THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
love of solitude as in its wild state. Although I have had a number of them reared 
together until full grown, yet, when liberated, they would not associate, but 
each go its own way, although so tame that they would take food from a person’s 
hand and allow themselves to be handled. The mounds are of great size. 
One I measured a few days since was 37 feet in circumference, and this was by 
no means an exceptional case. I have seen them much larger.”* 
Mr. P. J. Sandland, writing from Burra, in South Australia, says : — “ I have 
seen an odd, very old mound, but eggs have not been taken anywhere round the 
district for many years. There are a few birds further up the river, but these 
are fast disappearing, as the foxes scratch the eggs out and eat them.” 
Mr. Campbell says the eggs weigh ozs. He also says : — “ To produce 
the noise the bird has a peculiar habit of placing its head between its legs, with 
the back of its head almost touching the ground.” 
Mr. Tom Carter sends me the following notes : — “ These birds used to breed 
(and probably still do so) in the dense coastal scrub between the Gascoyne River 
and Cape Farquhar in Western Australia, but, as much of this country has 
recently been stocked with sheep, the birds will probably disappear before long. 
When travelling with sheep in September, 1887, great numbers of egg mounds 
were observed in thick Mallee scrub between Sharks Bay and the Murchison 
River. It was then too early for eggs, but the natives there said they usually 
lived there a little later on for the purpose of collecting the eggs to eat. I was 
shown egg mounds of this bird on the south-west coast in 1902, which are under 
supervision of a settler who will not allow them to be disturbed. The top of one 
mound was freshly scratched out on November 25th. I was told of another nest 
which had been robbed of fifteen eggs about December 12th, situated a few miles 
away. They occur now in the dense thickets of Malok, Mallee and other 
Eucalyptus scrub, on the eastern side of the railway near Broome Hill, but 
the rapid opening up of this district will soon extirpate them. After severe 
bush fires there last summer I drove almost on to a bird on a fenced high road 
on this side of the railway. It attempted to get through the wire sheep 
netting, and I jumped out of my buggy and almost put my hand on it, when 
it flew. I saw another in one of my paddocks, about the same time.” 
Mr. Mattingley sends me the following notes on this bird : — “ Although 
the ‘ Mallee ’ is the principal habitat of this bird, yet it is sometimes found 
frequenting a mixed class of country. They prefer, however, the more arid 
southerly regions of Australia, partly on account of the type of vegetation which 
these dry areas support. Being essentially a ground frequenting bird it is neces- 
sary that they should be protected by an open jungle through which they can 
readily run to avoid their enemies on the one hand, and on the other where 
they can search for food unhampered by a dense undergrowth. Nevertheless, 
* Bennett, P.L.S., N.S.W,, VIII., p. 194 (1883). 
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