THE AUSTKALIAN JUNGLE FOWL. 431 



in its habits, aud assembles together in large troops, mostly perched on 

 the branches of trees. It is susceptible of domestication, and, to all 

 appearances, may be acclimatized to this country as well as the turkey 

 or the pheasant. 



In their native country the Curassows build among the trees, making 

 a large and rather clumsy-looking nest of sticks, grass-stems, leaves, and 

 grass-blades. There are generally six or seven eggs, not unlike those 

 of the fowl, but larger and thicker shelled. 



The color of the Crested Curassow is a very dark violet, with a pur- 

 plish green gloss above and on the breast, and the abdomen is the 

 purest snowy white, contrasting beautifully with the dark velvety 

 plumage of the upper parts. The bright golden yellow of the crest 

 adds in no small degree to the beauty of the bird. 



Several very singular Ijirds are found in Australia and New Guinea, 

 called by the name of Megapodinse, or " great-footed birds," on account 

 of the very large size of their feet — a provision of nature which is neces- 

 sary for their very peculiar mode of laying their eggs and hatching 

 their young. 



The first of these birds is the Australian Jungle Fow^l, which is 

 found ia several parts of Australia, but especially about Port Essing- 

 ton. In that country great numbers of high and large mounds of earth 

 exist, which were formerly thought to be the tombs of departed natives, 

 and, indeed, have been more than once figured as such. The natives, 

 however, disclaimed the sepulchral character, saying that they were the 

 artificial ovens in which the eggs of the Jungle Fowl were laid, and 

 which, by the heat that is always disengaged from decaying vegetable 

 substances, preserved sufficient warmth to hatch the eggs. 



The size of these tumuli is sometimes quite marvellous ; in' one 

 instance, where measurements were taken, it was fifteen feet in perpen- 

 dicular height and sixty feet in circumference at its base. The whole 

 of this enormous mound was made by the industrious Jungle Fowl by 

 gathering up the earth, fallen leaves, aud grasses with one foot and throw- 

 ing them backward while it stands on the other. If the hand be inserted 

 into the heap, the interior will always be found to be quite hot. In al- 

 most every case the mound is placed under the shelter of densely-leaved 

 trees, so as to prevent the sun from shining upon any part of it. 



The bird seems to deposit her eggs by digging holes from the top of 

 the mound, laying the egg at the bottom, and then making its way out 

 again, throwing back the earth that it had scooped away. The direction, 

 however, of the holes is by no means uniform, some running toward 

 the centre and others radiating toward the sides. They do not seem 

 to be dug quite perpendicularly ; so that, although the holes in which 

 the eggs are found may be some six or seven feet in depth, the eggs 

 themselves may be only two or three feet from the surface. 



