92 
oviduct showed that an egg had very recently passed ; hence it is 
probable that, in spite of their great comparative size, one bird 
lays several ; but whether each mound is resorted to by more than 
one pair, I had not the means of ascertaining. 
“ Few birds are more wary and less easily procured than the Mega - 
podius : it inhabits the belts of brush along the coast, and I never 
found the tumulus at a greater distance from the sea than a few hun- 
dred yards. When disturbed it seldom rises at once, unless on the 
margin of a thicket, but runs off to some distance and then takes to 
wing, flying heavily, but without any of the whirring noise of the 
true Gallinacece. It seldom takes a long flight, and usually perches 
on a tree, remaining there in a crouching attitude with outstretched 
neck, but flying oft* again upon observing any motion made by its 
pursuer; and it is only by cautiously sneaking up under cover of the 
largest trees that it can be approached within gunshot. As an ex- 
ample of its shyness, I may mention that a party of three persons, 
scattered about in a small jungle on Nogo Island, for the purpose of 
shooting the Megapodius , did not see a single bird, although they put 
up several, one of which came towards me and perched, unconscious 
of my presence, within 20 yards. At Port Essington I have shot this 
bird among mangroves, the roots of which were washed by the sea 
at high water; and Capt. F. P. Blackwood killed one while running 
on the mud in a similar locality, in both instances close to a mound. 
I never witnessed the escape of the young from the mound ; but one, 
as large as a quail, and covered with feathers, was brought to Lieut. 
Ince by a native, who afflrnied that he had dug it out along with 
several eggs. 
“ Iris yellowish brown ; stomach a complete gizzard, being thick 
and muscular, containing small quartz pebbles, small shells ( Helix 
and JBulimus ), and black seeds ; intestine 34 inches in length, of the 
size of a goose-quill, and nearly uniform in thickness, much twisted 
and contracted at intervals ; caecum, slender, dilated at the extre- 
mity, and 4-f inches in length.” 
Family TINAMIDiE? 
Subfamily TURNICIILE. 
Genus Pedionomus. 
Generic characters. 
Bill nearly as long as the head, straight, compressed towards the 
tip; nostrils basal, placed in a groove, and protected by an operculum ; 
wings short and concave, first, second and third primaries equal in 
length ; tertiaries longer than the primaries ; tail nearly obsolete ; 
tarsi elongated and defended in front with transverse scales ; toes 
four in number, the hinder one feeble and placed high on the tarsus. 
Few of the discoveries I made in Australia interested me more 
than that of the species forming the subject of the present genus, 
and of which during my sojourn in the country I only obtained a 
