Vol. xix.n SiuTFLOT. Material fov a Study of the Megapndiidrr: 



i8i 



well-known journal he says :— " 17. Megatephalon maleo (Celebcan 

 Malco).— The writer has only seen one of these very rare birds, 

 whicli was living at Amsterdam in T()io. The crown of the head 

 is ,i,>l ' covered with a large l)lack casque,' as stated ni books, 

 lor in the living l)ird this helmet is l)right ])lue. Al)out the si7a> 

 of a small Turkey, the Maleo is dark brown above and a ])eautiful 

 salmon-pink behnv ; it is handsome and striking in appearance, 

 and its absence from our aviaries is much to be regretted." 



In another issue of this journal Dr. Renshaw further informs 

 lis*:—" . . . • Yet so httle are they known in captivity that 

 the arrival of one of them, even in the largest, collections, is hailed 

 almost as a return of the Phoenix ; the curious Maleo birds which 

 swarm on the coast of Northern Celebes are cases in point. 



" The Celebean Maleo is quaint, yet very handsome. About 

 the size of a large (iuinea-Fowl, it has the head bare and the neck 

 nearly so. The wings are ample ; the tail is carried raised, and 

 slightly folded, like a Silver Pheasant's ; the broad, powerful feet 

 are partly webbed. 



" The bare head is decorated with a curious rounded casque 

 composed of spongy honeycombed bone, like the helmet of a 

 Hornbill, and there is a smaller projection in front of the eye. 

 The coloration of the Maleo is pleasing— the head and throat is 

 dark brown, the wings are brownish-black, and the tail is black 

 glossed with green. The under parts are lovely pinkish-salmon 

 colour during life, but in museum skins this gradually fades till 

 the specimen is quite bleached. The bill is pea green, with a 

 red culmen ; the legs and feet are grey, and the claws yellow. 

 The Maleo has well been called a noble bird, but only those who 

 have seen it alive can appreciate its true beauty- 



" The writer w^ould call attention to an error which has hitherto 

 disfigured every description of the Celebean Maleo. The casque 

 on the occiput is bright blue during life, not black, as always stated. 

 The black colour seen in museum skins is due to drying, and is 

 not found during hfe ; it is unfortunate that ornithologists have 

 not noted this in drawing up their descriptions, which should 

 always be done from life, or, at most, recently-shot birds. . . 

 Some years ago, by the kind permission of Dr. Kerbert, the writer 

 photographed a Maleo which was living in the Zoological Gardens 

 at Amsterdam. . . (Page 170.) . . A Maleo egg now before 

 me is much elongated in shape, and of a pale reddish-buff colour." 

 From other writers I learn that the colour of the irides is brown. 

 So much for the Celebean Maleo and its eggs ; T will now pass 

 to a consideration of its skeleton. 



Osteology of Megacephalon maleo. 

 At the present time there is but a single skeleton at my 

 command which is available for the purpose of noting the 

 characters of the osseous system of Megacephalon maleo ; it is 



♦"The Celebean Maleo." Avicitlturat Magazine, 3rd scries, vol. viii., 

 No. 6, April, 191 7, pp. 168-170. 



