The Emu. 
Turkey {Catheiurtis), and the Megapode {Megapodtus). The 
colour of all three birds is dark brown, quite in keeping with their 
surroundings, as the soil is dark and no grass grows in the thick 
vegetation where these birds are found, and you do not get them 
in the open country. The Mallee Fowl is another striking 
instance of protective colouring, as it lives in the Mallee scrub 
covered country, and as the bird squats down when danger is 
near, in such vegetation, with its broken light, it is almost 
impossible to distinguish it, except at a very short distance. 
Their eggs are of course hidden, being buried in their nesting- 
mound. 
Native Companions {Antigone australasiana) are large birds, 
and well able to take care of themselves and their eggs, but the 
latter are light brown and straw colour, and of a similar tint to 
the dry grass of which the nest is composed ; and the Bustard 
{Etipodotis atistralis)y which also lives on the plains, is dull grey 
in colour, and on the bare ground lays a greenish egg, which is 
very similar in colour to the surrounding grass. The Stone 
Plover {Burliimis grallarius) also lives on the ground, generally 
among the trees, where the ground is nearly bare, and its plumage 
harmonises exactly with its surroundings. When disturbed the 
bird often lies flat on the ground with its neck stretched out, and 
is very difficult to recognise. Its eggs, too, are a greenish hue, 
and are laid on the ground without any nest, and two I got from 
Queensland, that were laid on reddish ironstone soil, were prac- 
tically the same colour, and not green. Plovers {Lobivanellics) 
are very similar, the colour of their greenish-brown backs being 
hard to distinguish from above as the birds sit on their nests, 
and the dark-coloured eggs also assimilate with the dark, 
damp soil on which they are generally laid. The same applies 
to Stilts, Avocets, Sandpipers, Dottrels, and other waders to a 
greater or lesser degree, especially with regard to the colour of 
their eggs, which assimilates with the particular places in which 
they are laid. This is especially so with regard to the Dottrels, 
that lay their eggs on the beach, just above high water mark, 
among the pebbles and sand, and, as many can testify, the 
protective colouring is almost perfect. 
Grebes, which lay conspicuous white eggs, that, however, 
soon get nest-stained, and build floating nests, construct their 
homes of green water weeds among the weeds and rushes. The 
eggs are always covered up during the day when they are not 
sitting, and the various ducks also cover up their eggs with 
down or grass if they have to leave them. The Straw-necked 
and White Ibises lay white eggs, and are not hidden in any way, 
but then they nest in vast rookeries, and to a certain extent 
protect one another; but among sea birds Terns are fairly 
conspicuous, but their eggs are often not so, being generally laid 
on sand or pebbles near the sea, and are coloured accordingly ; 
if on soil, among herbage, the markings are much darker. They 
