280 Natural History 



lorikeet (Triclioglossus flavoviridis) seems to have its nearest 

 ally in Australia, 



The three woodpeckers which inhabit the island are all pe- 

 culiar, and are allied to species found in Java and Borneo, al- 

 though very different from them all. 



Among the three peculiar cuckoos two are very remark- 

 able. Phoenicophaus callirhynchus is the largest and hand- 

 somest species of its genus, and is distinguished by the three 

 colors of its beak, bright yellow, red, and black. Eudynamis 

 melanorhynchus differs from all its allies in having a jet-black 

 bill, whereas the other species of the genus always have it 

 green, yellow, or reddish. 



The Celebes roller (Coracias temmincki) is an interesting 

 example of one species of a genus being cut off from the rest. 

 There are species of Coracias in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but 

 none in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, or Borneo. The 

 present species seems therefore quite out of place ; and, what 

 is still more curious, is the fact that it is not at all like any 

 of the Asiatic species, but seems more to resemble those of 

 Africa. 



In the next family, the bee-eaters, is another equally iso- 

 lated bird (Meropogon forsteni), which combines the charac- 

 ters of African and Indian bee-eaters, and whose only near 

 ally (Meropogon breweri) was discovered by M. Du Chaillu 

 in West Africa ! 



The two Celebes hornbills have no close allies in those 

 which abound in the surrounding countries. The only thrush 

 (Geocichla erythronota) is most nearly allied to a species pe- 

 culiar to Timor. Two of the fly-catchers are closely allied to 

 Indian species which are not found in the Malay Islands. 

 Two genera somewhat allied to the magpies (Streptocitta and 

 Charitornis), but whose affinities are so doubtful that Profes- 

 sor Schlegel places them among the starlings, are entirely con- 

 fined to Celebes. They are beautiful long-tailed birds, with 

 black and white plumage, and with the feathers of the head 

 somewhat rigid and scale-like. 



Doubtfully allied to the starlings are two other very isola- 

 ted and beautiful birds. One (Enodes erythrophrys) has 

 ashy and yellow plumage, but is ornamented with broad stripes 

 of orange-red above the eyes. The other (Basilornis celeben- 



