Riley — Four New Birds. 



57 



Munia punctulata particeps, subsp. nov. 



Type, adult male, U. S. National Museum, No. 251332, Rano Lindoe, 

 Celebes, March 15, 1917. Collected by H. C. Raven (original No. 3920). 



Similar to Munia punctulata cabanisi of the Philippines, but darker 

 above, the closed wing outwardly deeper more rusty brown, the throat 

 and cheeks deeper brown, especially on sides of face and lores, the barring 

 on the breast and flanks much coarser and darker brown. Wing, 50.5; 

 tail, 40; culmen, 11 mm. 



Remarks. — The above race is founded upon four adult males from the 

 type locality, two adult females from Napoe, and one adult female from 

 Besoa; in addition there are several immature specimens from the type 

 locality and Gimpoe that have not been taken into consideration. This 

 is the bird described as Munia punctulata nisoria by Meyer and Wigles- 

 worth, 1 but they could hardly have compared specimens from Celebes 

 with those from Java, or they certainly would have seen how different 

 they are. The Javan bird has the rump barred with white and the tail 

 gray above, while the Celebes form has the rump unbarred and the tail 

 buff y citrine ; the latter race is also darker above and on the throat, with 

 the white of the belly more restricted ; and is smaller. 



Walden 2 had noticed the difference between the color of the tails of 

 the Java race and that of the only specimen he had from Celebes. 

 Stresemann 3 has indicated the Celebes bird as probably a distinct form 

 but did not name it, probably because his series was inadequate. Asa 

 matter of fact in size and in the color of the back and tail, the Celebes 

 bird approaches the Philippine form, but in the coarser markings of the 

 breast and flanks it more closely resembles Javan specimens. It is per- 

 fectly distinct from either and well merits recognition. I have been 

 unable to compare it with Munia punctulata blasii Stresemann, not hav- 

 ing specimens, but it is undoubtedly different, judging from his description 

 and remarks. 



' Birds of Celebes, 2, 1898, 548. 



2 Tr. Zool. Soc, Lond., 8, 1872, 73. 



3 Nov. Zool. 19, 1912, 317. 



