Mound -building Birds of Australia. 15 



comes round. The birds scrape together tlie surface-leaves 

 and other stuff u hich form the mound without previously pre- 

 paring the ground, and the male bird does nearly all the work, 

 Not only so, but when the mound is finished he is always near 

 at hand, walking over and adding to it, and seems to constitute 

 himself sole guardian. The mounds vary in size, but average 

 about 3 feet 6 inches high in the centre and 10 feet in 

 diameter at the base. They are generally made up early in 

 September, and the birds commence laying in October or 

 early in November. The leaves are scraped together during 

 damp weather to cause them to heat, and the large powerful 

 claws of the birds enable them to do this very quickly. 



When the mound is sufficiently heated for eggs, the hen 

 bird scrapes a hole in it on one side near the top, from a 

 foot to 18 inches deep, and, laying her egg in it, places it on 

 end with the small end down and then covers it up ; but 

 while she is on the mound the male bird vigorously beats 

 her, apparently trying to flrive her off, and on one occasion, 

 in confinement, to my knowledge, killing her. 



The temperature of the mound where the eggs are is about 

 95° or 98°; the egg is laid early in the morning and every 

 third day, and a clutch consists of from 12 to 16 eggs. These 

 are pure white, granulated, and rather fragile, and are 

 generally placed irregularly round the top of the mound. 

 During dry weather the birds add much vegetation to their 

 structure, evidently to keep the material round the eggs from 

 becoming too dry, but in wet weather they scrape it off a<rain. 

 The time of incubation is about six weeks. The young, 

 when hatched, make their own way out, and do not need 

 any assistance from their parents, but are able to fly and 

 take care of themselves, leading a more or less solitary 

 existence. 



The male bird soon repairs any damage that may have 

 been done to the mound, and a single pair of birds use one 

 mound, but occasionally another hen will lay her eggs in 

 it. The young when hatched are of a dark brown colour 

 and difficult to detect in the scrub; they grow quickly, and 

 in nine months are barely distinguishable from their parents. 



