NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 149 



the hole with greater certainty; and it will, sometimes 

 at a (lej^th of several feet, turn off sharply at right angles, 

 its direct course being thwarted by a clump of wood or 

 some other obstacle. Persevering as the savage is, his 

 patience is often sorely tried. Upon the occasion of 

 extracting these two eggs the native dug down six times 

 successively, to a depth of six or seven feet at least, with- 

 out finding an egg, and came up so exhausted that he 

 refused to try again. But Mr. Gilbert's anxiety to verify 

 the statement made to him was now completely roused, 

 and by the offer of an additional reward he indirced the 

 grubber to try again. The seventh trial was crowned 

 with success; and Mr. Gilbert's gratification was com- 

 plete when the native with pride and satisfaction held 

 up an egg, and after two or three more attempts dis- 

 played a second. 'Thus proving,' adds worthy Mr. 

 Gilbert, ' how cautious Europeans should be of disregard- 

 ing the narrations of these poor children of nature, be- 

 cause they happen to sound extraordinary, or different 

 from anything with which they were previously ac- 

 quainted." 



In another mound Mr. Gilbert, with the aid of his 

 native, obtained an egg from the depth of about five feet, 

 after excessive labour. This egg was in a perpendicular 

 position, and the holes in this hillock — which rose to the 

 height of fifteen feet, was sixty in circumference at the 

 base, and, like the majority of those he had seen, was so 

 enveloped amid trees of thick foliage as to preclude the 

 possibility of the sun's rays penetrating to any part of 

 it — commenced at the outer edge of the summit and ran 

 down obliquely to the centre. This mound felt quite 

 v^^arm to the hands. 



Now comes the question, How do the young birds 

 effect their escape from the tomb, where they are literally 

 buried alive ? 



This seems to be a mystery. Some natives told Mr. 



