CHAP. XXVII.] OF THE MOLUCCAS. 14 7 



less than twenty-two species, belonging to ten genera, 

 inhabiting them. Among these is the large red-crested 

 cockatoo, so commonly seen alive in Europe, two handsome 

 red parrots of the genus Eclectus, and five of the beautiful 

 crimson lories, which are almost exclusively confined to 

 these islands and the New Guinea group. The pigeons 

 are hardly less abundant or beautiful, twenty-one species 

 being known, including twelve of the beaiitiful green fruit 

 pigeons, the smaller kinds of which are ornamented with 

 the most brilliant patches of colour on 1-he head and the 

 under-surface. Next to these come the kingfishers, in- 

 cluding sixteen species, almost all of which are beautiful, 

 and many are among the most brilliantly-coloured birds 

 that exist. 



One of the most curious groups of birds, the Megapodii, 

 or mound-makers, is very abundant in the Moluccas. 

 Tliey are gallinaceous birds, about the size of a small fowl, 

 and generally of a dark ashy or sooty colour, and they 

 have remarkably large and strong feet and long claws. 

 They are allied to the "Maleo" of Celebes, of which an 

 account has already been given, but they differ in habits, 

 most of these birds frequenting the scrubby jungles along 

 the sea-shore, where the soil is sandy, and there is a con- 

 siderable quantity of debris, consisting of sticks, shells, 

 seaweed, leaves, &c. Of this rubbish the Megapodius 

 forms immense mounds, often six or eight feet high and 



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