446 MEGAPODIIDiB. 



1. MEGAPODIUS *. ,^ 



Type. 



Megapodius, Qtioy ^- Gaim. Voy. Uranie, p. 125 (1824). M. freycineti. 



Aiecthelia, Less. ^- Gam. Bull. Sci. Nat. viii. p. 115 



(1826) M. freycineti. 



Alechthelia, Hartl. {I8i2), Jide Gray, Ha?id-l. B. ii. 



p. 255 (1870) M. freycineti. 



Amelous, Gloger, Hand- m. Hilfsb. p. 375 (1842) M. freycineti. 



In some species the head and neck are mostly feathered, while iu 

 others the whole head and neck with the exception of the occipital 

 region and nape are almost entirely naked. 

 Nostrils oval. 



Tail short and rounded, composed of 12 feathers. 

 Upper tail-coverts do not reach to the extremity of the tail- 

 feathers. 



1st primary is about equal to the 10th (sometimes a little longer 

 or shorter) ; 5th somewhat the longest t. 



Tarsi and feet very large and strong ; fore part of tarsus covered 

 with a single row of large scutes. 



Eange, Islands of the Pacific; north to the Philippine and 

 Marianne Is., south to Australia, east to Ninafou, and west to the 

 Nicobar Is. 



Key to the Species. 

 A. No white on the basal part of the primaries. 

 a. Mantle oUve-brown or rufous brown, like 

 the rest of the back J. 

 a' . Underparts pale grey. 

 a". Outer webs of the outer primaries pale 



ochraceous 7ucobariemis, p. 447. 



* Doubtful species : — 



1. Megapodius, sp. 



There are two quite young specimens in the British Museum, wliich are said 

 to Lave been obtained on Lord Howe's Island. They differ from all other young 

 of a similar age which I liave examined in having the back and wings barred with 

 iw^aud black, as well as by the paler colour of the underparts. They closely 

 resemble the figure of the young of M. laferousii given by Finsch in the J. Mus. 

 Godeffroy, viii. pi. v. fig. 3 (1875). So far as I am aware, no species of 

 Megapode is knowji to occur on this island, and the probability is that these 

 young birds represent an unknown species ; but this cannot be decided till adult 

 specimens are obtained. 

 a, h. Juv. sk. Lord Howe's Island. 



2. Megapodius, sp. 



Megapodius sp., Cheeseinan, Tr. tf- P. S. Zeal. Inst, xxiii. p. 219 (1891) 

 [formerly inhabited Sunday I., Kermadec Group]. 



3. ? Megapodius andersoni. 

 ? Megapodius ? andersoni, Gray, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 291 [New Caledonia], 

 18(54, p. 44. 

 G. E. Gray has given the above name to a bird from New Caledonia referred 

 to in MS. by Anderson (who accompanied Cook's third Voyage) under the name 

 of Tctrao australis, and briefly described by him as follows: — "fusca nigraque ; 

 pedibus nudis." 



\ The fifth secondary is said to be absent in Megapodius rubrifrons 

 {=M. eremita). See Selat. Ibis, 1890, p. 81. 



\ A slight tinge of grey on the upper mantle in one specimen of M. tenim- 

 herensis. 



