MEGAPODIUS BRENCHLEYI, Gray. 
Brencliley’s Meg*apode. 
Megapodius hrenchleyi, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) v. p. 328 (1870). — Id. Hand-list of Birds, ii. p. 255, 
no. 9553 (1870). — Id. Cruise of the ‘ Cura(joa,’ p. 392, pi. 20 (1873). — Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. 
Wales, iv. p. 75 (1879). — Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Megapodii, p. 65 (1880). — Oustalet, Ann. Sc. Nat. 
(6) xi. art. 2, p. 105 (1881).— Tristr. Ibis, 1882, p. 144.— Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, xviii. p. 7 
(1882). — Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, iii. p. 241 (1882). 
Megapodius sp., Brazier, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 606 (pt.). — Ramsay, Proc. Linn, Soc. N. S. Wales, ii. p. 112 (1878). 
Brenchley’s Megapode was discovered by the gentleman whose name It hears, in Gulf Island, one of the 
Solomon group, a young bird having been brought by the natives on board the ‘Curacoa’ and acquired by 
Mr. Brenehley. The late Mr. Gray described the species as new from the young bird only, a practice only 
a trifle less reprehensible than naming a species from an egg. 
This Megapode probably occurs on all the islands of the Solomon group, as Mr. Cockerell ])rocured it 
on Savo and Kera, and its existence was affirmed on San Christoval. Its occurrence in that island has 
now been placed beyond doubt by our friend Lieut, Reginald Tupper, R.N., who has presented a 
speeimen to the British Museum. 
The adult bird was first described by Mr. E. P. Ramsay from specimens brought by Mr. Cockerell from 
Savo. Previously the young bird had been figured in Mr. Brenchley’s ‘ Cruise of the Curacoa,’ hut until 
the British Museum received the specimen above mentioned from Mr. Tupper, there was no example of the 
adult bird in this country. On comparing Mr. Tupper’s specimen with the series of Megapodius in 
the British Museum, it is evident that M. brenchlegi and M. eremita arc very closely allied, and, indeed, 
scarcely separable, notwithstanding that, according to the arrangement of Comit Salvador!, they ought to go 
into distinct sections of the genus, as M. eremita is supposed to have black legs. Beyond this, we can only 
see that M. brenchleiji is a little larger and a trifle browner. 
The specimen of M. brenchlegi had much lighter legs when first brought to England by Mr. Tupper, and 
we believe that skins gi'adually darken as regards the legs ; great care must therefore he taken in 
deducing specific characters from them in the genus Megapodius. The Plate was drawn directly the bird 
was placed in our hands, and the legs were coloured according to the skin ; but in a few months the light 
colour of the upper part of the tarsus has considerably darkened. Further observations in the field, 
therefore, will he necessary before the value of the colour of the tarsus can he relied on as a specific 
character. 
The following is a description of the bird given by Mr. Tupper: — 
Adult. General colour above olive, the upper mantle washed with slaty grey like hind neck ; lower hack 
dull blackish slate-colour, browner on the upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts dusky slate-colour, the itiner ones 
ruddy olive-brown like the secondaries ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky, the latter 
externally ruddy brown or chocolate ; upj)er tail-coverts and tail-feathers chocolate-brown ; crown of head 
scantily clothed with feathers, dusky slate-colour washed with brown ; hind neck and sides of neck slaty 
grey ; lores and forehead, ear-coverts, cheeks and throat red, scantily feathered ; remainder of undersurface 
of body from the fore neck downwards dark slate-colour, washed with brown, the under tail-coverts darker 
brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries like the breast ; quills below ashy, bronzy brown on the outer webs. 
Total length 15‘5 inches, culmen PO, wing 8*8, tail 3*1, tarsus 2*55. 
The figure in the Plate is of the natural size, and is taken from the specimen procured by Lieut. Tupper 
in San Christoval. 
[R. B. S.] 
