138 JUNGLE-FOWL. 



one foot, and having grasped a handful as it were, 

 the sand was thrown behind it, with but little ap- 

 parent exertion, and without shifting its standing 

 position on the other leg. This habit seemed to 

 be the result of an innate restless disposition, and 

 a desire to use its powerful feet, and to have but 

 little connexion with its feeding ; for while thus 

 employed, it was never seen picking up any of the 

 corn which was mixed with the sand. 



On his next visit to Knocker's Bay, Mr. Gilbert 

 had the gratification of seeing two eggs taken from 

 one of the mounds at a depth of six feet, it being 

 one of the largest he had seen. In this instance, 

 the holes ran down in an oblique direction from 

 the centre towards the outer slope of the hillock ; 

 so that, although the eggs were six feet deep from 

 the summit, they were only two or three feet from 

 the side. The birds are said to lay only one egg 

 in each hole, and after the egg is deposited, the 

 earth is immediately thrown down lightly until 

 the hole is filled up ; the upper part of the mound 

 is then smoothed and rounded over. It is easily 

 known, when a Jungle-fowl has been recently ex- 

 cavating, from the distinct impressions of its feet 

 on the top and sides of the mound, and the earth 

 being so lightly thrown over, that with a slender 

 stick the direction of the hole is readily detected ; 

 the ease, or difficulty of thrusting the stick down, 

 indicating the length of time that may have elapsed 



