chap, xvu.] MALEOS' BREEDING PLACE. 415 



to walk over. It is bounded at each extremity by a small 

 river, with billy ground beyond ; while the forest behind 

 the beach itself is tolerably level and its growth stunted. 

 We have here probably an ancient lava stream from the 

 Klabat volcano, which has flowed down a valley into the 

 sea, and the decomposition of which has formed the loose 

 black sand. In confirmation of this view it may be men- 

 tioned, that the beaches beyond the small rivers in both 

 directions are of white sand. 



It is in this loose hot black sand, that those singular 

 birds the "Maleos" deposit their eggs. In the months of 

 August and September, when there is little or no rain, 

 they come down in pairs from the interior to this or to one 

 or two other favourite spots, and scratch holes three or 

 four feet deep, just above high-water mark, where the 

 female deposits a single large egg, which she covers over 

 with about a foot of sand, and then returns to the forest. 

 At the end of ten or twelve days she comes again to the 

 same spot to lay another egg, and each female bird is sup- 

 posed to lay six or eight eggs during the season. The male 

 assists the female in making the hole, coming down and 

 returning with her. The appearance of the bird when 

 walking on the beach is very handsome. The glossy 

 black and rosy white of the plumage, the helmeted head 

 and elevated tail, like that of the common fowl, give a 

 striking character, which their stately and somewhat sedate 



