VISCOUNT WALDEN ON THE BIJBDS OF CELEBES. 105 



189. Pelecanopus ckistatus (Stephens), Shaw, Gen. Zool. contin. Aves, xiii. p. 146, 



" China, many of the south-eastern islands of Asia" (1825). 

 Sterna pelecanoides, King, Surv. Intertrop. Austr. ii. App. Aves, p. 422 (1827) ; ScUegel, Mus. 

 Pays-Bas, Sterna, p. 9. 



velox, Riipp. ; S. Miiller, Verhandel. Land- en Volkeuk. p. 125. 



bergii, Lichtenst. ; Finsch & Hartl. Centralpolyn. p. 216, part. 



Hab. Celebes, female, winter plumage (Forsten); Batchian, Gilolo, Morty, Oby 

 {Berstein) ; Ceram {Forsten) ; Timor, west coast of New Guinea {S. Miiller) ; Flores 

 (Semmelink); coast of W. Australia, Port Essington, Torres Straits (Gould); Mysol 

 (Wallace); Java (S. Miiller); mouth of the Hoogly, Madras, Malabar coast (Jerdon); 

 Southern China, Formosa (Swinhoe). 



A race of this species, probably belonging to the Asiatic form, inhabits many of the 

 islands still more to the eastward. Messrs. Finsch & Hartlaub (I. c.) have united the 

 large Sea-Terns of Eastern Africa (S. velox, Riipp.) and of South Australia and Van 

 Dieman's Land (Thalasseus j^olwcercus, Gould) with the Asiatic and North-Australian 

 species, under the title of S. bergii, Lichtenstein, bestowed on a Cape-of-Good-Hope 

 individual. Professor Schlegel, in his masterly catalogue (I. c.), keeps these representa- 

 tive forms separate, but with much reluctance. With the exception of T. poliocercus, 

 the facts known favour the opinion that the species are severally permanent residents 

 in the localities they frequent. Dr. S. Miiller, who identified the New-Guinea bird 

 with the Red-Sea *S'. velox, Riipp., states (/. c.) that it is known to the inhabitants of 

 the straits and bays of the Lobo district by the name of Ressa. At a subsequent date 

 he appears to have regarded it as a distinct species ; for Professor Schlegel cites Sterna 

 ressa, S. Miiller, as a synonym. 



PODOCIPID^. 



PoDiCEPS, Latham. 



190. PoDiCEPS MINOR (Gm.), S. N. ed. 13, i. p. 591 (1788); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 



Urinatores, p. 45. 



Hab. Panybie (Von Rosenberg). 



According to Professor Schlegel the Little Grebe of Java and Celebes is identical 

 with that of Europe ; and pro-^asionally I refer the Celebean bird to the European 

 species. But judging from the few South-Asiatic examples I have been able to 

 compare with European individuals, I am not prepared to admit their identification 

 as absolute. For instance, the Javan Little Grebe has an exceedingly stout bill 

 which measures seven eighths of an inch in length, the wing being four inches and 

 a quarter. The cheeks, chin, and throat are black ; and a dark ferruginous line starts 

 from behind each eye, and extends down each side of throat. Thus the Javan bird 

 closely resembles the Australian P. gularis, Gould — a species, however, which Professox 

 Schlegel does not admit. 



VOL. vrii. — PART II. May, 1872. R 



