96 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL. MUSEUM, vol.64. 



worthi of the southern Philippines, which is undoubtedly the nearest 

 relative. 



A male in the United States National Museum from Great Sangi, 

 in rather poor condition, has the breast a brighter yellow, the throat 

 duller, and the cheeks without the reddish wash of Anfhreptes 

 inalaceTisis wiglesioo7'thi and it is extremely doubtful if they are 

 the same. 



This species has been revised by Doctor Hartert ^^ but a number of 

 races have been described since. He recognized six races, but in- 

 cluded, Anthreptes griseignlans, which is a good species, more dis- 

 tinct from typical Anthreptes 7nalacensis than is Anthreptes rhodo- 

 laema^ that is recognized as such. The latter has the greenish breast 

 and pronounced yellow pectoral tufts of A. rii. celehensis, A. m. 

 chlorigaster, A. tti. wiglesivorthi, and A. m. cagayanensis, and it 

 may be that they' have been derived from a separate stock. The 

 Palawan bird Anthreptes malacensis paraguae "^^ is derived from the 

 same stock as Anthreptes m. harnensis of north Borneo and these 

 have nothing to do with Anthreptes rhodolaema^ which occurs at 

 sea-level in north Borneo with the latter. It seems plausible that 

 the southwestern Philippine forms were derived from the same 

 stock as Anthreptes rhodolaema and that the Celebes bird came to 

 the islands from the southern Philippines, The form from the 

 Lesser Sunda Islands that resembles Anthreptes m. wiglesworthi, 

 but is unnamed, that Doctor Hartert is at a loss to place, would be 

 thus explained. The yellow-breasted forms derived irom Anthreptes 

 TTialacensis coming east along the Greater Sunda Islands, while the 

 greenish-breasted birds derived from the same stock as Anthreptes 

 rhodolaema have come also from the mainland by the way of 

 Borneo, the southeastern Philippines, and Celebes into the Lesser 

 Sunda Islands. This is mere speculation, however, and as the female 

 of Anthrejytes rhodolaema shows greater differences than the males 

 (being much darker and greener than the same sex of A. malacensis) 

 it had better be kept as a distinct species ; our present nomenclature 

 not being suitable to show lines of descent. On the other hand, the 

 female of A. m. celehensis is just as distinct, so this objection would 

 not hold. If the greenish-breasted forms are derived from the same 

 stock as A, rhodolaema, then we would have Anthreptes chlorigaster 

 chlorig aster, A. c. wiglesworthi, A. c. cagayanensis, A. c. rhodolaenna, 

 and A. c. celehensis. It is probable that A. griseigularis is also de- 

 rived from the same stock as the southern forms, it being a greenish- 

 breasted bird, that moved north early and through long isolation 

 has developed into a distinct species, the other related forms coming 

 into the islands at a later date. 



""■ Nov. Zool., vol. 9, 1902, p. 209 ; vol. 24, 1917, p. 323. 

 'sproc. Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 33, 1020, p. 55. 



