on the Birds of Celebes. 133 



Coiivus ENCA (Horsf.). 



Native Malay narae^ " Wokka-wokka.'^ 



Common bird everywhere in Celebes at all seasons. 



Streptocitta torquata (Temm.). 



Native Malay name, " Burong-pandita/' i. e. " Minister's 

 bird,^' on account of its black body with white ruff. 



Very common in North Celebes; Menado, January to 

 July; Limbotto, July. 



It is generally seen on dead branches high on trees, and 

 makes scissor-like and balancing movements with its tail. 



I cannot convince myself that Streptocitta caledonica 

 (Lath.) is a distinct bird from S. torquata. The only differ- 

 ences recorded are the yellow colour of the first third of the 

 bill and the greenish hue of the plumage. I could not dis- 

 cover a decided difference as to this hue when I compared 

 last summer the two specimens of *S. caledonica in the British 

 Museum {which appear to be young individuals with lighter 

 throats) with specimens of /S. torquata ; neither does a speci- 

 men of /S. caledonica in the Bremen Museum (which I dis- 

 covered last summer, with unknown habitat) differ from one 

 of S. torquata from North Celebes (which I forwarded to 

 Dr. Finsch, and which he had the kindness to compare) in 

 any respect, except in the yellow bill ; so Dr. Finsch informs 

 me. Besides, I got in Menado a specimen with yellow on 

 the bill (I had this specimen in Europe in my hands, but am 

 sorry to say that I do not know what has become of it) ; and 

 Dr. Beccari thinks he has seen both species together near 

 Kandari in South Celebes. If, therefore, these small differ- 

 ences do not even coincide with a different geographical 

 range, as was supposed till now, the two birds cannot, in my 

 opinion, be separated specifically. The differences are either 

 due to age or to individual variation. 



Nevertheless I do not wish to decide the question now, 

 but shall wait for further specimens from Celebes before 

 making up my mind. 



Basilornis celebensis, Temm. 



Native Malay name, " Radja-sie," i. e. " King of the Sies ;'^ 



