MALIA GRATA. 165 



NOTE XIX. 



ON AN UNDESCRIBED BIRD OF THE TIMALIA-aROUP 

 MALIA GRATA. 



BY 



H. SCHLEGEL. 



May 1880. 



A single skin of this bird was contained in a large col- 

 lection of birds, made, in 1877, during an expedition to 

 Macassar and the neighboring isle of Saleyer, under the 

 leading of the well known botanical traveller , Mr. Teysman. 



The bird in question belongs evidently to the group of 

 the Timaliae, strongly characterized like the whole tribe 

 of Formicivorae to which it belongs by the vaulded form 

 of the tail , a characteristic which is found back in the owls 

 in a most remarkable way. 



In vain have I tried to find for the apparently un- 

 known species a place in one of the numerous genera 

 established in favor of the Timalia-group. It deviates 

 from all of them in its general appearance, by its 

 coloring , and by other modifications in the bill , wings 

 and legs. 



It will be seen from the following measures , that the 

 Malia grata is a species of a very considerable size, that 

 the wings are remarkably short, with the secondaries al- 



Notes Irom tlie Leyden IMiiseiiin, "Vol. 11. 



12 



