited by naturalists. 1t was not until
1921 that naturalists woke to the fact that
these old traveller tales were true. and that
there really existed group with these ex-
traordinary nesting habits.
In this short sketch of their habits It will
be well to confine ourselves only to those
OF the continent proper of Australia.
The waited talegallus, or brush-turkey,
is a bird nearly large the hen turkey
of our farmyards, and it's outward resem-
blance to that familiar bird has gained for
1t it's popular Australian name In the very
early spring Il he male birds scratch together
with their powerful feet a large heap OF
damp and decaying leaves and vegetable
matter until big pyramidal mound Is
formed. This work is in preparation for
some considerable time before the eggs are
to be laid in order that the mound of rot
ting refuse may acquire the proper degree
of heat necessary for incubation apparent
ly about ninety-four degrees Fahrenheit.
The egg-laying then commences and the
hens-it Is a disputed point whether the
mounds are used by one or Several-at diff
ferent times open up holes varying in depth
from foot to five feet, and deposit at in
tervals their eggs, taking care to cover
them up Immediately until sufficient have
been laid In one instance, in captivity. not
fewer than fifty-eight eggs were deposited;
but in wild state from twelve to thirty-s
is the usual number. AS the chicks hatch
out they find their way to the surface I'M
aided and are almost immediately able to
fly and feed themselves. The parents usu-
ally are to be found in close proximity
and the hen bird is ready to take charge of
the youngsters as soon as they emerge
from the pile. These nests reach an enor-
nous size, some twelve feet in diameter at
the base, and are added to year after year
The native pheasants, or mallee-fowl-
somewhat smaller birds without wattles-
use sand largely in the construction of
their incubating ovens. They appear to
give their nest more attention, for the cen
ter is opened out daily or fiattened to ad-
nit the sun S rays, and toward nightfall
the mound is built UP again As early
April the old birds start their building
operations, and the old nest is cleared out
and left open till winter. when decaying
vegetable matter is placed In the excava-
ton. The rains of that season thoroughly
penetrate the leaves. and these are then
covered over with layer of sand. The
eggs, which are always placed with the
small end downwards. are laid in tiers each
tier covered over with sand. 1t is extra
ordinary, with the method of placing the
eggs in tiers. how the first Matched chicks
which are, of course, from the lowest layer,
can struggle out from the mound of sand
without disturbing those on top. Sir George
Grey states that the young one scratches
its way alone: the mother does not assist
It. The mother, who is feeding in the scrub
in the vicinity, hears its call and runs to
1t. She takes care of the young one as a do
nestle hen does of Its chicks There are
two other varieties of the group found on
the continent which construct even larger
mounds than those of the kinds mentioned
The method of incubation is extremely in
teresting, as showing some implanted
knowledge of the producing properties
of decaying matter