No: 4. Megapodius tumulus. 
male, the rest by the female, Heard occasionally during the 
day, and frequently during the night. After sunset, I have 
often seen them flying up into the trees, to roost for the 
night; yet judging by their calls FR eae een to be largely 
nocturnal in their habits, 
Cape York. December 23rd, 1910. Examine a big mound. Base 
20ft.in diameter, top 10ft.; height 15ft. Using a Spade, I 
cut a trench two feet wide, from the outside towards the 
centre to a depth of five feet from the surface; I then dig 
out all the loose material to a depth of about two feet and 
of an area of seven feet in diameter, exposing the various 
pipes in which the eggs are placed; the pipes were followed 
down until the eggs were exposed, at depths of from three 
to five feet from the surface. Five pipes contained two 
eges each, placed a few inches apart in a perpendicular, or 
Slanting position; one pipe contained an addled egg, which 
burst on being uncovered, a couple of others were empty; no 
shells from which young had hatched were found. Most of the 
material excavated was thrown out over the side of the mound 
the bulk of it rolling to the bottom: leaving a hole about 
four feet deep by seven Geet ay diameter, “= 
This mound was again examined on February 1st, 1911. It had 
been completely: fillea in to its original level, and it now 
contained six eggs, one to each Dipe, at a depth of two to 
four feet from the surface, It also contained two young , 
which had worked up through the mound to within:a foot of 
the surface ;.one flew off out of sight as soonas I let it 
go, the other I kept for a specimen, Both birds were in the 
Same egg pipe and the shells from which they emerged were a 
couple of inches below the depth of my ae ee excavation, 
but - could not determine if they hed been placed there af- 
ter that date, viz, 23/12/10. Eggs, one fresh, the others 
in progressive stages of incubation, 
a 
