THE AUSTRALIAN MOUND-BIRD 



covering up the mound, and provided the birds are not 

 themselves disturbed, the female continues to lay in the 

 same mound, even after it has been several times robbed. 

 The natives say that the hen bird lays an egg every day." 



MALLEE-BIBD'S MOUND 

 AN IMAGINARY SECTION TO SHOW ITS STRUCTURE 



A cup-like mass of dead grass and leaves is piled over a shallow hole scratched in 

 the ground. This heap of decaying vegetable matter furnishes the heat which 

 is necessary for incubation. The eggs (of which two are shown in the diagram) are 

 placed in an upright position within the rim of the cup, embedded in a large mound 

 of sand and dry grass. 



The story of these wonderful mounds, told by Gilbert 

 and Grey and Gould, has frequently been confirmed by other 

 naturalists. But strange as it is, that of the Australian 

 Megapode, or Mound-bird (Megapodius tumulus\ is even 

 more surprising. Here we have a bird about the size of a 

 turkey which constructs mounds which in course of time 

 attain such huge dimensions that it is no very uncommon 

 thing to find trees growing upon them ! Of course one 

 pair of megapodes will not make such a mound in a single 

 year ; probably it is the work of many seasons and of many 

 birds, but it is very wonderful all the same. These mounds 



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