^"''ivao''"^'] ShuI'ELdt, Material for a Study of the Megapodiidcc. lyq 



Material for a Study of the Meg:apodiid3e. 

 By Major R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S., Hon. Memb. 

 R.A.O.U., Washington, D.C, U.S.A. 

 Part III. 

 ADDENDA. 

 (November, 1917.) 

 The present memoir, when completed up to the above point, 

 was sent to Herr Professor Dr. J. W. Spengel, at Giessen, Germany, 

 as a contribution to the Zoologischen Jahrbucher. It was accepted 

 for pubhcation in that journal, and the material sent to Herr 

 Gustav Fischer, at Jena, who had charge of the printing of it. 

 The great European conflict was then raging, but the United 

 States had remained among the neutral nations. Later, Herr 

 Fischer wrote me in regard to the matter, begging that I be 

 patient, and that undoubtedly the work would appear sooner or 

 later. Months afterwards, the Zoologischen Jahrbucher ceased to 

 come to our libraries ; the United States was very unwillingly 

 drawn into the world war, and all communication with German 

 pubhshers ceased for the time being. At the present writing, 

 no one living can tell when the world will cool down again, and a 

 universal peace be established. A few months ago I practically 

 gave up my work on the Megapodiidt^ as lost, with all its plates. 

 Fortunately, however, a fine carbon copy of the typewritten 

 MS. had been retained, as well as my own original lead-pencil 

 copy ; and Mrs. Shufeldt carefully compared for me the carbon 

 with the original, making it agree, in all respects, with the MS. 

 sent to Germany. While this was in preparation, and by the 

 •aid of my retained negatives, I made a new set of plates and 

 figures, like those accompanying the original work ; in some 

 respects they were even better, the only difference being that 

 the figures of the eggs were not coloured. These plates and 

 figures, together with various ones added since, illustrate the 

 present memoir. 



Since the first work was accepted in Germany, several new forms 

 of Megapodcs have been described, and among them are those 

 referred to by Oberholser in his recent paper entitled " Birds 

 CoUected by Dr. W. L. Abbott on Various Islands in the Java 

 Sea."* Doubtless various other papers on the Megapodiidce 

 have appeared elsewhere — those in Europe not yet having reached 

 this country. Recently the United States National Museum has 

 acquired for the Division of Birds several eggs of Megacephalon 

 video, as well as a skin or two of that elegant species. A skeleton 

 of this species has also been added to the material in the osteo- 

 logical section. Through the kindness of that institution, and 

 the recommendation of Dr. Charles W. Richmond, Assistant 



* Oberholser, Harry C, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. liv., pp. 177-200 

 2nd Nov., 1917 (No. 2,232). Washington: Government Printing Office. 

 (See page 189.) 



