JUNGLE-FOWL. 14 1 



placed near the water's edge were formed of sand 

 and shells, without a vestige of any other material, 

 but some of them had a portion of soil and de- 

 caying wood. When constructed of this loose 

 material, they are very irregular in outline, and 

 often resemble a bank thrown up by a constant 

 heavy surf. One remarkable specimen of this de- 

 scription, situated on the southern side of Knock- 

 er's Bay, has the appearance of a bank from 

 twenty-five to thirty feet in length, with an average 

 height of five feet. Another, even more singular, 

 is situated at the head of the harbour, and is 

 composed entirely of pebbly iron-stone, resembling 

 a confused heap of sifted gravel. This was dug 

 into, to the depth of two or three feet, without any 

 change of character being found. It might have 

 been conical originally, but was now without any 

 regularity, and very extensive, covering a space of 

 at least 150 feet in circumference. These remark- 

 able specimens would, however, seem to be ex- 

 ceptions, as by far the greater number are entirely 

 formed of light black vegetable soil, are of a coni- 

 cal form, and are situated in the densest thickets. 

 Occasionally the mounds are met with in barren, 

 rocky, and sandy situations, where not a particle 

 of soil similar to that of which they are composed 

 occurs for miles around. How the soil is pro- 

 duced in such situations is not a little wonderful, 

 and almost unaccountable. It is said, that the 



