( 128 ) 



111. Cuculus intermedius Vahl. 

 (J ? immat., 8iil;i Maufroli, October ami November 1897. 



1 1 . Cacomantis virescens Briigg. 



$ immat., in moult, November 1897, Siila Mangoli, evidently belouging to 

 C. virescens. 



12. Pelargopsis melanorhyncha eutreptorhyncha snbsp. nov. 



Nine specinieu.s from Snla Mauguli. 



I have before me ten skins from North Celebes and Baiika. All these have the 

 bills, including the entire base of mandible and maxilla, entirely black: only one from 

 Lembeh has a narrow red line along the middle of the mandible on one side only, 

 but not on the other. The black colour of the bills is natural, for there are several 

 labels with the remark " Bill black " made by the collectors. Then there are three 

 mail's and s. femali' from Tawaya (cf Nov. Zool. IV. p. 163). Of these two have 

 entirely black bills, one just a bit of red on the base of the mandible, the other a 

 conspicuous small red spot at the base of the maxiUa, and one on the cnlmen, right at 

 the beginning. Then we have three of the co-types of Pelargopsis dichrorkyncka 

 M. & Wg. from Peling and Banggai, between Celebes and the Sula Islands. These 

 have a very conspicuous large red spot at the base of the culmeu, and on the lower 

 part of the base of the maxilla, as well as about half of the mandible red. Now we have 

 received nine Sula Mangoli specimens. There is a (^ with the following notes on 

 the label : " Iris deep umber-brown ; feet dusky red, soles and hind part of tarsi 

 vermilion, claws blackish : bill bliickish. maxilla black with red spot at base 

 of cnlmen, mandible black with base red, gape orange." An adult fi'inati' has 

 on the label : " Iris dark brown ; feet dark red, soles scarlet, claws blackish ; 

 bill black, base of mandible and extreme base of cnlmen bright red." But in 

 the Sula specimens the red spot on the base of the cnlmen is much smaller than in 

 P. fliclirorhtfncha, and sometimes obsolete, or, in two specimens, not present at all. 

 The red of the basal part of the sides of the maxilla is less extended, and sometimes 

 quite obsolete ; the red at the base of the mandible is only extended over abont one- 

 rjuarter of the mandible and sometimes obsolete, and in one specimen not visible at 

 all. This is duly marked on the label : " Bill less red than usual." In all other 

 respects these birds agree with P. ilichrorki/ncha; the bill is also generally a little 

 longer and stronger than in P. mclanorlii/iwha melanorhi/iicha, but this and all other 

 differences in size between P. melanorkyncka and P. dichrorhijncha are trifling and 

 variable. The specimen from Tawaya with the red at the base of the bill is perfectly 

 similar to the Sula Mangoli birds. The case of these Pi'laryopsis is very interest- 

 ing. It is evident that the colour of their bills is variable, but their variation is 

 not individual, but rather local, probably due to local influences. The specimens 

 from the Minahassa are, it seems, quite constant in having a black bill ; those 

 from Peling and Banggai have constantly half of the mandible red : those from 

 Tawaya, in Middle Celebes, have an inclination to vary towards having a red base of 

 the mandible ; those from Sula Mangoli have small red spots at the base of the bill, 

 but occasionally quite, or almost quite, black bills. Under the circumstances, I 

 believe we can distinguish three subspecies : — 



1. P. melanorkyncka melanorhyncha (Temm.), from North and Middle Celebes, 



