THE MALLEE FOWL 



11 



mounds are usually from two to four feet high and about twelve 

 feet in diameter. Before laying, the bird scrapes out most of 

 the sand from the egg cavity; and, the egg being laid, leaning 

 well back she holds it upright with the smaller end down with 

 one foot, while with the other she scrapes sand around it until 

 it can stand alone. She then covers the whole over with sand. 

 Every time an egg is laid the same process has to be gone 

 through. The first circle of eggs is covered with about two 

 inches of sand, and then a second tier is commenced, each egg 



/7i situ. 



Nesting Mound Mallee Fowl : Lipoa ocellata. 



D. Le Souef. 



of which is laid opposite an interspace of the lower tier. There 

 are often three tiers, each of from three to five eggs, the full 

 clutch being about fourteen. The temperature of the egg 

 chamber is from 95° to 96° F. The eggs are laid at daybreak 

 on every third day. Incubation commences as soon as the egg 

 is laid, and consequently the young hatch out at different 

 times. The parent birds keep the mound well worked, usually 

 opening it up at daybreak, so that the young which are ready 

 to hatch out from the eggs of the lower tier are able to liberate 

 themselves at that time. Those of the upper tier can make their 

 way out through the supervening loose sand without assistance. 



