( 129 ) 



Banka and Togian Is., with black bills, and a tondoncy in tlie sonthern parts to 

 become red spots at the base of the bill. 



2. P. tnclamrhijncha (Vtrhrorhiinchn (M. & Wg.), Banggai and Peling, between 

 Celebes and Snla. Bill black, with about basal li;i,lf of mandible red and large red 

 spot on basal part of culmen. 



3. P. mdanorhyncha exdreptorhynchu. Hart., ii-om Sula Mangoli. Bill black, 

 with smaller red spot at base of maxilla, sometimes obsolete, and with smaller red 

 space at base of mandible, sometimes var^ ing towards a black bill. 



13. Halcyon coromanda rufa (Wall.). 



Six skins of adnlt birds from Snla Mangoli. They are perfectly constant in 

 coloration and dimensions, and differ from Indian specimens in their deep brownish 

 red nnder surface and rather dark npperside. (Jnlmen from base 63 — 67 mm.; wing 

 I20--124 mm. 



Whether this form can bear the name of H. coromanda rufa or not, I cannot 

 decide at present ; but it seems to me that only some, not all, of the Celebes 

 specimens agree with those from Sula Mangoli, which are all alike. " Iris dull 

 umber, with pale line in the middle; feet coral-red, claws duller; bill vermilion." 



14. Halcyon sancta Vig. k Horsf. 

 Snla Mangoli. 



lii. Halcyon chloris (Bodd.). 

 Sula Mangoli. " Iris deep brown; feet coral; liill orange-scarlet."' 



16. Macropteryx wallacei (J. Gd.). 



One young female in its first spotted plumage from Snla Besi. "Iris deep 

 brown; feet dull brown; bill nearly black." 



17. Pitta irena crassirostris (Wall.). 



I am very uncertain about the validity of this form. It is clear that Mr. 

 Wallace described P. crass/rostr/'s only by mistake, as he did not compare it with 

 its nearest ally, but only with P. vigorsi and P. concinna, which are, of course, quite 

 different (P. Z. S. 1862. pp. 188, 339). Dr. Sclater {Cat. B. Brit. Mm. XIV. p. 428) 

 says that P. crassiroatris from the Sula Islands, which he separates specifically, 

 differs from P. irena of Timor in being larger, and in having " a thicker and mon' 

 compressed bill." Unfortunately the British Museum possesses only one Timor skin ; 

 but comparing the three Sula skins of that Museum and the two now in the Tring 

 Museum with it, I cannot find that the former are larger, but the bill is slightly 

 thinner (more compressed) and higher than in the Timor skin. Other differences I 

 cannot see. Some years ago I sent a trade-skin, which I now know to have come 

 from the Sula Islands, to Dr. Biittikofer, who kindly compared it with the type of 

 P. irena, and informed me that it did not differ from it. The slight difference in the 

 form of the bill (if constant) was probably not noticed by him. It is thus clear 

 that the form from Timor and the one from the Sula Islands are most nearly allied, 

 if they can be separated at all. It is certainly most unlikely that they are entirely 

 the same forms, there being between Snla and Timor an enormous sea, and Burn, 



