Page:Acclimatisation; its eminent adaptation to Australia.djvu/28

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 common 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. In 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 us strongly of the next division of the vertebrate animals (the reptilia).