The Mound-Builders 



37 



about in the jungle like their parents? The difference 

 between the appearance of an ordinary Chicken and 

 that of a young Mcgapode depends upon the fully 

 developed wings of the latter, and the absence of flight- 

 feathers in the former. Writing of Cuming's Megapode, 



Nestling Megapode. to ^how the fully-developed wings. 



Mr. Whitehead observes — " The j'oung bird's early life is 

 to me a mystery. It may be dug out of the heap fully 

 fledged and ready to fly. I got one which might well pass 

 for the adult bird of another species, but this nestling had 

 never seen the daylight till we dug it out : none of the 

 feathers had soft shafts, or seemed in any way new. The 



