PHASIANIDAE. 11 
the birds are quite palatable. When fresh the thin surface layer of the 
egg is dark pink, usually smooth, but occasionally roughened by small 
lumps; when exposed to air and light for some time the color becomes 
dull, dirty brown and in many cases the outer layer crumbles away 
exposing the true shell which is dull white and closely pitted. Five eggs 
from Calayan taken in December measure: 78 by 52; 82 by 52.5; 82.5 by 
4%; 80 by 51; 79 by 51. 
“This species probably occurs on every island of any size in the group. 
It is frequently met with a considerable distance inland, where it fre- 
quents wooded plains and hill. Its nest is usually, though by no means 
always, built near the seashore. Several pairs of birds frequently nest 
in the same mound, scratching up a little additional material every time 
that an egg is deposited, eventually forming a very large mound of earth, 
decayed leaves, sticks, etc., which in extreme cases comes to measure from 
4 to 5 meters in diameter by 14 meters high in the middle. The mound 
is frequently formed about the roots of some old stump. When ready to 
lay, the female tunnels into this mound, sometimes even burrowing into 
the solid ground to a depth of half a meter or more, so that the eggs are 
one to two meters below the surface of the mound. The egg is deposited 
at the bottom of this burrow, which is then filled up. The young birds 
dig to the surface as soon as hatched. ‘They can run and fly when they 
leave the shell, and seem always to shift for themselves from the day of 
their birth. M. cwmingi seems to lay all the year round, the female 
apparently. depositing an egg about once a week. ‘The eggs are oval in 
form, of a curious pinkish color when fresh, but rapidly fading to a hght 
dirty brown if exposed to the light. 
“The old birds seem rather reluctant to take wing and when flushed 
fly but a short distance, alight on the ground and run with great 
rapidity. 
“There is much individual variation as to size and color even in birds 
from one locality. Length, 336 to 380; culmen, 15 to 19; tarsus, 55 to 
68; wing, 210 to 233; tail, 63 to 86. Imrs dark chocolate-brown; bill 
light yellowish at tip, brown at base; legs sometimes dark brown, but 
usually strongly tinged with red, especially at back; feet dark brown 
to black; nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 
Suborder PHASIANI. 
Family PHASIANIDZ. 
Bill strong and horny, nostrils oblong, never hidden by feathers; 
culmen curved but not hooked; tarsi naked and in the male armed with 
spurs (Hxcalfactoria without spurs) ; toes four, naked, and never pecti- 
nated along sides; sexes differently colored. 
