IGO ON THE BIRDS OF CELEBES. [1872. 



A Celebean example of a young bird, with a pale bill and buff-streaked plumage, offers no 

 distinctive characters, either in its proportional dimensions or in the form of the bill, whereby it 

 can be separated from C. javanensis. Yet it must be recollected that the adult bird may present 

 characters more than enough to stamp it as distinct. C. rectunguis, Strickland, a perfectly 

 distinct species, as yet only known from Malacca, is a miniature C. rnji])ennis. By its external 

 structure it belongs to the first group. The bill is long and much compressed. The wings are 

 Tr. Z. S. viii. ghort and much rounded, the seventh quill, if any thing, the longest. The claw of the hallux is 

 ^' °^' short, and therefore appears straight ; in character, it is the claw of the large species, shortened 

 in proportion to the size of the bird. In the second and third groups the hind claws are not 

 proportionately diminished, and therefore appear disproportionate when compared with tliose of 

 the large species. The upper surface of the tail is a deep, rich, almost purple blue. The nape 

 is glossy \-iolet-blue, contrasting with the duller green-black of the head. The adolescent plumage 

 possesses characters peculiar to the species. From this it ^y\\\ be seen that it has no characters 

 in common with the members of the second and third groups. It does not appear to be contained 

 in the Leyden Museum. 



The following is a synopsis of the smaller Asiatic Coucals, together with the dimensions of 

 the individuals I have had access to. Cuculus tolu, Gm., ex Madagascar, seems to belong to the 

 Asiatic and not to the African section of Centropodinae. 



A. 



1. Centrococcyjc affinis (Horsf.), Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 180, "Java" (1821). 



Cuculus totu, Gm., ap. Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 285, is either the Sumatran form of 

 this species or else of C. javanensis. 



Uah. Java, Sumatra Q.), Celebes, Flores. 



2. Centrococcyx medius (Bp.), ex Miiller, Consp. i. p. 108, " Amboyna " (1850). 

 Professor Schlegel applies this title to the Amboyna species. Prince Bonaparte includes the 



Javan form. 



Uah. Amboyna, Ceram. 



B. 



1. Centrococcyx jamnensis (Dumont de Ste. Croix): Diet. Sc. Nat. xi. p. 144, "Java" 

 (1818). 



Centropus lejndus, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 180, "Java" (1821). 

 Centropus immilits. Less. Traite, p. 136, "Java" (1831). 



Lesson described partly from the example on which Dumont founded the title oi javanensis. 

 My Bomean example is smaller than Javan individuals. 

 Uah. Java, Malacca, Banjer massing, Celebes. 



2. Centrococcyx viridis (Scop.), Del. Fl. Faun. Insub. ii. p. 89 (178G), " Philippines," ex 

 Sonn. 



Centroptis pMUppensis, Cut. R. An. i. p. 426 (1817), ex PI. Enl. 824, " Philippines." 



