MEGACREX | NEPT A, D’ Albert. & Salvad.

New-Guinea Flightless Rail.

Megacrex inepta, D’Albert. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic, Genov. xiv.

p- 130.—D’ Albert. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879,
p. 218.

ConstDERABLE interest attaches to the discovery of the present species, as adding another flightless bird to
the number already known in the world. Irrespective of the large Struthious birds such as the Ostrich, the
Rheas, the Cassowary, and the Apteryges, there are several Rails, from New Zealand, New Caledonia, and
the islands to the east of Australia, which only possess the power of flight to a very limited extent ; and now
Signor D’Albertis has discovered a species belonging to the last-named family in South-eastern New Guinea,
thus extending the habitat of the flightless Rallida, and adding a new genus to the family. Five specimens
were obtained by him on the Fly River—four males and a female, the latter being described as exactly similar
to the males collected, but a little smaller. Count Salvadori remarks with truth that Megacrex inepta bears
considerable resemblance in its coloration to the South-American genus Aramides, forming therefore, with
the large Harpy Buzzard (Harpyopsis nove-guinee) and the Papuan Tiger Bittern (Tigrisoma hehosylos),
which are also closely allied to South-American forms, another remarkable link between the neotropical
region and the far distant islands of the Papuan subregion. It is quite pose as it has always seemed
to me, that a comparison of South-American genera with some of the Old-¥ orld Hoa would prove
that the former are not so far distant from the genera of Africa and Australia as most ornithologists seem
believe. 3
r BP icnately we have at present no account of the habits of this new Rail, as is often the case on i
discovery of a new species, when explorers, carrying their lives in their hands in ee ote .
more than preserve specimens of the species which come under es ee a me ie ad
remarks that the Megacrex frequented ditches in the neighbourhood of ns | y River which had wate
them during the dry season, that it ran swiftly, and appeared ae a 8 ee in the work above
The following is a translation of the original description given by the two naturalist
quoted :—
« Head and neck dusky brown ; the forehead more as .
the throat whitish ; the sides of the neck pale ea : on ‘
din [byaayran, 6B Ge > tal
28 haanealts ‘ddl of breast and abdomen white, slightly tinged
h vinous, the sides of the abdomen and

hy; the sides of the head ashy grey, the lores dusky,

middle, below brownish olive ; back olive-

very short and concealed ; fore neck,

1 . * yer

greyish ; rump and up|

upper part of breast, and sides of the latter rufescent 5 . :
eae

; lower abdomen and thighs grey

with rufous; the sides olivaceous 5 .
ith oO ’ olive, unitorm W ith the b

c ills brownish olive ; bill
i ack ; quills brownish olive ;
i : Pe carta orevish
under tail-coverts brown ; wing-coverts grey
yellowish green ; feet black ; iris dark blood-red.

i ; y ical specimens
i ly the size of life, and is drawn from one of the t pic |
ies nearly the s

My figure represents the spec
kindly lent to me by Signor D’Albertis.

 

 

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