294 NOVTTATES ZOOLOOICAE XXVI. 1919. 



126 and 125 mm. respectively. If measured to include the bony base they 

 would measure 141 and 134 mm. The white on the edges of the tail feathers is 

 very conspicuous, though not so much so as in velutinus. 



The locality, Batjan, of the type is doubtful. Jleyer says that it was 

 collected by one of his hunters in that island and Salvadori (Orni. del Pap. 

 i. p. 257 [1880]) has already pointed out the improbability of this locality. 



Habitat. Indrulaman (S. Celebes), Mt. Musarong, N. Celebes (? Batjan). 



(/) Surniculus musschenbrocki velutinus Sharpe. 

 Sumicvlus vdulinus Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. Zool. i. p. 320 (1S77). 



Type Locality. Philippines. 



Adults similar to S. lugubris, but with a brighter, deeper blue gloss above 

 and with the underparts a velvety black instead of brownish black. The edges 

 of the rectrices are boldly margined with white. 



Wing formula as in S. m. musschenbrocki, third and fourth primaries equal 

 or the latter longest ; second and fifth about equal. 



The young bird is whoUy brown without any spots instead of being similar 

 to the adult but more profusely spotted as in the S. lugubris group. 



It is a much shorter-tailed bird than musschenbrocki, this varjing between 

 101 and 107 mm. only, whilst the wing ranges from 106 to 118 mm. and averages 

 114-1 mm. 



Habitat. Philippines. 



Before leaving this genus of cuckoo it is perhaps right to suggest another 

 solution of the curiously contradictory measurements of the Surnicxthis lugubris 

 group. Possibly there are two species found over a great portion of the area 

 inhabited, one a small bird with a short tail and one a bigger one with a com- 

 paratively longer tail. Strong support is given to this suggestion by the fact 

 that small birds in the north and large ones in the south generally have tails and 

 wing formulae in agreement with their size rather than with the majority of birds 

 found in those areas. 



Again, in Ceylon and South India, which is separated by a wide area from 

 any other in which Surniculus is common, the local race is much more consistent 

 both in appearance and size than it is anywhere else. 



