RASOllES. 101 



is a circle of eight eggs all standing upright in the sand, with 

 several inches of sand intervening between each. The male 

 bird assists the female in opening and covering np the nioiuid; 

 and, provided the birds are not themselves disturbed, the 

 female continues to lay in the same mound, even after it has 

 been several times robbed. The natives say that the females 

 lay an egg every day. 



" Eight is the greatest number I have heard of from good 

 authority as having been found in one nest ; but I opened a 

 mound which had been previously robbed of several eggs, and 

 found that two had been laid opposite to each other in the 

 same plane, in the usual manner ; and a third deposited in a 

 plane parallel to that in which the other two were placed, but 

 4^ inches below them. This circumstance led me to imagine 

 it was possible that there might be sometimes successive cir- 

 cles of eggs in different planes. 



" I enclose three sketches, which will convey to you a com- 

 plete idea of the form of the mound, and of the manner in 

 which the eggs are placed in it. These sketches were drawn 

 by Mr. Knight, from a rude one of mine, and are very ac- 

 curate. 



No. 1. 



This sketch represents a section through the mound after the sand has 

 been cleared out in such a manner that the eggs could all be removed, and 

 the bottom of the nest of leaves be laid bare. It shows the form of the 

 opening the natives make in the mound when they rob it of its eggs ; this 

 opening has, however, been continued below where the eggs are placed, in 

 order to show the form of the interior nest. 



The pale tint represents that portion which is made of sand ; the darker 

 tint the part Avhich is made of leaves, &c. 



VOL. II. M 



