The Mound-builders 35 



thrown, and finally the whole assumes the form of a dome. 

 When an egg is to be deposited, the top is laid open, 

 and a hole is scratched in its centre to within two or three 

 inches of the bottom of the layer of dead leaves. The egg 

 is placed just at the edge of the hole, in a vertical position 

 with the smaller end downwards. The sand is then thrown 

 in again, and the mound is restored to its original form. 

 The egg which has thus been deposited is, therefore, com- 

 pletely surrounded and enveloped in soft sand, having from 

 four to six inches of sand below the lower end of the egg 

 and the layer of dead leaves. When a second egg is laid, 

 it is deposited in precisely the same plane as the first, but 

 at the opposite side of the hole alluded to. When a third 



Mound of Lipoa ocellata. From a sketch by the late Sir George Grey. The light part 

 represents the sand, the darker tint that which is made of leaves, etc. (From Gould s 

 ' Handbook to the Birds of Australia.') 



egg is laid, it is placed in the same plane as the others, 

 but, as it were, at the third corner of the square. When 

 the fourth egg is laid, it is still placed in the same plane, 

 but in the fourth corner of the square, or rather of the 



o 

 lozenge, the figure being of this form o o The next four 



o 



eggs in succession are placed in the interstices, but always 

 in the same plane, so that at last there is a circle of eight 

 eggs all standing upright in the sand, with several inches 

 of sand intervening between each." 



With regard to the extraordinary habit of the newly- 

 hatched young remaining in the mound for some time after 

 it has emerged from the egg, Sir George Grey relates that 



