392 THE GliUlSJj] OF THE ' GUBAQO/L' 



PLATE XX. 

 MEGAFOUIUS BBENGELEYI. 



(Megapodius Brenchleyi, G. li. Gr. Ann. and Mag. N. II. 1870, p, 328.) 



Young. Chestnut brown, with transverse narrow bands of 

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

 white ; beneath the body more rufous than on the upper surface, 

 but without any markings. 



Length 5" 6'". 



' Eyes dark hazel.' 



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

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

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

 both in size and colom', very similar to that of the Megapodius 

 Brazieri, described by Mr. Sclater in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 528. 

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

 (very similar in every respect to those above referred to), had been 

 brought from San-Christoval Island. As Grulf Island lies close to 

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

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

 the same sj)ecies. 



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

 a small acknowledgment for the opportimity he has given me of 

 describing the new species contained in his highly interesting 

 collection. 



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

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

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

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

 sjDecimens of eggs of a Megapode that were obtained at Vanua 

 Lava, two of which are similar in colom- and size to that described 

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

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

 the vicinity of the hot springs on the mountains during the 

 month of August 1865. 



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

 the abode of a species of Megapode : and we are told by Capt, 

 IM'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 matm-e state of the bird of both 

 these groups of islands is at present unknown to ornithologists. 



