148 LEAVES FROM THE 



kept him awake by the noises it made in endeavouring 

 to gain its liberty. Only one foot was employed in 

 scratching up the sand, and when the bird had grasped a 

 footful it threw the sand behind it with small exertion, 

 and without shifting its standing position on the other 

 leg. This exertion seemed to Mr. Gilbert to proceed 

 from mere restlessness, and a desire to use its powerful 

 feet, without having much, if any, connexion with feed- 

 ing; for Mr. Gilbert never detected the bird in picking 

 up any of the Indian corn which was mixed with the 

 sand while thus employed. 



Eggs were continually brought to Mr. Gilbert ; but he 

 had no opportunity of seeing them taken from the ground 

 till the commencement of February, when, on another 

 visit to Knocker's Bay, he saw them exhumed from a 

 depth of six feet, in one of the largest mounds which he 

 had seen. In this mound the holes ran down in an 

 oblique direction, from the centre of the hillock towards 

 the outer slope, so that although the eggs were six feet 

 deep from the top, they were not more than two or three 

 from the side. Mr. Gilbert was informed that the birds 

 lay only a single egg in each hole, and that, after the egg 

 is deposited, the earth is immediately thrown down lightly 

 until the hole is filled up. Then the upper part of the 

 mound is smoothed and rounded over. The top and 

 sides of the mound betray the recent excavations of the 

 bird, for the distinct impressions of its feet are there left, 

 and the earth is so lightly thrown over, that the direction 

 of the hole is easily ascertained by thrusting in a slender 

 stick, the ease or difficulty of the penetration indicating 

 the length of time that has elapsed since the operations 

 of the bird. But to reach the eggs is no easy task. The 

 natives dig them out wdth their hands alone, making 

 only sufficient room to admit their bodies, and to throw 

 out the earth between their legs. By grubbing thus with 

 their fingers, they are enabled to follow the direction of 



