GALLIFORMES. 465 



Fam. Megapodiidae. Megapodes. The feet are large, the bill short, and 

 the wings abbreviated. The eggs are placed in mounds or in holes in the 

 sand, and develop without incubation. The young can fly almost im- 

 mediately. Austro-Malayan, but not found in Borneo (?), Sumatra, or 

 Java. Megacephalon maleo Temm., N. Celebes. Megapodius tumulus 

 Gould, N.-E. of Australia. Lipoa Gould, S. Australia. Talegallus. 



Fam. Cracidae. Curassows. Arboreal birds, with very pneumatic 

 skeleton, feathered bursal glands and both carotids. Neotropical (except 

 the Antilles). Several species are easily domesticated, but rarely breed 

 in confinement. Hybrids with domestic fowls have been recorded. 

 Crax alector L., cura^sow, S. Amer. Penelope, Ortalis, Oreophasis, etc. 



Fam. Phasianidae. Essentially terrestrial birds, which, however, often 

 roost in trees. Many polygamous, the male being larger and more 

 brightly coloured than the female. The nests are placed on the ground, 

 and the eggs are usually numerous. The head is usually adorned with 

 coloured comb, cutaneous lobes or tufts of feathers. The hallux is ele- 

 vated and usually without a claw, and the male frequently has spurs. 

 They are mainly vegetable feeders, and nearly cosmopolitan in distribu- 

 tion. They are for the most part easily domesticated, and the breast 

 muscle 5 are well developed. From the Eocene onwards. 



Sub-fam. 1. Numidinae. Guinea-fowls ; Africa and Madagascar. 

 Numida meleagris L., the guinea-fowl ; W. Africa. Acryllium, 

 Guttera, Phasidus. 



Sub-fam. 2. Meleagrinae. Turkeys ; N.-Amer., Central Amer. ; 

 M. gallopavo L., the origin of our farm- yard turkey, S. Canada to 

 Mexico. M. ocellata Cuv., Honduras. 



Sub.-fam. 3. Phasianinae. Fowls. Inhabitants of the Old World. 

 Pavo cristatus L., peacock, with long tail-coverts, India. Argusianus 

 giganteus Tern., the argus-pheasant, Malay Penins., Sumatra. Poly- 

 plectron Tern., peacock-pheasant, Indo-China, Malaya. Gallus L., 4 

 species, India, Malaya; G. ferrugineus Gm. (bankiva Tern.), the red 

 jungle-fowl and the origin of our domestic breeds, India, Malaya ; 

 G. sonnerati Tern., the grey jungle-fowl, India ; G. Stanley i Gr., 

 Ceylon ; G. varius Shaw, Java. Chrysolophus pictus L., golden phea- 

 sant, China, E. Thibet. Phasianus L., pheasants, Eur., Asia ; Ph. 

 colchicus L., Caspian to S.-E. Eur., main origin of the introduced form, 

 which has largely interbred with Ph. torquatus Tern., China, and 

 Ph. versicolor of Japan, etc. Catreus, Pucrasia. Gennaeus nycthe- 

 murus L., silver-pheasant of S. China. Crossoptilon, Lobiophasis, 

 Lophura, Acomus, Lophophorus, Ceriornis, Ithagenis. 



Sub-fam. 4. Tetraoninae. Grouse, partridges, and quails. Nearly 

 cosmopolitan except in S. Amer. Ophrysia, Galloperdix, Synoecus. 

 Coturnix communis Bonn., the common quail, Eur., Asia, Africa. 

 Perdix cinerea Lath., the common partridge, Europe. Francolinus, 

 Caccabis rufa L., the red-legged partridge. Tetraogallus. Odonto- 

 phorus. Bonasa sylvestris L., hazel grouse. Tympanuchus americanus 

 Reich., the prairie-hen. Tetrao urogallus L., cape really. Lyrurus 

 tetrix L., black grouse. Lagopus scoticus Lath., red grouse, probably 

 the insular form of the willow grouse, the only species of bird (except 

 the St. Kilda wren) confined to the British Islands, not found south 

 of Shropshire (except in S. Wales); L. albus Gm., willow grouse, be- 

 comes white in winter. Colinus and other genera (American " par- 

 tridges "). 



Z.-Il. H H 



