1 82 Allen's naturalist's library. 



down between their legs. I was delighted at getting such a 

 good look at so rare a bird, and tried to get both at one shot ; 

 but I have been ' sold ' too often by being too greedy, so 

 knocked over the furthest one with a half-charge. The other 

 one apparently vanished into thin air, as I saw nothing more 

 of him. About a mile higher up the ravine I was startled by 

 the hoarse cry of alarm, which appears to be the only sound 

 these birds emit ; and I could just see the bird's red head as 

 he stared at me from behind a clump of rocks. I soon had 

 the pleasure of handling him." 



Eggs. — Similar to the eggs of M. 7iicoha7'iensis^ but, as a rule, 

 rather longer and more pointed ovals. Average measurements, 

 3'25 by 1*9 inches. 



XIV. THE PELEW MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS SENEX. 



Megapodius senex, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 830; Finsch; 



J. Mus. Godeffr. iv. pt. viii. p. 29, pi. v. figs. 2-3 (1875). 

 Megapodius laperousii, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. 

 p. 460 (1893) [part. ; Pelew Is.] 



Adult. — General colour of plumage greyish-black, washed 

 with dark olive-brown on the wings and deep reddish-brown 

 on the rump ; top of the head French grey ; forehead, sides 

 of the head, and throat similar, but thinly covered with feathers. 

 Bill and legs yelloiv. Total length, 9*5 inches ; wing, 7 ; tail, 

 2 '3 ; tarsus, 2. 



Eange. — Pelew Islands. 



Since writing on these birds in the " Catalogue of Birds," 

 Mr. Hartert has shown me a number of M. laperousii from the 

 Marianne Islands, in the Hon. Walter Rothschild's collection. 

 As he points out. Dr. Oustalet was evidently wrong in uniting 

 this species with M. sefiex from the Pelew Islands, as the dif- 

 ferences between them, though slight, appear to be constant. 



Eggs. — Like those of the other species. Measurements, 2*9 

 by 1-8. 



