330 Mr. G. R. Gray on new Species of Birds. 



Length 6", Avings 3" 3'", bill 10'", tarsi 10'". 

 " Eyes black. Contents of stomach insects. Male and 

 young male." 



RMpidura spilodera. 



Fuscous black ; eyebrows white ; throat and breast white, 

 each feather marked in the middle with black ; abdomen pale 

 fulvous white ; quills dark fuscous black ; tail fuscous black, 

 Avith the tips and inner margins white. 



Length 7", Avings 3", bill 7'", tarsi 12'". 



" Eyes black. Contents of stomach insects. Female." 



This bird, of which there is only one example, is like Rhi- 

 pidura pectoralis^ Ilomb. & Jacq., of the island of Vanikoro ; 

 but the spots on the breast extend up to the mentum. 



With the two preceding species the following were also 

 obtained : — 



Myiagra melamwa. 



" Eyes dark broAvn. Contents of stomach insects. Young- 

 male." 



TrichogJossus Massenw. 

 " Eyes red. Contents of stomach honey. Young male." 



Mr. Sclater has recorded that an egg of a Megapode AAdiich 

 he has described, under the name of Megapodius Brazieri^ in 

 the Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, p. b"!'^^ had been found and brought 

 from the Banks's group. Mr. Brenchley's collection contains 

 three specimens of eggs of a jMegapode that Avere obtained at 

 Vanua Levu, two of Avhich are similar in colour and size to 

 that described by Mr. Sclater; but the third example is a dirty 

 Avhitc. Mr. Brenchley has a note in reference to them, that 

 they AA^ere found in the vicinity of the hot springs on the 

 mountains during the month of August 1865. 



The neighbouring group of islands, the Ncav Hebrides, 

 is also the abode of a species of Megapode ; and Ave are 

 told by Capt. M'Leod that they are found abundantly, espe- 

 cially on Tanna and SandAvich Islands. Both these islands 

 are also referred to by Mr. Brenchley, Avho remarks that on 

 the first-mentioned island a large bird is spoken of as living 

 in the vicinity of the Vulcanos ; Avhile in the second island 

 eggs of a Megapode had been offered for sale. 



It may be remarked that the mature state of the bird of 

 both these groups of islands is at present unknown to ornitho- 

 logists. 



Another ncAV species from the NcAv-Hebrides group is also 



