Zoological Society. 469 



portant points from the Vaagmaer as must excite doubts as to their 

 identity.' Now Dr. Reid has not stated what the important points 

 of difference are between my description and that of Prof. Reinhardt. 

 It is true there is one important point — important as determining 

 the proper classification of the fish — the existence or non-existence of 

 ventral fins. These I did not detect ; but it is not surprising, con- 

 sidering their minuteness, and the mutilated condition of the only 

 specimen I had then seen. We have at this moment three dried 

 ones in the Orkney Museum, not so perfect as could be desired, but 

 sufficiently so to determine this point, as well as the identity of the 

 fish with the Icelandic Vaagmaer. It is strange also that Dr. Reid 

 never mentions the existence of ventral fins in his specimen at all, 

 and that also, while he denies that the fishes thrown ashore in Ork- 

 ney are the Deal-fish or Vaagmaer, he should forget that the popular 

 name Beal-^sh. is strictly of Orcadian origin." 



5. On an tTNDESCRIBED SPECIES OF MeGAPODIUS. 



By L. Llewellyn Dillwyn, Esq., F.G.S., F.Z.S. etc. 



My friend Mr. James Motley, who is now conducting the operations 

 of the Eastern Archipelago Company in Labuan, has lately sent me 

 home a box of zoological specimens which he has collected in that 

 island, and among the birds was the pair of the Megapodius, one of 

 which I now produce ; it is, I believe, identical with the species in 

 the British Museum sent home by Mr. Cuming from the PhiUp- 

 pine Islands. In the catalogue accompanying the specimens, and 

 in several letters which I have received from him, he has described 

 some of the habits of these curious birds, and deeming that original 

 observations, however scanty, on the habits of almost any animal 

 from that remote region might not be uninteresting to the Society, I 

 have abstracted from his communications to me the following notice 

 respecting them : — 



These birds are said to be principally confined to small islands, 

 and to such more especially as have sandy beaches ; they ai"e not 

 uncommon in Labuan, but are, however, very rarely to be seen, as 

 they are very shy, and frequent dense flat parts of the jungle, where 

 the ratans grow and where the luxuriance of the vegetation renders 

 concealment easy. 



The Malays snare them by forming long thick fences in unfre- 

 quented parts of the jungle ; in these they leave openings at intervals 

 in which they place traps ; the birds, running through the cover in 

 search of food, meeting the obstruction caused by the fence, run 

 along it till they come to one of the openings, through which they 

 push their way and are trapped. 



Their food principally consists of seeds and insects. 



In walking they lift their feet very high from the ground, and set 

 up their backs something like guinea fowls ; they frequently make a 

 loud noise, like the very loud screech of a chicken when caught. 



They are very pugnacious, and fight with great fury by jumping 

 upon one another's backs and scratching with their long strong claws. 



The eggs are of a fine dark cream-colour, and of very large size. 



