i^ESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



717 



hopes of succeeding ; but it proved of so wild and intractable a disposition 

 that it would not reconcile itself to such close confmement, and effected 

 its escape on the tlijrd day. Diu-ing the period it remained in captivity 

 it was incessantly occupied in scratching up the sand into heaps ; and the 

 rapidity with which it threw the sand from one end of the box to the 

 other was quite siu-prising for so young and small a bird, it>s size not being 

 lai'ger than that of a small quail. At night it was so restless that I 

 was constantly kept awake by the noise it made in its endeavours to 

 escape. In scratching up the sand it only used one foot, and having 

 grasped a handful, as it were, the sand was tin-own behind it, with but 

 little apparent exei-tion, and without sliifting its standing position on 

 the other leg. Tliis habit seemed to be the result of an inmite restless 

 disposition and a desire to use its powerful feet, and to have but little 

 connection with its feeding; for, although Indian com was mixed with 

 the sand, I never detected the bird picking any of it up while thus 

 employed. 



" I continued to receive/the eggs without having the opportunity of 

 seeing them taken from the mound until the 6th of Februaiy, when on 

 again visiting Knocker's Bay, I had the gratification of seeing two taken 

 from a depth of six feet, in one of the largest mounds I had then seen. 

 In this instance the holes ran down in an obhque direction from the centre 

 toward the outer slope of the hillock, so that, though the eggs were six 

 feet deep from the siunmit, they were only two or three feet from the 

 side. The birds are said to lay but a single egg in each hole, and after 

 the e^ is deposited, the earth is immediately thrown down, lightly, until 

 the hole is filled up. The upper part of the moimd is then smoothed 

 and, roimded over. It is easily known when a Megapode has been 

 recently excavating, from the distinct impressions of its feet on the top 

 and sides of the mound, and the earth being so Hghtly tlirown over, that 

 with a slender stick the direction of the hole is easily detected, the ease 

 or difficulty of thrusting the stick down indicating the length of time that 

 may have elapsed since the bird's operations. Thus far it is easy enough, 

 but to reach the egg requires no little exertion and perseverance. The 

 natives dig them up with their hands alone, and only make sufficient 

 room to admit their bodies, and throw the earth out between their legs. 

 By gi-ubbing with their hands alone they are enabled to follow the direc- 

 tion of the hole with greater certainty, wliich wiU, sometimes, at the 

 depth of several feet, turn off abruptly at right angles, its direct course 

 being obstructed by a clump of wood or some other impediment. Their 

 patience is often put to severe trials. In the present instance the 

 native dug down six times in succession to a depth of at least six or seven 

 feet without finding an egg, and at the last attempt came up in such 

 a state of exhaustion that he refused to try again ; but my interest was 

 now too much excited to relinquish the opportimity of verifying the 

 native's statements, and by the offer of an additional reward I induced 

 him to make another effort. Tliis seventh trial proved successful, and 

 my gi-atification was complete when the native, with equal pride and satis- 

 faction, held up an egg. and after two or three more attempts produced 

 a second ; thus proving how cautious Eiu-opeans should be of disregarding 

 the nan-atives of these poor children of Natiu-e because they happen to 



