VISCOFNT "WALDE?^ OST THE BIRDS OF CELEBES. 



39 



Ephialtes, Keyserling & Blasius. 

 31. Ephialtes magicus (Schlegel), Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 25, " Amboyna, Celebes " (1842) ; 



Bp. Consp. p. 46 ; Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Oti, p. 22. 

 Ephialtes leucospila, G. R. Gray apud Wall. Ibis, 1808, p. 25. 



Hah. Amboyna (S. Mailer); Gorontalo {Forsf en). 



The range of the Celebean species referred to the above title has not as yet been 

 ascertained ; and its right to that title even has yet to be proved. Otus magicus is the 

 MS. title given by S. Miiller to a Scops Owl mhabiting Amboyna. Professor Schlegel 

 (Faun. Jap.) seems to have identified the Celebean bird with that of Amboyna ; for there 

 is no note in the Mus. Pays-Bas of Celebean examples obtained by S. Miiller. Unfor- 

 tunately, as Miiller never published a description, his title cannot be fixed on the 

 Amboyna bird. If Professor Schlegel is right in considering the Amboyna and Cele- 

 bean species identical, there can be no question that their title must stand E. magicus 

 But this view is not adopted by Mr. Wallace, who identifies {I. c.) the Celebean 

 species with the Papuan E. leucosjjila, G. E. Gray, and leaves E. magicus as the title of 

 the Amboyna and Ceram forms. Mr. J. H. Gurney is doubtful whether E. leucospila 

 can be separated from E. magicus, but has had no Amboyna examples for comparison. 

 He has kindly sent me the following note on the subject: — "The Norwich Museum 

 has ten specimens of Epliialtes leucospila, but only one of E. magicus as limited 

 hy Mr. Wallace. This specimen does not difi'er from some of those of E. leucospila 

 more than they do amongst themselves; and I am therefore disposed to agree with 

 Professor Schlegel in thinking that the two are not really separable, unless it be right 

 to separate the different phases of E. leucospila, which appear to vary somewhat in 

 measurement, and also a good deal in the relative darkness of their markings. In the 

 following list of the Norwich specimens I begin with the darkest and finish with the 

 lightest, and I also give the length of the tarsus and of the wing from the carpal joint 

 to the tip : — 



E. LETTCOSPILA. 



No. 1. East Gilolo' .. 



2. Morty Island . . 



3. Morty Island . . 



4. Morty Island, 5 



5. Gilolo 



6. Ternate, c? 



7. Batchian, § . . 



8. Celebes, 2 



9. Bourn, c? . . . • 

 10. Bom-u, $ 



E. MiGICT79. 



1. Ceram 



Wing. 



7 e 



7 



6 6 



7 

 6 9 



7 2 



Tarsus. 



1" 3" 



1 3 



Very dark. Mr. Gray's type specimen. 

 Dark and rufous. 



! Intermediate in colour between the darkest and 

 ' lightest extremes, and all nearly alike. 



I Much paler, and nearly alike. 



f Rather more mottled on the back than the specimen 

 1 of E. leucospila, but comes very near to no. 8. 



Erroneously given in P. Z. S. 1860, p. 345, as 6" 6'". 



