THE SAYO MlJJAl'ODK. 



181 



THE SAVO MEGAPODE. 



By A. H. KibSACK, Esq. 

 (Communicated hy Henry Tryon.) 



On recent visits to Savo, one of the Solomon group, I have 

 had opportunities of becominsf acquainted with facts, relatinof to 

 the habits of its indigenous Megapode and the treatment which 

 it receives at the hands of the natives, which I believe are not 

 generally known. 



Mr. G. R. Gray (P.Z.S. 1861) in 1861 furnished a list of the 

 Megapodes which were then recorded and a summary of what 

 had been written concerning the habits of these remarkable 

 birds, a subject which has been dealt with in more than one 

 of the recognised descriptive works of travel relating to the 

 numerous In do and Austro Malaj^an regions, throughout which 

 the Megapodidae have been scattered. Since 1861 several species 

 have been described in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society 

 and other publications, and the more general distribution of the 

 group indicated by A. R. Wallace in his " Geographical Distri- 

 bution of Animals" (Op. Cit. vol. II. p. 341). 



The first reference to the Savo* bird appears to have been given 

 by Dr. G. Rennet, F.L.S. who in a letter (P.Z.S. 1862, p. 247), 

 mentions the fact of Mr. Dawson's having procured living birds 

 from the Island of Savo, which unfortunately shortly afterwards 

 died, and that the eggs were collected by the natives and offered 

 for sale. Subsequently amongst eggs of Megapodes forwarded 

 by Mr. John Brazier to England, were examples from Savo, 

 concerning which Mr. Brazier wrote that the natives brought 

 these eggs off to passing ships by thousands (P.Z.S., 

 1874, p. 606.) 



^lore recently the bird from Savo has been described by Mr. E. 

 P. Ramsay (Proc. Lin. Soc. N.S.W., 1880, Vol. IV. p. 75) who 

 refers it to Megopodius hrenchleyi, G. R. Gray, previously 

 characterised from immature specimens. Commenting on Mr. 

 Ramsay's identification (op. c"i. vol. vi, p. 150, 1881) Mr. 

 Brazier has pointed out that Mr. Ramsay has wrongly asso- 

 ci£.ted the Savo Megapode with M. hrazieri, Sclater, named from 



* Dr. Bennett spells the name Sara, and Mr. Brazier's egps were forwarded from 

 SatJU, whilst Mr. Ramsay's bird came from Savo, all purporting to be situated in 

 the Solomon Group. Mr. Brazier furtlier states (Proc. Liu. Soc. N.S.W., 1881, vol. 

 vi., p. 150) that Savo "is know as Savu, Galera and Eussel Island," but the Savo 

 referred to in this paper is certainly not Ruseel Island ; but a small very hilly and 

 wooded island, three or four miles in extent, situated between Isabel Island, the 

 Floridas, and Guandalcanar. 



