Art. IV.—Notice of a Species of Megapode, in the Auckland Museum.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 3, 1870, Page 14

Art. IV.—Notice of a Species of Megapode, in the Auckland Museum. By Walter Buller, F.L.S. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, October 22, 1870.] In a letter to the Ibis, dated 7th March, 1869, Captain Hutton, writing from Auckland, says,—“We have also in the Museum what is probably a new species of Megapode, from Nuipo, one of the Friendly Group.” On making an examination of this bird, I was inclined to refer it to one of the species described in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society (November, 1867), and in forwarding a description of the specimen to Dr. Finsch, of Bremen, I expressed that opinion. Dr. Finsch replies as follows :— “I am not able to make out the Megapodius mentioned by Captain Hutton, of which you kindly sent me a description. But if the name of the island, Nuipo, which I cannot find among the Friendly Group, is identical with Niafu or Niufu, the bird would be Megapodius Pritchardi, described in our Ornithology of Central Polynesia, p. 153. You do not mention the white on the longer upper tail coverts; otherwise the description agrees very well. From Hapai, one of the Friendly Group, Mr. Gray named the Megapodius Burnabyi, after an egg (!) received thence. Megapodius senex and M. eremita, Hartl. (Proc. Z. S., p. 830), from Pelew and Echiquier Islands, of which I described the types, are different.” On referring to the description of M. Pritchardi, Gray, I find that our bird is distinguishable not only by the total absence of white markings on the upper tail coverts, but by other slight differences in the coloration, which may here- after prove of specific value. The former species is thus characterized in Orn. Centr. Polyn. (Finsch and Hartlaub) :— Ad.—Alis, dorso medio tergoque rufescente-brunneis; capite, collo,inter

scapulio, pectore epigastrioque sordide arde-siaco-plumbeis; abdomine medio, crisso et sub-caudalibus sordide griseo-flaventibus; gutture colloque sparsim plumosis; cauda rufescente-brunneo alboque varia; pedibus pallide rubentibus; rostro flavido, basi obscuriore. Long. c. 11½“; rostr. 9‴; al. 7“3‴; tars. 1” 9‴. The following are my descriptive notes referred to in Dr. Finsch's letter :— Megapodius—–? Hab. Nuipo, one of the Friendly Islands. Native name Malan. The whole of the plumage dark cinereous or slaty-brown, inclining to grey on the abdomen and under tail coverts; and tinged with reddish-brown on the back and on the upper surface of wings. The outermost primary is dark brown; the rest are ashy-grey with white shafts in their basal and middle portion, darkening into brown towards the tips. Bill dark horn colour. Feet dark brown; claws black, with horn-coloured edges. Irides ? (bright red in the stuffed specimen). Extreme length 11½ inches; wing from flexure 7½; tail 2½; tarsus 2; middle toe and claw 2; hind toe and claw 1¾; bill along the ridge ½, along the edge of lower mandible 1 inch. Plumage soft but compact. Wings short and rounded, indicating very feeble powers of flight. Legs strongly formed; toes furnished with ample claws; middle and outer nearly equal, inner ½ inch shorter. It is worthy of remark that both Megapodius senex and M. eremita rest on the authority of a single example; and in the absence of further specimens, the present bird would appear to have at least an equal claim to recognition as distinct. M. Burnabyi, as we have already seen, rests only on the authority of an egg from Hapai, and does not admit of any description, while M. Stairi, Gray, is not yet placed on the list of well-determined species. If on further investigation the bird now under notice should prove to be new to science, it might appropriately be named Megapodius Huttoni. An egg of this species, in the collection of the Auckland Museum, measures 3 inches in length by a diameter of 1⅝. It is cream-coloured, of a regular elliptical form, and with a finely-granulate surface.