Page:Bird-lore Vol 05.djvu/20

 The Mound-Building Birds of Australia 5

upon her and her mate in dismantling and rebuilding the mound on each occasion of laying. A dweller in the blallee country, who has enjoyed exceptional experiences with l\/1allee Fowls’ mounds. informs me there are always four eggs in the bottom tier, but sometimes six in the other tiers, except the topmost, which ﬁnishes with one egg only; the number of tiers being usually three, occasionally fourt

During laying time, an egg is deposited every third day between 9 and [0 o’clock in the morning, or perhaps two eggs a week, A mound con- taining eggs is somewhat cone-shaped in dull or wet weather, but in warm

EGG-MOUND OF THE MALLEE FOWL From a phowzmvh by Dr. c. 5, km

and sunny days the top is hollowed out (usually about to o'clock A. M.), like a miniature extinct volcano, though not exposing the eggs. This en- ables the heat from the sun to penetrate about the eggs; therefore when the mound is ﬁlled in again (usually about 3 o’clock P. 31,), the heat so absorbed is retained for a lengthened period. I once took the temperature of a mound near the eggs which registered ninety-three degrees. The egg is abnormally large compared with the size of its parents, and measures about three and ﬁve-tenths by two and three-tenths inches, weighing about six and one-half ouncesr The shell is thin. elliptical in shape, and ex~ teriorly of a beautiful soft pinkish red. As incubation proceeds, the eggs become stained, and a thin epidermis chips oﬁ. In two instances the term of incubation was (as nearly as could be ascertained in the bush) thirty» eight and forty-one days, respectively From the position (large ends