A'ESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 72 1 



collected by Mr. Dudley Lc Souef. His first pleasant experience of 

 these indeed curious birds, like my own, was gained in the scrub on 

 Bamai-d Islands when in quest of Rifle Birds. Mr. Le Souef, being later 

 in the season, was more successful as regards eggs. Two mounds he 

 (accompanied by Mr. Harry Barnard) prospected contained fresh eggs, 

 three and one respectively. 



Ml". Le Souef gives the temperature of a moiuid at 94° — nearly 

 the same as I registered for the Talcgalkis. Another indication of a 

 Megapode's mound ho took on, the mainland was 95" at a depth of one 

 and a half to three feet, where the eggs rested. 



Only one pair of birds appears to frequent a mound, which is small 

 (about two feet high) at first, and is added to season after season till its 

 immense proportions become quite a featiu'e in the scnib. When the 

 female wishes to deposit an egg, a hole is scraped straight in, sometimes 

 obliquely, near the top, to a distance, varying according to circiun stances, 

 from six to sixty inches. Tlie holes, which appear to take no particular 

 order, are about twelve inches in diameter. When the egg has been 

 duly deposited at the terminal end, the excavation is of course filled in 

 and smoothed off with the rest of the mound. 



Mr. Le Souef further adds that Scrub Fowls, being very restless, are 

 difficult to keep in confinement, and generally end in accidentally killing 

 themselves. 



With regard to the laying season it is probable that eggs may be 

 found in some mounds almost at any time of the year, but of course 

 are more plentiful at certain seasons, to wit, from August to March. 



Sub=Order — Alectropodes. 



FAMILY— PHASIANID.5; : PHEASANTS, &c. 



561. — CoTURNix PECTORALis, Gould. (486) 



STUBBLE QUAIL. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 88. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxii., p. 244. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould: Birds of Au.stralia (1848), 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 191 (1865) ; North : Austn. Mus. 

 Cat., p. 289, pi. 16, fig. 10 (1S89). 



Geographical Dixtrihution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Vic- 

 toria, South and West Australia, and Tasmania. 



Xeat. — Upon the ground in crop or herbage, the nesting hollow, 

 4i inches across, being lined with straw or grass as the case may be. 

 (See illustration.) 

 46 



