392 THE GBUISE OF THE ' GUBA(J0A: 



PLATE XX. 

 MEGAPODIUS BBENCHLEYI. 



(Megapodius Brenchleyi, G. It. Gr. Ann. and Mng. N. H. 187(1, yj 328.) 



Young. Chestnut brown, with transverse narrow bauds of 

 yellowish brown on tlie back and wings ; throat and cheeks fulvous 

 white ; beneath the body more rufous than on tlie upper siuface, 

 but without any markings. 



Length 5" 6'". 



' Eyes dark hazel.' 



A single specimen of the yoimg bird, and two eggs (unfortu- 

 nately in a broken state), were obtained at Grulf Island, where they 

 were discovered in the month of September 1865. These eggs are, 

 both in size and colour, very similar to that of the Mei/apoilius 

 Brazieri, described by Mr. Sclater in Proc. Zool. Soc. 18()9, p. 528. 

 In 1864, I observed, in the Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 42, that an egg 

 (very similar in every respect to tliose aliove referred to), had been 

 brought from Sau-Oiristo\ al Island. As Gulf Island lies close to 

 this last-mentioned island, it is therefore very probable tliut the 

 birds of these two islands may exentually prove to be of one and 

 the same species. 



I have named this species after Julius Brencliley, Esq., as 

 a small acknowledgment for the opportunity he has given me of 

 describing" the new species contained in his highly interesting 

 collection. 



Mr. Sclater has recorded tliat an egg of a Megapode which he 

 has described, under tlie name of Megapodius Brazieri, in the 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 528, has been found and brought 

 fronr Banks's Islands. Mr. Brenchley's collection contains three 

 specimens of eggs of a Megapode that were obtained at Vanua 

 Jjiiva, two of which are similar in coloiu- and size to that described 

 by Mr. Sclater ; but tlie third example is a dirty white. IMr. 

 Brenchley has a note in reference to them, that they were found in 

 tlie vicinity of the hot springs on the mountains dm-ing the 

 month of August 1865. 



The neighbouring group of islands, the New Hebrides, is also 

 the abode of a species of jVIegapode ; and we are told by Capt. 

 M'Leod that they are found abundantly, especially on Tanna and 

 Sandwich Islands. Both these islands are also referred to by Mr. 

 Brenchley, who remarks that on the first-mentioned island a large 

 bird is spoken of as living in the vicinity of the volcanoes ; while 

 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 ornithologists. 



