Introduction: Variation. (J^ 



reijresentative species, P. septentrionalis and *S. septentrionalis, of the North; also 

 Carpophaga paulina shows a slight increase in size in the South, and a very- 

 small increase is noticeable there in Streptocitta alhicoUis and in Phoenicophaes 

 calorhyndw. 



Similar geographical variations of coloration. — The Lories of the genus 

 Trichoglossus range from Australia as far as Celebes and consist of two groups, 

 Trichoglossus proper of Australia, the Lesser Sundas, Papuasia, the Moluccas 

 and Celebes, and Psitteuteles of Australia, the Lesser Sunda Islands and Celebes. 

 Count Salvadori (1891) recognises 16 species, all of which have a yellow (in 

 two cases red) band across the base of the remiges, except in the Celebesian 

 area, where there are three species, T. ornatus and P. meyeri in Celebes, and 

 P. flavoviridis in Sula, which have no yellow band. We have, however, found 

 small evidences of a yellow band in two or three immature specimens out of 

 1 7 examples of T. ornatus and in three young specimens and one female in a 

 smaller series of P. meyeri — a significant indication that these species are 

 derived from birds which possessed the band, such as are found inhabiting the 

 countries to the east and south of Celebes to-day. Why the birds have lost the 

 band in the Celebesian area it appears useless to speculate. 



Pitta forsteni of Celebes wants the usual white wing-band. 



The Serpent- harrier, Spilornis rujipectus, and the Sparrow-hawk, Accipiter 

 rhodogaster, of Celebes, are represented in the Sula Islands by two closely allied, 

 but slightly smaller forms {S. rirfipectus sulaensis and A. sulaensis). Both of these 

 have undergone a similar modification of the wing, viz. the bars on the under 

 surface of the remiges have become narrower in Sula, or have increased in width 

 in Celebes, as the case may be. 



The Cuckoos of the genus Eudynamis, which range from the Himalayas to 

 Australia, have pale bills, and the Kingfishers of the genus Pelargopsis, ranging 

 from India to the Sula Islands, have red bills, except in Celebes, where both 

 the Cuckoo and the Kingfisher have the bill black, while the bill of the latter 

 is varied with black and red in the neighbouring Banggai Archipelago. 



Out of the ten known geographical species of the Talaut Islands three 

 display melanotic influences or, at least, a darkening of their tints; these are 

 Oriolus melanisticiis , Dicaeum talautense, and Pitta inspeculata. 'I'he Lory, Eos 

 histrio talautensis, has, however, slightly less black on the wings than the typical 

 Eos histrio of Sangi. 



The above cases are included under the heading Geographical Variation, 

 because their peculiarities of coloration seem most probably to be connected 

 with some unknown local influences ; there are in the Celebesian area, however, 

 other cases of similar variation, the cause of which seems to be in no way 

 connected with the locality. Such are Pernis celehensis and Spizaetus lanceolatus 

 which are similar, adult to adult, and young to young, as are in the same way 

 also Spilospizias trinotatus and Accipiter rhodogaster ; while Mnscicapida westermanni. 



