Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-01-29
A VERY CURIOUS Bird.
'a"''s OF the Maieo, Queer Crsstprs
round In the Eastern eeas

Habits OF the Maieo, Queer c,...
Pound in the Eastern Seas.
The maleo Is about the size OF a small
turkey, and not unlike one in annea,,
ance, and belongs to the family ~ ,nsa-
dpodes, or "big-feet,m which are ala
called mound builders"
These latter are gaillnaceous birds
las are our common fowls or pheas-
ants), which are found In Australia and
Papua, or New Guinea, and which Low
their eggs, and then scratch I'M and
carry immense quantities Of sticks.
leaves and earth over them, SO that tbe
neat OF fermentation under hot snn
matches them. These birds have ali
Immense feet, well adapted for sucb .
purpose, two or three times as large in
proportion as those Of our turkeys
instead OF using leaves and sticks and
sand, the maleo OF Celebes usea *ho
gravel OF the sea-beach alone to hatch
It's eggs. and these eggs are extremely
large In proportion to the size of the
bird.
They do not make regular mounds
ike their cousins, the mecapodes nj
Australia, but the whole beach shows
series OF elevations and depressions.
Ike rough, confused sea, Contrarv
to what We should imagine. the very
large eggs arc not found at the very
bottom OF the deprcssions, nor on the
summit OF the mound of gravel. but in
shallow trenches, and on the slopes Of
the irregular hummocks.
The natives of the island understand
perfectly how to find them, by probing
in the gravel with a flexible, delicate
stick. If the egg has been lately laid.
and just covered, the gravel is very lit
tie packed, and easy to penetrate with
the stick. Then the gravel is scraped
away--the stick used again-and so
the egg is reached at last
1t Is often three or four feet below
the surface Of the mound. The heat Of
the beach, however, on which the trop-
ical sun is ever shining, matches the
eggs at this depth; for, after they are
once deposited and covered I'd, the
parent birds take no more notice OF
them.
The male birds, as well as the hens.
dig up the gravel to form the mounds.
and throw up the material in perfect
showers; and they do this in an odd
way, and not scratching alternately,
with both feet, like common fowls. The
maleo poises himself on one leg. and
gives rapid digs with the other the
large foot, slightly webbed at the base
OF the toes, being as large and effective
as mans hand.
Although the explorers from the
Marchesa found the curious birds in
great numbers upon the seashore, they
could only get them by creeping up
quite close, and then running in and
shouting; when, instead of running off,
they took to their wings and perched
upon the forest trees which formed a
belt along the beach. Here they seemed
to think themselves perfectly safe, and
one can be shot at time, without put
ting to fight the others. They were
found to be delicious eating, and their
skins, being unique, most valuable for
stutfing, for museums and collections.
The maleo's egg is huge, in proper
ton TO the size of the body. and some
days elapses between the laying; and
the question is, why should the egg be
so disproportionate to the size of the
bird?
The theory of Doctor Guillemard, the
naturalist who describes them, is that
the eggs of these birds would be ex-
posed to much risk if in an open nest,
while buried as they are they are COM
paratively safe. He says that the
weight of such mass of gravel must
be taken into consideration. when ii
will be seen that no chick OF ordinary
size could force its way through it to
the surface. Hence the necessity of a
large egg and powerful chick; or, in
other words. the curious habit has been
adopted for the preservation of the spe-
cies.-Golden Days.