M'U m> BIRDS. 





ining-birdd in its ous plumage. The i hen i; 



an African bird. To tins group I- long the curious mound 

 birds. 



The mound-birds, Bays Wallace, air a -mall family 

 birds, sonic of them smaller than a hen, found chiefly in 

 Australia and the surrounding islands, ami extending 

 far as the Philippines and northwest Borneo. They are 

 allied to the gallinaceous birds, but differ from these and 

 from all others in never sitting upon their . which they 



Fig. 864.— California!! Plumed l'artriilge. 



bury in sand, earth, or rubbish, and leave to be hatched by 

 the heat of the sun or A fermentation. They are all char- 

 acterized by very large feet and long curved claws, and 

 most of the species of Megapodiu 8 rake and scratch together 

 all kinds of rubbish, dead leaves, sticl -. earth. 



tin wood, etc., till they form a large mound, often six feet 

 high and twelve feet across, in the middle of which they 

 bury their eggs, A number of lords are -aid to j,.;n iii mak- 

 ing these mounds and to lay their i _ ther, so that forty 

 or fifty eggs may be found. Allied to the mound-birds is 

 the maleo [Megacephalon rubripes). They scratch I 



