MEGAPODIUS BRENCHLEY] G
» Gray.

eo ’ i
Brenchley’s Megrapode.

Megapodius brenchleyi, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) v 328 (187
no. 9553 (1870).—Id. Cruise of the ‘ Curacoa,’ p. a, ee a oa
: Det e908, P. 992, pl. 20 (1873).—Ramsay, Pr 1
; >. ae y, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. §
ee E : 75 vat Slag Mus. Pays-Bas, Megapodii, p. 65 (1880).—Oustalet me Se - t
fojed. art. 2, p. 105 (1881) —Tristr. INDis, WED, jo, IML Shikragl Ann. Mus. Civie Ge 7 vii :
(1882).—Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, iii. p. 241 (1882) a

Megapodius sp., Brazier, P. Z.S. 1874, p. 606 (pt.).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn, Soc. N. 8. Wales. % Bracers
ee ee 5, ll. p. 4 78).

Brencutey’s Megapode was discovered b TTL CTRCRT hee : ae
gay ne y the gentleman whose name it bears, in Gulf Island, one of the
Solomon group, a young bird having been brought by the natives on board the ‘Cur
Mr. Brenchley. ‘The late Mr. Gray described the species as new from the young
: : ‘ : 7 5

a trifle less reprehensible than naming a species from an egg,
i rapode probably occurs See os .
This fe eepo probe ay ooo on all the islands of the Solomon group, as Mr. Cockerell procured 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

specimen to the British Museum.

agoa’ and acquired by
bird only, a practice only

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 Curagoa,’ but 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 JZ. drenchleyi and M. eremita are very closely allied, and, indeed,
scarcely separable, notwithstanding that, according to the arrangement of Count Salvadori, they ought to go
into distinct sections of the genus, as JZ. eremita is supposed to have black legs. Beyond this, we can only
see that 17. drenchleyi is a little larger and a trifle browner.

The specimen of M. brenchleyi had much lighter legs when first brought to England by Mr. Tupper, and
we believe that skins gradually darken as regards the legs; great care must therefore be 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 be necessary before the value of the colour of the tarsus can be 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 ae
dull blackish slate-colour, browner on the upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts dusky slate-colour, the ae
middy olive-brown like the secondaries ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky, the lat ss

tail-coverts and tail-feathers chocolate-brown ; crown of hea
th brown; hind neck and sides of neck slaty
scantily feathered ;
; the under tail-coverts darker
outer webs.

like hind neck; lower back

externally ruddy brown or chocolate ; upper
scantily clothed with feathers, dusky slate-colour washed wi
grey; lores and forehead, ear-coverts, cheeks and throat red,
of body from the fore neck downwards dark slate-colour, washed with ee zy brown on the
brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries like the breast ; c bel ashy, Brouzy r
Total length 15-5 inches, culmen 1-0, wing 8:8, tail 3-1, tarsus 2:09.
The figure in the Plate is of the natural size, and is taken from the
in San Christoval. fR. B. S.J

remainder of under surface

quill

i rocure ieut. Tupper
specimen procured by Lieut. Tup}

 

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