^'°'',^o^'] SnUFKLDT, Material for a Study of the Mcgapodiidcc. igl 



There can now be no question as to their being a separate 

 family from the Cracida, and most assuredly from other famiUes 

 of GaUinaceous birds, as the Guinea-Fowls and Turkeys. 



I am satisfied that what is set forth in the present memoir, 

 presenting as it does many new facts in the morphology of the 

 MegapodiidcB and other matters relating to them, does not tend 

 in any way to disturb the above views upon their taxonomy. 

 Indeed, it confirms, as before mentioned, what I pointed out as 

 long ago as 1904,* and that is that the mound-birds {Mega- 

 podiidcs) belong in the Sub-Order Gallincc (Family I.), next above 

 the Cracida; in a linear arrangement. And should the present 

 monograph settle that point, or even assist in settling it, for all 

 time, I shall certainly feel that my labour upon it has not been 

 entirely devoid of useful results. 



EXPLAXATIO.M OF PlATES. 



(.\11 the figures in the plates are reproductions of photographs made 

 by the author direct from the specimens. They were all made 

 natural size ; and, should any particular figure not agree with 

 the measurements given in the text and elsewhere, that figure 

 has been reduced in reproduction.) 



Pl.\te XIV. 



Fig. 29. — Left lateral view of the-head and anterior half of the body 

 of the Celebean Maleo {Megacephalon maleo). Celebes : 

 Koeala Prang, 29th May, 1916, J. H. C. Raven, collector. 

 (No. 2,705.) Skin in Division of Birds, U.S. Nat. Mus.- 

 Photographed and coloured by the author. Nat. size. 



Plate XV. 



Fig. 30. — Egg of Megacephalon maleo ; nat. size. H. C. Raven, coll. 

 Celebes. (No. 33,522.) Coll. U.S. Nat. Mus. Photograph 

 by the author. 



Fig. 31. — Egg of Megacephalon maleo ; nat. size. H. C. Raven, coll. 

 Celebes. (No. 33,522.) Collection U.S. Nat. Mus. Photo- 

 graph by the author. These two specimens of the Maleo's 

 eggs bear the same number, which seems to indicate that 

 they belong to the same set. 



Pl.\te XVI. 

 Fig. 32. — Skeleton of the right pectoral limb of the Celebean Maleo 

 (M. maleo) ; nat. size. Palmar aspect. Coll. U.S. Nat. 

 Mus. (No. 225,130.) H. C. Raven, collector (2,720). 

 Lembeh, Celebes, 26th June, 1916. Photograph by the 

 author. 



Fig. 33- — Dorsal aspect of the cranium of the Maleo. Same speci- 

 men as fig. 32 ; nat. size. 



Fig. 34. — Ventral view of the mandible of Megacephalon maleo. 

 Same skeleton as in figs. 32 and 33. 



* Shufeldt, R. W., " An .\rrangemerit of the Families and Higher Groups 

 of Birds," American Naturalist, Boston, 1904, p. 852. 



