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 described until 1846, when it received from Salomon Müller (Arch. f. Naturgeschichte, xii. pt. 1, p. 116) the name of Macrocephalon maleo, but, being shortly afterwards figured by Gray and Mitchell (Gen. Birds, iii. pl. 123) under the generic term of Megacephalon, has since commonly borne the latter appellation. This bird bears a helmet-like protuberance on the back of its head, all of which, as well as the neck, is bare and of a bright red colour; the plumage of the body is glossy black above, and beneath roseate-white.

Of the megapodes proper, constituting the genus Megapodius, about fifteen species are admitted. The birds of this genus range from the Samoa Islands in the east, through the Tonga group, to the New Hebrides, the northern part of Australia, New Guinea and its neighbouring islands, Celebes, the Pelew Islands and the Ladrones, and have also outliers in detached portions of the Indian Region, as the Philippines (where indeed they were first discovered by Europeans), Labuan, and even the Nicobars—though none is known from the intervening islands of Borneo, Java or Sumatra. Within what may be deemed their proper area they are found, says A. R. Wallace (Geogr. Distr. Animals, ii. 341), “on the smallest islands and sandbanks, and can evidently pass over a few miles of sea with ease.” Indeed, proof of their roaming disposition is afforded by the fact that the bird described by Lesson (Voy. Coquille: Zoologie, p. 703) as Alecthelia urvillii, but now considered to be the young of Megapodius freycineti, flew on board his ship when more than 2 m. from the nearest land (Guebé), in an exhausted state, it is true, but that may be attributed to its youth. The species of Megapodius are about the size of small fowls, the head generally crested, the tail very short, the feet enormous, and, with the exception of M. wallacii (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1860, Aves, pl. 171), from the Moluccas, all have a sombre plumage.

Megapodes are shy terrestrial birds, of heavy flight, and omnivorous diet. In some islands they are semi-domesticated, although the flesh is dark and generally unpalatable.

 MEGARA, an ancient Greek town on the road from Attica to Corinth. The country which belonged to the city was called  or  ; it occupied the broader part of the isthmus between Attica, Boeotia, Corinth, and the two gulfs, and its whole area is estimated by Clinton at 143 sq. m. The range of Mount Geraneia extends across the country from east to west, forming a barrier between continental Greece and the Peloponnesus. The shortest road across this range passes along the eastern side of the mountains, and the most difficult part is the celebrated Scironian rocks, the mythic home of the robber Sciron. The only plain in the rugged little country was the White Plain, in which was situated the only important town, Megara. The modern town of Megara is situated on two low hills which formed part of the ancient site; it is the chief town of the eparchy of Megaris; pop. about 6400. It contains few remains of antiquity, except of the aqueduct and basin, said to have been made by the architect Eupalinus for the tyrant Theagenes.

From the somewhat conflicting evidence of mythology it may be gathered that in prehistoric days Megara had maritime intercourse with the southern Aegean. The early inhabitants, whose race is unknown, were extirpated or absorbed in the Dorian migration, for in historic times the city had a homogeneous Dorian population. Favoured by its proximity to two great waterways and by its two ports, Nisaea on the Saronic and Pegae on the Corinthian Gulf, Megara took a prominent part in the commercial expansion of Greece from the 8th century onwards, and for two hundred years enjoyed prosperity out of proportion to the slight resources of its narrow territory. Its trade was mainly directed towards Sicily, where Megarian colonies were established at Hybla (Megara Hyblaea) and Selinus, and towards the Black Sea, in which region the Megarians were probably

pioneers of Greek commerce. In the Sea of Marmora they had to face the competition of the Samians, with whom they waged a war concerning the town of Perinthus, and of Miletus; but on the Bosporus they established themselves by means of settlements at Chalcedon and, above all, Byzantium (founded, according to tradition, 675 and 658 respectively). In the Black Sea they exploited the shores of Pontus and Scythia, whose products they exchanged for textiles spun from the wool of their own country. Their chief colonies in this sea were Astacus and Heraclea in Bithynia, and another Heraclea in the Crimea. In the later 7th century this current of trade dwindled in face of the great commercial and colonizing activity of Miletus; it probably received further injury through the subsequent interference of Athens on the Hellespont. Simultaneously Megarian commerce in Sicily began to be supplanted by Corinth and Corcyra.

 MEGARA HYBLAEA (perhaps identical with ), an ancient city of Sicily, on the E. coast, 12 m. N.N.W. of Syracuse, founded in 728 by Megarean colonists, who had previously settled successively at Trotilon, Leontini and Thapsus. A hundred years later it founded Selinus, apparently because it had no room for development. It never seems to have been a town of great importance, and had no advantages of position. It was destroyed by Gelon about 481, and its walls seem to have been razed to the ground. In the Athenian expedition against Syracuse (415–413) Lamachus proposed (it being then deserted) to make it the Athenian base of operations; but his advice was not taken, and in the next spring the Syracusans fortified it. In 309 it was still fortified; but, after Marcellus captured it, in 214, we hear little more of it. Excavations carried on in 1891 led to the discovery of the