52 Notices and Descriptions of various New [No. 169. 



Picus moluccensis (verus, p. 16), identical with the Javanese species, 

 is sent from Penang ; and I find that it is Mr. Eyton's Tripsurus auritus, 

 An. and Mag. N. H., 1845, p. 229, — another synonyme to be added to 

 those reduced in p. 14 : Mr. Eyton also describes floe. cit.J a Picus 

 rubiginosus, which is a Gecinus most nearly allied to G. malaccensis, 

 and has been subsequently described by Lord A. Hay as P. melanogaster, 

 Madr. Journ. No. XXXI, p. 153 : but Bucco quadricolor, Eyton, is dis- 

 tinct from both the species with which its identity is suggested at 

 p. 14 ante. 



The most interesting specimens, however, in this collection, are a pair 

 of adults of the Megapodius of the Nicobar Islands, and also two undoubt- 

 ed eggs of this bird, of which Captain Lewis prepared only a chick. 

 So remarkable a species may be at once described, however, out of its 

 place in the present series. 



M. nicobariensis, nobis. Length about fifteen inches, and of wing 

 nine inches ; tarse two inches and a half; middle toe an inch and five- 

 eighths, and its claw three-quarters of an inch ; hind-claw seven- eighths. 

 Foot rather small for a Megapodius, the middle toe and claw but little 

 exceeding the two lateral in length. General hue of the upper- parts deep 

 olive-brown with a tinge of ochreous, which becomes more decided on the 

 wings ; lower-parts dingy greyish-brown, with a slight tinge of ochreous 

 on the breast, and which prevails throughout the under-parts of a presum- 

 ed female : crown slightly rufescent-brown, prolonged into a short crest, 

 and the occipital feathers impended by the coronal are light greyish : 

 lores, cheeks, and throat, almost naked : the primaries light ochreous on 

 their outer webs, and dusky internally : bill yellow : and legs and claws 

 dark horn- coloured. The chick is coloured nearly as in the adult, but is 

 mottled with faint russet on the wings, and the abdomen has a rufous 

 tinge ; the feathers of the head, neck, and breast, having a peculiar hair- 

 like structure. The presumed egg is of a true elliptical shape, or with the 

 small end just distinguishable, measuring three inches and a half in 

 length, and being of an uniform somewhat ruddy stone- colour. The habits 

 of this bird would appear to resemble precisely those of M. tumulus des- 

 cribed by Mr. Gould. Captain Lewis had seen the mounds, and the 

 birds upon them ; but was unaware that the latter had been the accu- 

 mulators of such huge heaps of material. Upon shewing him Mr. 

 Gould's description of the habits of the Australian species, he remarked 

 that the same account would equally apply to the Nicobar bird, except 



