180 RAMBLES IN THE DESERT 



and high for further service, when a fresh nest is com- 

 menced in immediate proximity to the first, unless the 

 birds have been much disturbed. A nest-mound seems 

 to be used for ten or twelve years, by which time it has 

 become too large for further additions. Each season's 

 eggs are laid on the mound, and covered with fresh 

 materials ; they are never buried in the old earth. Con- 

 sequently the nest is increased in size each year until it 

 sometimes contains quite sixty cubic feet of rubbish. This 

 means that a small flock of these industrious birds add 

 three or four hundredweight of material to their nest every 

 year ! — a truly wonderful performance. 



The breeding season was over with the birds we found 

 in the neighbourhood of our nameless river-bed. There 

 were many young chicks, which ran about like little 

 partridges or quails, but no eggs. I broke down several 

 of the mounds, but only found one egg, and that was 

 addled and much discoloured with age. By running 

 quickly the chicks could be caught, as they only rise on 

 the wing with difficulty. They were very strong, and 

 perfectly developed, though not so large as common 

 pigeons ; and even at the time of hatching, these little 

 things are fully feathered, and not covered with down like 

 most young birds. 



The megapodes have several characteristic habits. 

 When alarmed they stretch out their necks straight in 

 front of them and remain perfectly still, appearing as if 

 in a catalepsy. If the danger approaches nearer, they 

 either run with rapidity to the nearest cover or rise on 

 the wing. In the latter case they never fly far, and they 

 always seem to be very weak on the wing. They occasion- 

 ally alight on trees, always choosing the lower branches to 

 perch on ; and I do not remember to have seen one of 

 these birds on the top of a tall tree. They love best to 

 hide in thick scrub, and there they scratch and feed much 

 like domestic fowls. In fact they are nearly always 

 scratching, and they frequently lie in the loose sand 

 fluttering their wings and shaking their feathers in great 

 enjoyment. The food of the species I have been describ- 



