■J02 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



twenty odd years' experience, trapping, &c., in the Mallee, replies : 

 " There is no doubt that the young ones can get out themselves, for 

 when I was standing near a mound one day I saw a young one come 

 up through the sand, and I have found them very near the top of the 

 mound.' Subsequently, Mr. McLennan wi-ote : " I have seen a good 

 many young birds work their way out of the mound lately. " 



By way of experiment, Mr. Dudley Le Souef had a piece of wire 

 netting placed round a mound that contained eggs. Result : none of 

 the young emerged, but died in their shells. This may seem to prove 

 that the parents must assist tlie young out. Tliey probably do so 

 indirectly by visiting the mound occasionally and working at it, thus 

 keeping the soil loose and friable. In the case of the mound wired-in 

 by Mr. Le Souef, the sand had evidently become set or hardened for 

 want of attention, and thus prevented the escape of the young at the 

 proper time. 



With regard to the birds frequently visiting the egg mound to 

 repair damages, &c., Mr. Bennett states: — "I may mention that on 

 one occasion I opened a nest about 10 o'clock in the moniing, which 

 contained three eggs. I took one, as I knew from its dehcate colour 

 that it was quite fresh. I left the nest open, and having occasion to 

 repass it about two hours afterwards, I foimd the bu-d had in my 

 absence made it up again. Thinking it might be possible that the egg 

 I had taken was not the morning's laying, I again opened the nest, 

 bvit there were the two eggs only. This time I opened the mound 

 to a much greater extent, drawing the sand back to a considerable 

 distance and again leaving it open. Shortly before sundown I retvirned 

 to the nest again and foimd all damage repaired." 



As previously mentioned, the laying season usually commences 

 about the beginning of September, and extends through the two 

 following months, consequently, as the female approaches the comple- 

 ment of her eggs, in the one mound eggs are found in various stages 

 of incubation. The dvu-ation of the period of incubation has not yet 

 been determined. I have hazarded the opinion that it is probably 

 about six weeks (some obsei-vers say five),* for the following reasons : — 

 First, my brother, Mr. W. R. G. Campbell, during his residence in the 

 Mallee country, observed a mound containing thirteen eggs and newly- 

 hatched chicks. Now, as the bird lays two eggs a week (or one every 

 third or fourth day), that would give about six weeks from the time 

 the first egg was laid until the first appearance of yovuig. Second, as 

 some of the later laying birds finish their clutch about the end of 

 November, the last of the young has been observed emerging from 

 mounds about the middle of Januaiy. 



We have accepted the usual breeding time of the Mallee Hen^ 

 from September to Januai7, under normal conditions, but, as 

 Mr. Bennett has pointed out, the laying period is regulated by the 



* Since writing this statement, Mr. M. McLennan, at my suggestion, made the 

 satisfactory observations that a fresh egg, marked on the 2nd October (i8g8), was 

 hatched on or about the 12th November, or 41 days afterwards ; and another egg, 

 marked on 4th November, he found hatched on the 12th December, or 38 days 

 afterwards. 



