The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-24

contained few eggs which he wish
ed delivered at the next port. The
skipper placed the eggs in his cabin
for safety, and thought no more
about them until one morning he
heard noise in the basket, and to
his amazement saw one of the eggs
break open and its occupant fly
across the cabin.
Later he learned that the bird was
the maleo, a pheasant-like creature
that deposits its eggs in the volcanic
sands of the beach, allowing the sun
to hatch them. The young birds dig
their way out, and are able to take
care of themselves from birth, and
can fly Immediately to limited dis
lance.
Closely related TO the maleo is a
group of birds which can be very
properly termed the mound builders
of bird life. They are the megapo-
DIES of New Guinea and Australia, the
only birds that use incubators to
hatch their eggs. There are a num-
Der of species, but in general they
resemble small turkeys with very
large feet, and are found in the brush
near the shore or beach.
When the breeding season arrives
both sexes select suitable place and
proceed to build a mound of grass
and vegetable matter. This is ac-
complished by the birds Selling the
material in their large and powerful
claws and hurting it backward. The
work of perhaps score of birds so
accumulates, and large sized mound
is the result, and which when used
year after year, often assumes striking
proportions.
As an example, some naturalists
who were travelling on the island of
Nogo, in Endeavor straits, were at
tracted by the accounts of the natives
of bird that made mountains in
which to hide its eggs from enemies.
By offering to reward the natives the
travellers were taken to the mound
of megapode, from which the
guides triumphantly dug out several
eggs. The mound was, if not a
mountain, a small hill, and measured
$50 feet in circumference, and at one
end was fourteen feet in height, slop-
ing in one place twenty-four feet to
the level of the ground. which was
scraped bare in the vicinity. Another
observed was twenty-five feet in
length and five feet high.
The mounds are formed of veget-
able matter, interspersed here and
there with fine gravel, decayed wood,
and leaves, and are artificial incuba-
tors. The birds dig hole in the top,
the eggs being deposited about six
feet from the surface, then covered
up and left to hatch by the heat gen
Grated in the mass, whereupon the
young scramble out, and as a rule,
look out for themselves from birth.
The Nicobar megapode constructs
similar mound, while the Talegallus
of Australia is equally remarkable as
a moundbuilder. In this instance
several females use the same nest, and
as many as basketful of eggs have
been taken from single mound.
This bird is nearly as large as tur-
key and resembles it.
Among the birds there are number
of mound builders, among which the
Tyre bird, SO remarkable for its VEN
triloquistic powers, may be included,
forming singular mound of sticks
and brush. Upon one occasion sew
eral naturalists visited the small isl
ands On the Bahama banks, and came
upon singular settlement of
mounds. The latter were about thirty
inches across, and from one to three
feet high, and looked like stools or
seats rising from the mud. They were
the moundlike nests of the famingo.
A little bird found deep in the
heart of Borneo, called the gardener
bird, erects perfect mound apparent
ly, three or four feet high, which,
wonderful to relate, is hollow. The
bird is but little larger than robin.
and builds this mound of green twigs
simply as pleasure house, it's eggs
being deposited in nest not far dis
tant.
In travelling over the prairies of
Illinois several yeare ago, l noticed
singular mounds here and there in
what was comparatively dry land.
So numerous were they that they
made the surrounding country appear
as though pillows had passed over
it, giving it an undulatiag shape.
Upon investigation found that these
mound builders were little cray fish
that penetrated the soil in every di-
roofioD from, tho naiob bor;no, broolv.