Birds of Celebes: Megapodidae. (571 



^287. MEGAPODIUS CUMINGI Dilhv. 



little Moleo. 

 Plate XLI. 



In uniting as one species M. cumingi DiWw. of Labuan, M. lowi Sharpe of 

 Labuan, M. pusiltus Twee dd. of Cebu, M. dillwi/in Twee dd. of "the Philippines", 

 and 31. gilherti Gray of Celebes in the Catalogue of the Game Birds Mr. 

 Ogilvie-Grant seems to us to have made a step in the right direction; generally 

 speaking the birds are similar, and it is most probable that with a sufficiently 

 large material from all quarters the gaps which seem to separate the typical 

 individuals may be filled up. But the bird varies locally in many different 

 localities, and Mr. Grant's work would have been still more w^elcome, if he 

 had drawn attention to some of these racial departures. In Mindanao the bird 

 appears to be about twice as a big as it is in North Borneo; another difference 

 is seen in Celebes specimens, to which the following are some of the principle 

 references : 



a. Megapodius (1) Wall., Ibis 1860, 142; (2) id., Malay Ai-cliip. 1869, I, 413. 



b. Megapodius gilbert! (and gilbertii) (1) Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, 289; (2) Sclil., Ned. Tdsclir. 



Dierk. 1866, HI, 263, pt.; (3) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, Vm, 87; (4) Eosenb., 

 Malay. Arcliip. 1878, 276; (5) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 138, 146; (6) Schl, Mus. P.-B., 

 Megapod., 1880, 73; (7) Oustal., Mon. Megap. 1881, 107; (8) Guillem., P. Z. S. 

 1885, 557; (9) Hickson, Nat. in N. Celebes 1SS9, 94. 



c. Megapodius freycineti (1) Rchb., Taiiben 1862, 5, pt. (Manado); (^2J Joes t (nee Q. & G.), 



Das Holontalo 1883, 106. 



Megapodius cumingi (1) Grant, Cat. B. 1893, XXII, 449; (2) M. & Wg., Abb. Mus. Dresd. 

 1895, Mai, Nr. 8, p. 16; (3) Hart., Nov. Zool. 1896, 166. 



"Moleo kitjil" (Idtjil = little), Malay, N. Celebes, Meyer b 5. 



"Panoa", v. Rosenb. b 4, or "Panua", Joest c 2, Gorontalo Distr. 



"Moleo utang", Lembeb Id., Nat. Coll. 



For further references of. Oustalet b 7. 



Descriptions. Gray b 1; Scblegel b 6; Oustalet b 7; Grant 1. 



Adult. Above warm olivaceous brown, bead, nape and fore-neck wasbed with slate-grey; 

 all the iinder-parts brownish slate-grey: "bare skin of the face fine bright red; 

 bill brown, above blackish; iris brown (difficult to determine); legs and feet in fi-ont 

 and above black, behind reddish, below yellowish" — P. & F. Sarasin (cf, Rurukan, 

 26. ni. 94). 



Sexes. Appear to be perfectly similar in coloration. 



Immature. A specimen which we consider scarcely adult differs in having the crown and 

 uuder-parts oUvaceous with very little of the slate-grey tint of the adults ((J', Kema, 

 25. vm. 93: Sarasin Coll.). 



Chick. "Head and nape ohve -brownish; mantle, back, uropygium, and wing -coverts irre- 

 gularly banded with brownish red; chin yellowish; throat ohve-brownish, breast and 

 belly somewhat lighter, and shading into red-brown; wings greyish brown; bill dark 

 hom-colour; feet black" (Meyer b 5). 



It appears certain that the cliick of this Megapode can fly as soon as it is 

 hatched, like that of Tagegalhis and Megacephalon. 



