The Mound-builders 35 



thrown, and finally the whole assumes the form of a dome. 

 When an egg is to be deposited, the top is laid open, 

 and a hole is seratchcd in its centre to within two or three 

 inches of the bottom of the laj-er of dead leaves. The egg 

 is placed just at the edge of the hole, in a vertical position 

 with the smaller end downwards. The sand is then thrown 

 in again, and the mound is restored to its original form. 

 The egg which has thus been deposited is, therefore, com- 

 pletely surrounded and enveloped in soft sand, having from 

 four to six inches of sand below the lower end of the egg 

 and the laj'cr of dead leaves. When a second egg is laid, 

 it is deposited in precisely the same plane as the first, but 

 at the opposite side of the hole alluded to. When a third 



t' 





iMound iif LiJ'Od occllal,-:. From a sketch by the late Sir (Teorge Grey. The ll^ht part 

 repiesents the sand, tlie d.rrker tint that whicli ii; made of le.n'es, etc. (From (jOuld's 

 'Handbook to the Birds of Au-tralia.') 



egg is laid, it is placed in the same plane as the others, 

 but, as it were, at the third corner of the 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 



o 

 lozenge, the figure being of this form o o The ne.xt four 



o 

 eggs in succession are placed in the inter.stices, 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." 



With regard to the extraordinary habit of the newly- 

 hatched young remaining in the mound for some time after 

 it has emerged from the (t<gg. Sir George Grey relates that 



