452 MEGAPODIID^E. 



the sand over them. The eggs are always a little pointed towards 

 one end, and some, especially the less cylindrical ones, are conspi- 

 cuously so. The shell is entirely devoid of gloss, and the surface 

 is everywhere roughened with innumerable minute pores, which 

 occur equally in the exterior coloured flake and the white, 

 somewhat less chalky, shell beneath. 



In length the eggs vary from 3'01 to 3'4, and in breadth from 

 1/9 to 2-25 ; but the average of sixty- two eggs that I have carefully 

 measured is 3'25 by 2'07. 



