The Mound-builders 25 



toes, whereas in ordinary Game-birds the contrary is the 

 case, and the hind toe is elevated above the level of the 

 others. 



The name of Brush Turkey has been bestowed upon the 

 members of the genus Catheturus and its allies on account 

 of the coloured wattles of the neck, which resemble those of 

 an ordinary Turkey (Meleagris). The size of the mound 

 which the Megapodes raise is sometimes enormous, and is 

 generally the work of several birds. Both sexes are believed 

 to assist in the work of construction, which is achieved by 

 means of their powerful feet ; these are apparently the most 

 strongly developed " scratching " organs to be met with in 

 the whole Class of Birds. The mounds are used, and added 

 to, year after year. Many of them are of great size, and 

 sometimes reach a height of five or six yards, with a circum- 

 ference of thirty yards or more, and the labour in construct- 

 ing them must be considerable, seeing that the birds use but 

 one foot when piling up the earth and refuse of which the 

 mound is composed. Gould says that he has seen the 

 Brush Turkey seize the material of which it was making 

 the mound in its foot, and throw it back to one common 

 centre, the surface of the ground being so completely 

 scratched over that scarcely a leaf or a blade of grass was 

 left ; and a nestling Megapode which was kept in confine- 

 ment has also been seen to scratch up and grasp a handful 

 of sand, using one foot only, so that from the earliest age 

 the mound-building instinct is evidently inherent in the 

 bird. Another singular feature in the economy of the 

 Megapode is that the nestlings, when they escape from 

 the egg, are fully clothed with feathers and provided with 

 perfectly formed wings, so that they can fly at once. 

 At the same time it appears certain that they do not 

 always avail themselves of their privilege, unique among 

 birds, for nestlings have been dug out of mounds at a 

 great depth. Some of the little birds are believed to have 



