294 MR. G. R. GRAY ON THE MEGAPODES. [JunC 25, 



The number of eggs has been found to vary in the different holes, 

 vyhich may, in some measure, depend on the number of females that 

 A'isit each. Each egg of the same female must, however, be, as in the 

 former case, laid at an interval of some days ; but whether they re- 

 turn to, and lay their eggs in, a hole already formed by a single pair 

 or by several pairs in company on the same day, is not quite deter- 

 mined. Each separate female must, after the hole is made, when 

 about to lay, scratch a place for the egg on the side within the hole, 

 and when deposited must cover it with some portion of the sand 

 which is around it, and thus by degrees the interior of the hole be- 

 comes mostly filled in, after which tlie place of concealment is often 

 betrayed by the birds scratching over it a large heap of such shells and 

 rubbish as they may meet with on the beach. The eggs are then 

 left to be hatched by the heat engendered in the sand through the 

 rays of the tropical sun playing on its surface ; probably a longer 

 period for batching the eggs is required than from the heat caused 

 by the fermentation of decaying vegetable matter, the heat of which 

 is known to be considerable. 



Thus, if the preceding statement is correct, the eggs in one hole 

 have been laid and the hatching of them has commenced about the 

 same time ; and therefore it may be concluded that, after the neces- 

 sary time has elapsed, all the young birds are likely to make their 

 appearance about the same period. 



It has been previously stated in I'eference to some of the mound- 

 raising species {TalegaUus, Leipoa), that the eggs are placed by the 

 bird in a circle. The mode thus adopted by the bird is interestingly 

 accounted for by His Excellency Sir George Grey, in the following 

 manner : — After the bird, he says, has deposited the first egg 

 in the sand, leaving from 4 to 6 inches between the lower end of the 

 egg and the layer of dead leaves, it then lays the second egg, which 

 is " deposited in precisely the same plane as the first, but at the op- 

 posite side of the hole before alluded to. When the third egg is 

 laid, it is placed in the same plane as the others, but, as it were, at the 

 third corner of a square. When the fourth egg is laid, it is still 

 placed in the same plane, but in the fourth corner of the square, or 

 rather of the lozenge, the figure being in this form ojo. The next 

 four eggs in succession are each placed in the interstices, but always 

 in the same plane ; so that at last there is a circle of eight eggs all 

 standing upright in the sand with several inches of sand intervening 

 between each." 



Other species do not regard such mathematical principles in the 

 laying of their eggs, but place them irregularly anywhere within the 

 mound, or in whatever position the several species may instinctively 

 adopt, as previously explained. That they may obtain the heat re- 

 quired to bring them to maturity appears to be the principal object. 



It seems marvellous that these birds, after they liave taken all 

 these precautions for the preservation and development of their eggs, 

 should exhibit no further care for them, but leave the young entirely 

 to find for themselves their way out of whatever position the females 

 rnay have placed the eggs in. The young bird, on breaking the 



