Vol. VIII. 



IQoS 



J Mattingley, Thermometer-Bird or Mallee-Fowl. 59 



they scrape leaves, vegetable matter, brambles, bits of bark, and 

 small branches, and heap it up in a circular fashion to a height 

 of from 1 8 inches to 2 feet. The material is raked and swept up 

 by the birds from every convenient direction around the 

 mound, and is often brought a distance of 40 or 50 yards. The 

 manner in which they sweep up this debris with their wings and 

 breast, and also rake it, as it were, with their powerful legs, and 

 the clean appearance which the ground afterwards presents, 

 gives an impression that some gardener had been cleaning up 

 the garden with a fine-toothed rake. The wings of the bird are 

 much worn by this sweeping. The vegetable material in the 

 centre of the now saucer-shaped mound is left for about four or 

 five months uncovered, during which time it usually receives a 

 good soaking by the winter rains, which causes decomposition to 

 set up and change it into a regular hot-bed. That the Lipoa 

 prepares the mound months ahead of the egg-laying period is a 

 remarkable trait in this bird's character, evidencing the knowledge 

 possessed by it of the seasonal changes as well as the physical 

 requirements necessary to set in motion the fermentative action. 

 Six to nine days before the hen commences to lay, the egg- 

 chamber is formed in the centre of all this vegetable matter. A 

 hole ranging from 14 inches to 20 inches in diameter and 18 inches 

 to 2 feet in depth is scratched out by the female. The sides of 

 the hole forming the egg-chamber are usually hard and well 

 defined, consisting as they do of interlaced sticks matted 

 together with leaves and twigs. This condition of the walls of 

 the chamber has an important bearing on the future welfare of 

 the eggs. In the first place, the foundation and inner walls of 

 the mound being solid and laced together, so to speak, prevent 

 the displacement of the whole mass, which would crush the eggs 

 were it to start moving in any given direction, whilst the eggs 

 would be liable to be broken if subjected to the compression of 

 such an enormous weight of sand, which is of such an unstable 

 nature, and out of which the Lipoa forms its mound, heaping it 

 high above its eggs. The forming of the egg-chamber occupies 

 the bird for about one and a half hours' duration. The vegetable 

 debris broken out by the formation of the egg-chamber is placed 

 back into the hole the same day, and, being mixed with sand, 

 becomes more friable and loose. The mound is then heaped up 

 into a pyramidal form, and after six to nine days have elapsed 

 the female opens out the egg-chamber and deposits her egg. To 

 construct a new mound and prepare it for the formation of the 

 egg-chamber occupies the pair of Lowans from 25 to 33 days. 

 The bird? work at the building of the mound only early in the 

 morning for about four hours, and again late in the afternoon 

 for a short time. On moonlight nights Mr. M'Lennan has seen 

 them working for a few hours. The energy displayed by these 

 birds in making their mounds is truly marvellous, whilst the 



