Vol. ^'-^ J ShuI'Ei.dt, M liter ial for a Study of the iMegapodiidw. 15 



As pointed out, in part, above, Lister gives in his article a full 

 discussion of the distribution of the Megapodiidce, as well as the 

 geological and physical description of the islands where Megapodes 

 are to be found. 



As in the case of all Megapodes, the feet of the Nicobar species 

 arc very large. They are well shown in figs. 5 and 6 of Plate II., 

 in which the characters are so clearly portrayed as to obviate the 

 necessity for any detailed description. That pair of feet belongs 

 to the same specimen which furnished the head shown in fig. i 

 of Plate I. The specimen is No. 178,336 of the collection of the 

 United States National Museum, and from its label we learn that 

 it is a male bird, taken at Tilanchong (Nicobars) on the 30th of 

 January, 1901 (cohector ?). " Length, 15 inches ; iris medium 

 brown ; bill horny-olive ; feet dull red, black in front of tarsi and 

 top of toes ; soles yellowish ; naked space on sides of head pale 

 vermilion." As this data was doubtless taken shortly after the bird 

 was taken, it is particularly valuable. The plumage of this species 

 is well known, and the sexes are very nearly alike in this respect.* 



According to Ogilvie-Grant, the average length of this species 

 is 14.5 inches {loc. cit., p. 447), while I find this average length 

 to be a little more than 15 inches. 



The crest in this species is an elongation of the feathers at the 

 back of the head, and not at all conspicuous. Top of head is of 

 an ecru brown, the aforesaid " crest " of a greyish- white colour, 

 which colour is, on either side, extended as far forwards as the 

 posterior margin of the eyelid. 



There appear to be 22 or more skins of Megapodiiis nicobariensis 

 in the collection of the United States National Museum, and I 

 have carefully examined them all. This series appears to have 

 been collected by Mr. C. B. Kloss in the Nicobar Islands, and 

 their National Museum numbers run from 178,326 to 178,350 

 inclusive, all to 178,330 and 178,336, neither of which I found. 

 In the case of No. 178,328 (or 178,330 ?) the number does not 

 appear on the label, which is greasy and unfit to write upon 

 (?, length 15 inches ; igth February, 1901). No. 176,336 of these 

 specimens is the one I used to make the head shown in fig. i of 

 Plate I. of the present contribution. 



Mr. Kloss used a blue writing paper (folded) for his label, and 

 upon it he frequently added some valuable information. 



In some of these specimens the crest is very evident, while in 

 others it is quite the reverse. Most of the birds were collected 

 during February and March, 1901. Nos. 178,326," 178,327, and 

 178,329 are all males, the first two having been shot on the 19th 

 of February, and tlie r(>maining one the next day (Kachel, 

 Nicobar). No. 178, 320 liad a length of 16 inches. No. lyS.^zy 

 of I5|- inches, and No. i/H.]2() of 15] inches. All these appeared 

 to have a slight crest. 



No. 178,331 is a female, witli a length of 15^ inches, collected 



* Hume and Marsh, " Game Birds of India," vol. i., p. 119, pi. (1878) iii. ; 

 opp. p. 428, pi. ii. (i88u). 



