1863.] DR. G. BENNETT ON THE KAGU. 385 



Ceylon ; the whole of the Malay Islands ; Louisiade Archipelago ; 

 New Caledonia; Tahiti (var. leucophcea, Peale ; cinerea, Gm.) ; 

 Marianne Islands. 



Remarks. — This species has a very wide range, and varies much in 

 size and a little in coloration. The females have a whitish hand on 

 the rump, which in old and worn specimens becomes more conspi- 

 cuous. If that character exists in both sexes of C. francica, it may 

 be considered a distinct species ; but a specimen collected by Mr. 

 E. Newton in Mauritius does not perceptibly differ from one of my 

 females from the archipelago. The sexes differ in size, the females 

 being the largest. I have both sexes from Macassar : wing of <S 

 4-jij inches, of 2 A^ inches. The Indian specimens seem a little 

 larger than this ; those from Java smaller ; while the Pacific 

 Islands specimens, collected by the United States Exploring Expe- 

 dition, are the largest of all, the wing being given as 5^ inches. But 

 as some Indian specimens which I have seen measure 5 inches, there 

 is such a regular gradation that this character will not serve to divide 

 the specimens. In accordance with the views of Bonaparte, I retain 

 the original name of fuciphaga for this species, since, like that of 

 Paradisea apoda, it is rather useful than otherwise, as indicating the 

 erroneous opinions which were so long held as to the origin of the 

 celebrated edible nests. 



5. Notes on the Kagu. By Dr. George Bennett, F.Z.S. 



On the 13th of June 1863, I received from New Caledonia, by 

 H. I. M. Schooner ' La Caledonienne,' a pair of Kagus (Rhinochetuf 

 jubatus), male and female — one presented to me by Dr. Segol, tli ■ 

 surgeon of the vessel, and the other obtained and sent to me by the 

 kind exertions of M. Ferdinand Joubert, now residing in New Cale- 

 donia. Both these gentlemen have been indefatigable in endeavour- 

 ing to procure living specimens, the value of which is much raised 

 by the increased scarcity of Kagus on the island. The day following 

 their arrival I placed them in the aviary in the Botanical Gardens. 

 The female is a fine bird, and the largest specimen of the Kagu I 

 have yet seen. It is graceful and elegant in appearance, active and 

 lively in its habits, and its plumage in excellent condition. It is 

 distinguishable from the male bird by its much larger size, and by 

 the light colour of its plumage, also of its bill, feet, and legs. She 

 has besides a peculiar habit of crouching on the ground and coverina; 

 herself with her wings, by throwing them over together in a concave 

 form, completely concealing the head and body. The male bird, on 

 the contrary, throws up his wings alternately, as if using them as 

 shields, and displays much pugnacity. The latter differs in colour 

 from the female, his plumage being dark hrown, with bars of a lighter 

 shade ; the primaries and secondaries of the wings are very dark 

 brown, barred with black ; the crest is also of a much darker shade 

 of grey than in the female ; the bill and legs are of a bright orange - 

 red colour. When seen together, the male appears small compared 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1863, No. XXV. 



