244 LOMEOCK. [chap. x. 



six feet high and twelve feet across, in the middle of 

 which they bury their eggs. The natives can tell by the 

 condition of these mounds whether they contain eggs or 

 not ; and they rob them whenever they can, as the brick-red 

 e<*es (as larse as those of a swan) are considered a great 

 delicacy. A number of birds are said to join in making 

 these mounds and lay their eggs together, so that some- 

 times forty or fifty may be found. The mounds are to be 

 met with here and there in dense thickets, and are great 

 puzzles to strangers, who cannot understand who can 

 possibly have heaped together cartloads of rubbish in such 

 out-of-the-way places ; and when they inquire of the 

 natives they are but little wiser, for it almost always 

 appears to them the wildest romance to be told that it is 

 all done by birds. The species found in Lombock is about 

 the size of a small hen, and entirely of dark olive and 

 brown tints. It is a miscellaneous feeder, devouring fallen 

 fruits, earth-worms, snails, and centipedes, but the flesh is 

 white and well- flavoured when properly cooked. 



The large green pigeons were stdl better eating, and were 

 much more plentiful. These fine birds, exceeding our 

 largest tame pigeons in size, abounded on the palm-trees, 

 which now bore huge bunches of fruits — mere hard globular 

 nuts, about an inch in diameter, and covered with a dry 

 green skin and a very small portion of pu]p. Looking at 

 the pigeon's bill and head, it would seem impossible that it 



