Title: The naturalist in Australia
Identifier: cu31924102032772 (find matches)
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Kent, W. Saville (William Saville), d. 1908
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: London, Chapman & Hall
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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32 THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. Island, in Torres Straits, in close proximity to a miner's tent, which it greatly exceeds in dimensions, is given on this page. The second species of mound-builder is the Talegalla, or so-called Brush or Scrub Turkey, Talegalla Lathami. This bird is larger than the preceding, the male being the size of a turkey, which it much resembles in shape, while the head and neck are bare of feathers and ornamented with a fleshy wattle much after the manner of typical members of that group. While met with most abundantly in the thick scrubs of the extreme north, the area of distribution of the Talegalla extends much further south than that of the preceding type. The habits of this species are essentially gregarious, many birds usually combining towai'ds the consti'uction of the huge mound-like nest; and as many as a bushel of eggs, which are most excellent eating, are not unfrequently abstracted from a single mound. As with the preceding species, the Scrub Turkeys use their powerful feet only in the construction of their nest, grasping bunches of leaves, grass, and all other available substances with one foot, and throwing it backwards towards the selected spot. In this manner they
Text Appearing After Image:
W. Samlle-Kent, Photo. miner's tent and nest-mound or al'stealian jungle eowl, Megapodimn tumulus, goode island, toekes straits, p. 31.

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