on the Birds of Celebes. 127 



with its grandfatlier into the forest^ got astray^ was trans- 

 formed into a bird, which now always calls for its grandfather. 



Pitta celehensis only runs on the ground, and is very shy and 

 watchful ; it glides noiselessly through the leaves ; and, as its 

 back is green, it can only with difficulty be detected. To ap- 

 proach it one must creep through the densest brushes ; and 

 without imitating the call of the bird its pursuit would be in 

 vain. But if the hunter imitates the cry, he can draw the bird 

 almost to the muzzle of his gun. During the daytime they go 

 singly, in the evening in pairs together. The nest is to be 

 found in brushes near small pools. The bird digs a hole in the 

 slope of the river-bank, and builds its nest therein of wood 

 and leaves, lined with cotton or hairy plant-materials (for in- 

 stance, from Arenga saccharifera, Lab.). It lays two eggs. 

 If the female sits on the eggs, the male watches in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and it takes the place of the female when she goes 

 for food. This Pitta feeds on beetles, small caterpillars, &c. 



In the young bird the red is very pale, as also the other 

 colours. In old individuals the red likewise is lighter, or 

 perhaps before the moults. The male has much more bril- 

 liant colours than the female. 



Iris greyish brown ; bill black ; feet greyish black. 



(Compare also my notes in Rowley^s Orn. Misc. vol. ii. 

 p. 327). 



Gerygone flaveola. Cab. 



I discovered this bird in January 1873 near Makassar, and 

 also found it at Tello, some miles from Makassar. It is a 

 lively little bird; and its call is often heard, at least during that 

 month. It calls about nine times one after another, begin- 

 ning with the highest and ending with the deepest tone, in 

 regular short intervals, very loud and often. 



Iris, bill, feet, and claws black. 



Dr. Cabanis described this neAV species in the Journ. f. 

 Orn. 1873, p. 157. 



BUDYTES VIRIDIS (Gm.). 



Menado, March ; Limbotto, July ; Makassar, January. 

 Iris dark ; feet and claws blackish ; bill blackish grey. 



l2 



