The Zoologist— February, 1866. 49 



the same situations that I have seen then) in other parts of the con- 

 tinent, that is, in a sandy scrubby country, the site of the mound being 

 in some little open glade, in the very thickest part of the scrub, 



" The eggs are of a light pink, the colour being brightest and most 

 uniform when freshly laid. As the time of hatching approaches they 

 become discoloured, and maiked in places with dark spots. 



" The greatest length of these eggs is about - - 3-^ inches. 



„ breadth „ . . 2X 



Circumference in direction of length . - . jq 



„ „ breadth - - - 7-^ „ 



" The temperature of the nests I have examined has always been 

 warm ; not so much so, however, as I should have thought necessary 

 for the purpose of hatching eggs, 



"There are two great peculiarities about these eggs; the first is, 

 that both ends are of nearly the same size, which form is peculiarly 

 adapted to the position in which they are always placed ; the egg 

 being compressed in every part as nearly as possible towards the axis, 

 in which the centre of gravity lies, there is the least possible tendency 

 to its equilibrium being destroyed when it is placed in a vertical 

 position, A second peculiarity is the extreme thinness of the* shell, 

 and its consequent fragility. This is so great that unless the egg is 

 handled with the greatest care it is sure to be broken ; and every effort 

 which has been made to hatch these eggs under domestic fowls has 

 failed, the egg having in every instance been broken by the bird under 

 which it was placed. 



" The native name for the bird on the Murray River is Marrak-ko 

 or Marra-ko ; in Western Australia the name of the bird is Ngoiv-o or 

 Ngow. The name in Western Australia is given from the tuft on its 

 head, Ngoweer meaning a tuft of feathers. 



" I have found this bird in different parts of that portion of Australia 

 included between the Stith and 36th parallels of south latitude, and 

 113th and 14lst parallels of east longitude, and I think that there is 

 every probability that it inhabits a much wider range. It is found in 

 all the scrubby districts of South Australia. 



" The farthest point north at which I have seen the breeding-places 

 of this bird is Ganlheaume Bay. The natives of King George's Sound 

 say the bird exists in that neighbourhood. 1 have never fallen in 

 with its nests but in one description of country, viz. where the soil was 

 dry and sandy, and so thickly wooded with a species of dwarf Lepto- 



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