70 ON THE GENUS EUDYXAMIS. [1869. 



The black colour of a bill in this instance is admitted as a character of sufficient value to 

 raise its possessor to the rank of a species, while characters of equal importance, as well defined 

 and as persistent, are rejected in other members of the genus. If all the individuals inhabiting 

 the vast region mentioned by the learned Professor did not differ, the restriction of this black- 

 billed species to so limited an area would certainly be interesting, almost equal in interest to the 

 fact of a yellow-billed Ceulropus, C. cJiIororhi/ncJiiis, Blyth, dwelling in a limited part of the island 

 of Ceylon, and there only, alongside of the widely distributed V. rufipcnnis, lUig. IJut if we 

 allow, when discriminating species, other characters to have their weight, besides the mere colour 

 of the bill, E. melanorhyncha only offers an instance of local restriction such as we find in many 

 islands and even on continents. 



The plumage of the female and young male in this species is, as in all the species of the 

 genus, very remarkable and characteristic. In one individual the upper plumage is of deep 

 chocolate-brown striated with black. In another, from Menado, in Mr. Gould's possession, the 

 whole of the upper surface of the head, nape, wings, tail, and the back is dull olive-green, with 

 a subdued sheen. Chin, throat, and cheeks dull smoky brown ; remainder of under surface and 

 the under wing-coverts fulvescent rufous, each feather crossed by two or three irregular narrow 

 black lines. From the an2:le of the mouth a slender whitish line descends down the sides of the 

 neck, sharply separating the fuliginous throat from the olive-green head and nape. 



9. EuDYNAMis FACIALIS, AVallace, P. Z. S. 1802, p. 339, " Sula Islands." 

 The only example of this species as yet obtained is the type specimen in Mr. Wallace's 

 possession. It is possible that the white of the forehead and throat is not constant ; but the 

 shorter and differently shaped bill and smaller dimensions of the Sula bird are quite sufficient to 

 distinguish it from the Celebes Koel. Judging by analogy, the females of the two species will 

 certainly possess distinctive characteristics. 

 Ibis, 1869, I possess a Koel in immature plumage, procured by Mr. Wallace, and marked from Flores ; 



^' ■ whether correctly so I rather doubt. Its entire upper surface is rusty brown, relieved on each 

 feather by spots, centres, or bars of light rufous. The rufous caudal bands are more numerous, 

 narrower, and more irregular than we find in E. ransomi, Bp., from Ceram. The entire under 

 surface of the bird is dirty white, each feather with a brown centre or else with two or three 

 brown irregular transverse bars. The dimensions are about equal to those of E. ransomi, Bp. If 

 from Flores, this specimen represents a species distinct from the Javan form ; but I suspect that 

 it is the Ceram bird in young female garb. 



As I consider Cuciilus taitiensis, Sparrm., to be generically separable from Eiidi/namis, this 

 closes the species of true Koels kno^Ti to me. It is, however, not unlikely that a distinct species 

 inhabits Timor, and another form Tcrnate. 



