on the Birds of Celebes. 59 



then to be numerous. It is the same with certain butterflies 

 which have been declared to be rare ones, such as Papilio blumei 

 P. androcles, &c. ; they also do not, or at least rarely, occur 

 near Menado, where most travellers have collected, and there- 

 fore have the reputation of being rare ; but I found places 

 in Celebes where any quantity of them can be procured, 

 They are not collected in greater quantities because nearly 

 every one who travels there does not remain a long time on 

 those spots. I twill be the same with other animals. Of course 

 there are also animals which really are only represented by 

 very few individuals ; but these are perhaps either aberrant 

 species, or such as are on the way to becoming extinct. 



The female of Meropogon forsteni has not such brilliant 

 colours as the male, and the lengthened feathers of the throat 

 are not as handsome. But T cannot agree with Mr. Wallace's 

 opinion, above cited, as to its nearest ally being in Africa. 

 The species of Nyctiornis of the Malay archipelago are its 

 most natural and nearest allies ; and Meropogon forsterd gives 

 to Celebes no other characteristic feature than Nyctiornis 

 amictus gives to Borneo and Sumatra. All these are alike 

 related to the West- African Bee-eaters, belonging to one and 

 the same family, which occupies nearly the whole Ethiopian, 

 Oriental, and Australian region. 



There is some error in Lord Tweeddale^s (/. c. p. 42) 

 giving the habitat " Rurukan " on my authority in a paper 

 read May 2nd, 1871, in London ; whereas I only obtained 

 my first specimen in North Celebes itself at the end of the 

 same month. The like remark applies to Trichoglossiis 

 tneyeri, Loriculus exilis {I. c. p. 32), &c. 



CoRACIAS TEMMINCKI (Vicillot) . 



Native Malay name, " Kapala-biru," i. e. " Bluehead.'^ 

 Alf iirous name of the Minahassa, " Pateh-rokos.'^ 



Near Menado, January till June 1871 ; Limbotto, July 

 1871. 



The male has the blue colour more brilliant. It usually 

 flies singly ; but after feeding, several play together. They 

 frequently sit on dead twigs and look out for grasshoppers 



