1878.] MR. GARROD ON THE ANATOMY OF THE MALEO. 629 



they run off, their upper fibres are continuous up the trachea itself 

 in front of and in contact with the intrinsic muscles. These latter, 

 one on each side as usual, meet in the posterior middle line of the 

 trachea, but are not unusually near in front ; they are of considerable 

 size throughout. Near their lower ends they increase immensely in 

 bulk to form, combined posteriorly, a large subglobose mass which 

 is situated opposite the twenty-four lowermost rings of the trachea, 

 which are considerably shallower than those above them and conse- 

 quently occupy a much less space than if they were of the same depth, 

 as is the case in Tantalus loculator. There is a consolidation of the 

 last few rings in adult birds, with which the first two bronchial semi- 

 rings fuse to form a compound three-way piece, and it is to the 

 lower elements of this that the powerful lateral muscles are attached 

 (as well as to the third and fourth bronchial semirings slightly) by a 

 broad fibro-tendinous continuation of their muscular substance, which 

 fixes itself on each side along nearly the whole length of the semi- 

 rings, especially the second, of which the extremities are alone free. 

 So far as I can find out by watching the living birds, there is nothing 

 peculiar in their note to lead one to surmise so large a muscular 

 supply for their lower larynx. They make a powerful screech, with 

 no modulation in it ; and it can hardly be possible that the extra 

 muscular development has not some other function to perform. 

 What that may be it is not easy to surmise. 



8. On the Anatomy of the Maleo {Megacephalon maleo) . 

 By A. H. Garrod, M.A., F.R.S. 



[Eeceived May 21, 1878.] 



Besides being a Megapode, Megacephalon maleo is interesting as a 

 peculiar form ; I therefore take the opportunity of bringing before 

 the Society the results of my dissection of three specimens of this 

 bird which have died in the Gardens. 



Pterylosis. — In the distribution of its feather- tracts the Maleo 

 is somewhat different from the typical Gallinse. Nitzsch briefly 

 records what he found in a bad specimen of Megapodius rubripes, 

 mentioning that the tracts were not different from those in allied 

 birds, and that the oil-gland was tufted. This is all we know of the 

 pterylosis of the group. 



In Megacephalon maleo the anterior surface of the neck is covered, 

 not thickly, with feathers, which only tend to divide opposite the 

 furcula into the two pectoral tracts, each of which descends, strong 

 and uniform in breadth, to opposite the middle of the carina sterui, 

 where it ceases obtusely. The ventral tract does not exist over the 

 anterior or upper part of the pectoral region, but commences narrow 

 close to and opposite the middle of the carina sterni, dilating oppo- 

 site the abdomen, near the middle line of which it descends parallel 

 to its fellow, to just above the anus, where the two meet. The skin 

 over the carina and in the middle line of the abdomen is hard and 



