85 
The greatest length of these eggs is about . 3^- inches. 
>> breadth ,, • 2y^y >> 
Circumference in direction of length . 10 „ 
» „ breadth . 7 T \ „ 
“ The temperature of the nests I have examined has always been 
warm ; not so much so, however, as I should have thought necessary 
for the purpose of hatching eggs. 
“ There are two great peculiarities about these eggs ; the first is, 
that both ends are of nearly the same size ; which form is pecu- 
liarly adapted to the position in which they are always placed ; the 
egg being compressed in every part as nearly as possible towards the 
axis, in which the centre of gravity lies, there is the least possible 
tendency to its equilibrium being destroyed when it is placed in a 
vertical position. A second peculiarity is the extreme thinness of 
the shell, and its consequent fragility. This is so great, that, unless 
the egg is handled with the greatest care, it is sure to be broken, 
and every effort which has been made to hatch these eggs under 
domestic fowls has failed, the egg having in every instance been 
broken by the bird under which it was placed. 
“ The native name for the bird on the Murray River is Marrak- 
ko or Marra-ko ; in Western Austraulia the name of the bird is 
Ngow-o or Ngow . The name in Western Australia is given from 
the tuft on its head, Ngoweer meaning a tuft of feathers. 
“ I have found this bird in different parts of that portion of 
Australia included between the 26th and 36th parallels of south 
latitude, and the 113th and 14-lst parallels of east longitude, and I 
think that there is every probability that it inhabits a much wider 
range. It is found in all the scrubby districts of South Australia. 
“ Yours truly, 
“ G. Grey.” 
“ December 14th. 
“ P.S. — I have, by cross examination of several natives, elicited 
the following account of this bird, and I am quite satisfied of its 
truth. 
“ There is only one male and one female to each nest : they re- 
pair an old nest, and do not build a new one ; both assist in scratch- 
ing the sand to the nest. The female commences laying about the 
beginning of September, or when the spear-grass begins to shoot. 
Roth sexes approach the nest together when the female is about to 
lay, and they take an equal share in the labour of covering and 
uncovering the mound. After every sunrise the female lays an 
egg, and lays altogether from eight to ten. If the natives rob the 
nest the female will lay again in the same nest, but she will only 
lay the full number of eggs twice in one summer. From the com- 
mencement of building, until the last eggs are hatched, four moons 
elapse (this would give a very long period of time before the eggs 
were hatched). The young one scratches its way out alone ; the 
mother does not assist it. They usually come out one at a time ; 
