6 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. \ol. 64. 



Mr. Kaven's field notes have been put in smaller type followed by 

 his initials. 



For the loan of material used in determining some of the species 

 and in characterizing two new forms, I am indebted to the authorities 

 of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, and to 

 J. H. Fleming, Toronto, Ontario. 



Family MEGAPODIIDAE. 



MEGAPODES. 

 1. MEGAPODIUS CUMINGI GILBERTII Gray. 



One male, Pinedapa, February 6, 1918. 



The United States National Museum contains a small series of 

 this species from the Philippine Islands (Fuga, Luzon, and Pala- 

 wan). This series shows quite a little variation, both in size and 

 color; the birds from Fuga Island (north of Luzon) are large and 

 dark (varying from sepia to bister brown), while those from Pala- 

 wan are smaller and much lighter and more reddish brown (near 

 tawny olive) above. The only specimen from Luzon is an unsexed 

 bird from the Taal Volcano; it is lighter than the Fuga Island 

 specimens but much darker than those from Palawan. It is closer 

 to the former, however, and could be placed with them without 

 violence. The single Celebes specimen listed above is smaller than 

 any other in the series before me; in color it is darker above than 

 the Palawan bird but not as dark as that from Fuga and does not 

 fit into either series. From the above it is evident that this species 

 needs revision, but one which my material is too scanty to under- 

 take. As the Celebes bird is certainly not the same as that from 

 Palawan or the northern Philippine Islands, the only safe course it 

 seems to me is to adopt the oldest name founded upon a Celebes 

 specimen and use it. This happens to be Megapodius gilbertii 

 Gray ^'', which makes the distribution more intelligible also, as other- 

 wise a closely related form {Megapodius sanghirensis) would come 

 in between. 



There is one egg in the collection from Celebes without definite 

 locality. It is a light vinaceous-cinnamon and measures, 79.6 by 

 50.8 mm. 



Meyer and Wiglesworth " have given a table of measurements of 

 their series which, taken in connection with that in the National 

 Museum seems to show that the Celebes bird is smaller than that of 

 the Philippines. The series before me measures as follows: 



"> Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1861, p. 289. " Birds of Celebes, vol. 2, 1898, p. 672. 



