14 
Habits and Natural History of 
The whole island is burrowed ; and when I state that 
there are not sufficient burrows for one-fourth of the 
birds to lay in, the scene of noise and confusion that 
ensues may be imagined: I will not attempt to describe it. 
On the morning of the 25th the male* birds take their 
departure, returning again in the evening, and so they 
continue to do until the end of the season. 
The Mutton Bird is in size between a pigeon and 
a fowl, but its egg is nearly as large as that of a 
turkey : it lays but one in a season, which is white, not 
unlike that of a duck, but strongly flavoured with that 
musty smell and taste which pervades the bird. They 
are, however, not to be despised. One peculiarity of the 
egg is, that, however long it may be boiled, one small 
portion of it continues soft and watery, both of the yolk 
and white. 
On the 25th of November every burrow on the island 
contains, according to its size, from one to three or four 
birds, and as many eggs: one is the general rule. At 
least three-fourths of the birds lay under the bushes, and 
the eggs are so numerous that great care must be taken 
to avoid treading upon them. The natives from Blinder’s 
generally lived for some days upon Green Island at this 
time of the year, for the purpose of collecting the eggs, 
and again in March or April for curing the young- 
birds. 
I really cannot make an estimate of the enormous 
number of eggs taken from this one small island alone; 
suffice it to say, that an officer of the settlement assured 
me that he saw a native woman eat fifty-two of these 
eggs in one day. There were nearly one hundred natives 
at the time upon the island, and they continued about a 
* Although I have stated in the text that the male bird always 
takes his departure, it is only presumption, as they may sit alter¬ 
nately. 
