OCR Text |
Show 1 18 MR. E. P. RAMSAY ON THE BIRDS OF [Jan. 18, mound, and resorted to by several individuals. The eggs vary much in size, and in shape from almost round to a long oval, or pointed at the thin end; their usual form is an oval slightly smaller at one end. The shell is very thin, minutely granulated, and snow-white in colour. They are of a very delicate flavour, resembling in taste those of the Plovers. 190. MEGAPODIUS TUMULUS. This Mound-raiser is very plentiful north after passing Port Denison; I found it also in tolerable numbers as far south as the Pioneer river. They are strictly confined to the dense scrubs, and seldom, if ever, seen elsewhere. Their noisy cackling at night frequently disturbed us when encamped near one of their favourite resorts ; and during the day their hoarse note at once betrays their presence. On the Herbert river they are not much sought after as an article of food either by the natives or whites; for as their eggs are esteemed a delicacy the birds themselves are not much molested. I examined several nests in March ; and although it was not the regular breeding-season, yet fresh eggs were obtained, and newly hatched young were found singly here and there throughout the denser parts of the brushes. Some of the mounds were very ruthlessly destroyed by the whites, and scattered over the ground. This, however, did not cause the birds to forsake the place ; and out of one large mound, which had been very roughly handled, two new ones were formed, about 10 yards apart, on the ba6e of the old one, which was so matted and interlaced with roots from the neighbouring trees that it appeared to me a marvel how the birds could burrow into it the great length they did; and having once laid their eggs there, how ever the young birds found their way out through the maze of roots is still a mystery. Once out, however, and their wings dry, they are able to take care of themselves, but remain about the mounds for a day or so, as if waiting for some of their companions; but in less than a week from the day they are hatched they may frequently be seen at least a quarter of a mile away, and well able to fly about. I met one little fellow, only 5*5 inches in total length, fully a mile away from the nearest mound ; he flew up and settled in a tree, about 20 feet from the ground. The wings and feet were remarkably developed for so small a bird, which could scarcely be more than four weeks old. Upon more than one occasion I have seen the birds busy at their mound, or feeding near it, but was never so fortunate as to meet with them in the act of burrowing. The largest mound I met with was about 50 feet in length, 10 in height, and 14 feet in width at the base, 8 or 10 on the summit. It seemed to be more like several mounds combined ; and certainly more than two pairs of birds frequented it. While stationed gun in hand watching for Cassowaries (Casuarius australis), I noticed on one occasion five birds arrive at this mound in company ; they came very close to me, making a chuckling noise jerked out from their throat, and not unlike that of a domestic fowl when driven from its nest, but not so loud. Usually only a pair are met with together. Their flight is |