284 MEGAPOBEDiE. 



australis), I noticed on one occasion five birds arrive at this mound 

 in company, they came very close to me, making a chuckling 

 noise jerked out from their throat, and not unlike that of a 

 domestic fowl when driven from its nest, but not so loud. Usually 

 only a pair are met with together. Their flight is heavy, and 

 they do not readily take wing, unless pursued by a dog, when 

 they rise with a considerable flapping to the most convenient 

 branch, where they are easily approached and shot. Their flesh 

 is dark, rank, and tough. The young, about five inches in length, 

 are of a dull brown, ashy-brown on the sides of the face, neck, 

 and mantle, and on the abdomen of a lighter ashy-brown, rufous- 

 brown on the flanks, and brown washed with rufous on the breast; 

 the back, rump, and tail of a rich rufous-brown, primaries dark , 

 brown, interscapular region and upper wing-coverts dark brown, 

 tipped with light rufous, the secondaries and scapulars freckled, 

 and margined on the outer web with light rufous, tl^e outer series 

 of secondary-cover bs and outer scapulars barred and freckled with 

 the same colour, iris dark brown, feet yellow. Total length 

 5'5 inches, bill •45,. wing 4-5, tarsus 1 inch, tail a tuft of down, 

 about 1 inch in length." (Ramaaij, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 118.) 



Eggs in form elongated ovals, being nearly equal at both ends, 

 the normal colour when newly laid, being of a pale coffee-brown 

 but after remaining in the mound a few days they become darker, 

 and by the time they are partly incubated, the outer surface or 

 epidermis of the shell easily chips off in places, revealing a snow- 

 white surface underneath ; the colouring matter can also be 

 rubbed off when moisture is applied. 



Dimensions of six eggs taken at Cairns, are as follows : — length 

 (A) 3-58 X 2-07 inches ; (B) 3-55 x 2-05 inches ; (C) 3-52 x 2-01 

 inches; (D) 3-6 x 2-01 inches ; (E) 3-58 x 2-05 inches; (F) 3-45 

 X 2-0 inches. Specimens taken at Cape York in 1864 measure 

 (A) 3-41 inches x 1-98 inch; (B) 3-45 x 2-01 inches. 



Hah. Port Darwin and Port Essington, Gulf of Carpentaria, 

 Cape York, Kockingham Bay, Port Denison. {Ramsay.) 



