eggs in large heaps. It is said that a number of birds make these
mounds together. For this purpose they are furnished with large feet
and long curved claws, to enable them to scrape up the dirt and rubbish.
This they are supposed to do by labouring together; and they then,
making a hole in the centre, lay their eggs in it and cover them up.
The heat caused by the fermenting leaves is sufficient to hatch the
eggs; and the young birds then work their own way out of the mound, and
run off in a most independent manner into the woods, picking up their
food as they go. They are quite independent of parental control, and
seem at once to obtain all the knowledge they are ever likely to
possess. We determined to watch for the birds themselves, when we had
time, to learn more about them. Of the fact that they thus lay their
eggs, we now had a very pleasant proof.

"Stay," said Macco; "I make baskets to carry de eggs."

Ascending a tall palm-tree, he cat from the top some fan like leaves,
and descending, speedily wove them into three baskets, sufficient to
carry away our prize. We left, however, a portion to be hatched, not
liking to take the whole--indeed, there were more than we should
probably require while they remained good. We had not got far with
them, when a dreadful idea struck me.

"Suppose they are nearly hatched," I said; "I am afraid they would be
uneatable!"

Macco understood me, and laughed heartily. "Oh, dem bery good," he
answered. "Little bird better dan big, bird."

However, I could not agree with him. To satisfy myself, I at once broke
one. Greatly to my delight I found that it was perfectly fresh; and
probably, had we approached the mound more cautiously, we might have
found the parent birds in the neighbourhood, for it was evident that the
eggs could only just have been laid.

As may be supposed, we made a hearty supper. On examining our larder,
we found that the flesh of the cuscus was still perfectly fresh. At
first I had some repugnance to eating a new animal. However, the steaks
which Macco cut from the creature's fat sides looked so tempting that I
did not refuse the portion he offered me, and found it very delicate.
As the eggs were more likely to keep than the flesh of the animal, we
agreed to preserve it for our morning's meal, cooking only one, which we
divided amongst us. A couple we agreed would be sufficient for a hearty
meal; indeed, one was almost enough to satisfy a moder