BELLCHAMBEliS—Notes on the Mallee Fowl. 135- 



they are seldom seen. They inhabit dry, waterless tracts of 

 sandy scrub lands ; their food consists of seeds, insects, berries, 

 bulbs, and green stuff. Though they require water in cap- 

 tivity, in the wild state they appear to do without it, getting 

 what moisture they require from the dew, wild fruits, &c. I 

 have seen the birds take the drops of dew from the leaves- 

 dew is frequent in the mallee scrub. 



The male mates with one female only (Fig. 1), and all the 

 labour of mound building is done by the single pair of birds. 

 They are active in the early morning and in the evening, camp- 

 ing during the heat of the day. Their plumage harmonises 

 well with their surroundings, making them hard to discover 

 when at rest. They will continue to lay in the mound though 

 every egg be taken, and I have known several instances where 

 they have still laid after the mallee round the nest has all been 

 rolled down. 



The first preparation for nesting, the opening of the pit, 

 is usually made at the end of the previous summer, the work 

 going on intermittently through the following winter. The 

 filling is generally started some time in May or June; After 

 forming the pit the birds proceed with the gathering of 

 material— leaves, sticks, and bark are all gathered into thq 

 most open ways and runs that converge on the nesting place. 

 Starting near the pit the bird stands on one foot, and with 

 powerful but leisurely movements of the other foot, throws 

 the material behind it (Fig. 2), alternating the feet every sis 

 or eight strokes, all the time advancing along the line of 

 gathered material. On reaching the end they retrace their 

 steps, working from the pit outwards. Thus all the material 

 is being moved along lines converging on the pit, and even- 

 tually is. all collected there. (Fig. No. 3 shows lines of move- 

 ment of material. No. 4 shows mode of forming cone, the 

 material being taken up in easy gradual spiral curves). The 

 mounds are often opened at other than laying time. This is 

 done, I believe, for the purpose of regulating the temperature. 



The mounds are always placed in such position as will 

 expose them to the direct rays of the sun during the hottest 

 time of the day. The hot bed provides a bottom heat, but 

 this alone does not seem to satisfy the birds — the mounds are 

 frequently opened to the sun's rays, the hot , sand being 

 gradually replaced. This work does not interfere with hatch- 

 ing chicks, as they always emerge at an earlier hour than the 

 birds choose for this work, which is always done by the male*, 



