Birds of Celebes: Timeliidae. 499 



GENUS MALIA Schl. 



A genus peculiar to the mountains of Celebes, a large form, equal to a 

 large Thrush in size, with olive and yellow for its chief colours. It has the 

 habit of clinging to tree-stems like a Woodpecker and feeds on insects (P. & F. 

 Sarasin). 



Its most peculiar characters are its graduated, slightly decurved tail of 

 12 feathers, about equal to the wing in length, the outermost feathers about 

 3 cm shorter; its large legs and feet, the tarsus exceeding the middle toe and 

 claw in length; the almost complete absence of rictal bristles. These characters 

 serve to remove it far from Criniger and lole. The bill and nostril are much 

 like those of lole, but the tomia are not roughly serrated and the tip is less bent 

 down and has a slighter denticulation. The wing is very blunt, the tip, with 

 the 4**^ — 7"" quills the longest, exceeding the secondaries and 3"^ primary by 

 about 1 cm only; 1°' primary more than half [the wing-length. The remiges 

 are much curved, so as to fit the body. 



4 * 203. MALIA GRATA Schl. 



Mountain Bulbul. 

 Plate XXXIII. 



The birds of the mountains of North Celebes, of which the two in the 

 Sarasin Collection are before us, differ from those of the Bonthain Mountains, 

 judging from four examples, in that, when adult, they develop pure lemon- 

 yellow on the abdomen, whereas it is ochraceous yellow (being more affected 

 by the olive of the sides) in the southern form. All the other supposed grounds, 

 whereon we founded a species for the northern bird, M. recondita, have been 

 thoroughly exploded by Mr. Hartert, who has thereby spared us trouble by 

 doing well what we intended to do ourselves. The northern bird may for the 

 present be admitted as a subspecies, M. grata recondita, and in this article the 

 southern birds are termed the typical M. grata, though it unfortunately is not 

 known whether the type came from S. Celebes or from Saleyer. 



1. The typical Malia grata. 



a. Malia grata (1) Schl., Notes Leyd. Mus. 1880, H, 165; (2) W. Bias., J. f. O. 1883, 127; (3) 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. VH, 1883, 587; (4) id., Notes Leyden Mus. 1884, VI, 175; (5) 

 Hart., Nov. Zool. 1896, 255; (6) id., ib. 1897, 159. 



Diagnosis. The yellow on the mesial parts of the body below ochraceous yellow, clearing 

 into pure lemon-yellow only on the throat. 



Male. Above oUve-green, darker and bro-mier on the tail and ^vings, brighter and yellower 

 on the mantle and head; below yellower, clearing into pure lemon-yellow on the 

 tlu-oat, yellow slightly stained with olivaceous on the breast and abdomen, passing 

 into yellow olive-green on the sides, bro-ssoier olive-green on the flanks, thighs, crissum 



63* 



