Il6 Mattingley, Thermometer-Bird or Mallee-Fowl. [i,t^"j">i. 



the mound several times in one day, and on each occasion the 

 mound was renovated. This proves that the birds constantly 

 watch the mound, and although my friend was unable to see the 

 birds, yet they must have been close at hand. Should an egg 

 be placed upside down— that is, on the larger end (although there 

 is very little difference in the size of the apices of the egg) — and 

 left in the mound in this position, the Mallee-Hen will set it up 

 on its proper end again. After laying the egg the bird places 

 it with the smaller end downwards, so that the head of the 

 chick, which is formed in the larger end of the egg, is uppermost. 

 It is marvellous how the bird does not break her thin-shelled 

 egg when adjusting it in its proper position in the mound with 

 her feet, and also when opening up the mound each time to lay 

 a further egg, or when working at the mound during the time 

 when incubation is proceeding. That these birds should place 

 their eggs on the smaller and more difficult end on which to 

 balance them shows a wonderful inventiveness and forethought, 

 since it is from the position in which the egg reclines in the egg- 

 chamber that the young are born in a posture ready to work 

 their way out of the mound — i.e., with their feet and head upper- 

 most. The number of eggs that a Mallee-Fowl lays in a season 

 ranges from i to 20, varying, as before stated, according to the 

 environment and climatic conditions. The large number of eggs 

 deposited in normal seasons indicates that the Mallee-Fowl has 

 many enemies to contend with, because the number of eggs 

 deposited by a bird is usually in proportion to the degree of 

 danger experienced by its offspring. The egg is of an unpolished 

 delicate salmon-pink colour, varying to a warm pinkish-red, 

 when freshly taken from the mound, but it readily fades to an 

 eartliy brown. Occasionally eggs have been found that were 

 white ; but these usually have an epidermis or coating, which is 

 readily scraped off, showing a buff-white shell beneath. As the 

 hatching proceeds this epidermis chips off in patches as well as 

 fades. That the egg should be coloured is indeed a cause for 

 reflection. Of what protective value is the colouration, unless, 

 perhaps, it be when the bird, after depositing its egg, is 

 disturbed and forced to flee, leaving it exposed, when its some- 

 what similar colour to the mound would render it much less 

 discernible than were it plain white ? 



Although no absolute plan of ovi-disposition in the mound 

 can be stated, yet it is certain that the eggs are laid in 

 tiers, the usual number in the bottom tier being four. 

 However, I have found five eggs, as will be seen in the 

 illustration. This photograph was taken by me without 

 displacing the eggs in any way. The odd or fifth egg was 

 tilted, and as this mound had been opened once before to 

 make observations, the finding of the fifth egg in the lower 

 tier was probably the result of abnormal conditions due to 



