456 



MEGAPODIID^. 



to recognize more than one' species, as the chain of intermediate 

 forms between the extreme types is complete. 



Adult male and female. Top of the head -with a full occipital 

 crest of brown feathers ; back of the neck and mantle grey, shading 

 into rufescent olive-brown on the middle of the back and wings ; 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dark chestnut; tail 

 blackish chestnut; chin, throat, and underparts smoky grey ; sides, 

 flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts mostly dull chestnut. Bill 

 reddish brown, with yellow edges ; iris dark brown ; legs and feet 

 bright orange ; toes dark reddish brown. 



(Adult from Floris.) Total length 14 inches, wing 8-8, tail 3"6, 

 tarsus 2'55. 



( cS adult from Kei Islands.) Total length 14 inches, wing 8'7, 

 tail 3-5, tarsus 2-65. 



( S adult from Aroe Islands.) Total length 15 inches, wing 9, 

 tail 3"5, tarsus 2"65. 



( (5 adult from Dorey, N^ew Guinea.) Total length 15"5 inches, 

 wing 9-4, tail 3-9, tarsus 2-9. 



(Adult from Port MoUe.) Total length 16 inches, wing 10-2, 

 tail 4-2, tarsus 2-9. 



( c? adult from Cairncross Island.) Total length 16*8 inches, 

 wing 10"2, tail 4-1, tarsus 3. 



Immature birds are easily recognized by their sharp-pointed 

 outer primaries, and even in specimens in which the chest appears 

 to be uniform grey there are almost always a few pale rufous 

 feathers of the first plumage hidden beneath the grey plumage of the 

 adult. 



In cfiite young specimens the chin and throat are buff, shading 

 into grey on the neck, and into pale rufous-brown on the rest of 

 the underparts. 



Hah. Eanging from the Kangeang Archipelago in the west, through 

 Lombock, Floris, iSumba, Banda, Kei, Aroe, Balawatti, "Western 

 and Southern Xcw Guinea, and the islands of Torres Straits to 

 Jforth-east Australia. 



a. Ad. sk. 



b. Ad. sk. 



c. Juv. sk. 



d. e. J 5 ^d. sk. 

 /. 2 imm. sk. 



(j-m. cJ ad., imm., 

 et juv. sk. & St. 

 n. $ ad. sk. 

 o. cj vix ad. sk. 



p, q. S ad. sk. 



et St. 

 r, s. Imm. et 



juv. sk. 

 t. $ ad. sk. 



Lombock. 



Floris ( Wallace). 



Floris. 



Kei Is. 



Aroe Is., July (U. 0. 



Forbes). 

 Aroe Is. 



Wokam, Aroe Is. 

 New Guinea {A. R. Wal- 

 lace). 

 Dorey, New Guinea. 



Astrolabe Mts. 



Prince of Wales Is., Torres 

 Straits, Aug. 



A. R. Wallace, Esq. [C.]. 

 (Tvpe of M. goiddii, Gray.) 

 Gould Coll. 



A. R. Wallace, Esq. [C.l. 

 A. R. Wallace, Esq. [C.]. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 



A. R. Wallace, Esq. [C.]. 



' Challenger ' Exp. 

 Goidd Coil. 



A. R. Wallace, Esq. [C.]. 



A. Goldie, Esq. [C.]. 



Voy. of II.M.S. ' Alert.' 



