Birds of Celebes: Sturnidae. 573 



black, mixed ^vitla the glossy green-black feathers of matiu'ity (Manado: v. Musschen- 

 broek — 5217). 

 Distribution. Celebes: Minahassa (Wallace 1, 4, Meyer b 6, Fischer 2, etc.); Lembeh 

 Id. (Nat. Coll.); Gorontalo Distr. (v. Rosenberg el, Meyer b 6); Tonkean, East 

 Celebes (Nat. Coll. 8); Macassar (Wallace 1, 4); Tjamba Distr., S. Cel. (Platen 

 b IX); Indi'ulaman, Bonthain Distr. (Everett 9). 



This species, the "King Starling" in the Malay vernacular of North Celebes, 

 is generally a somewhat scarce species in the island, though Rosenberg found 

 it not rare in the hill-forests, where it feeds on fruits. Three species of the 

 genus are now known; the present, confined to Celebes, B. corythaiw (Wagl.) 

 of Ceram'), with a long and differently-shaped crest, which rises to a point in 

 somewhat triangular form above the occiput, and B. galeatus Meyer, from Banggai 

 Island, a larger form and Avith a magnificent crest like that of the Celebes 

 species, but three times as long. 



Basileornis is a somewhat isolated sturnme genus, the ridge-crest, which, as 

 Mr. Wallace says, resembles in form that of the well-known Cock-of-the- 

 B-ock of South America, distinguishing it from all other Starlings at a glance. 

 Dr. Sharpe (Cat. B. 1890, XIII, 194) appears to us to make a very hazardous state- 

 ment ioVich.mg Fregilupus ijanW (Bodd.), the extinct Crested Starling of Eeunion, 

 when he says that this genus (Fregilupus) "comes very close to Basileornis, but 

 differs in its much longer and more convex bill, its more exposed nostrils, and 

 in the long crest which commences at the base of the bill" ; it would have been 

 more to the point if our learned friend had mentioned any feature whatever in 

 which the two birds resemble one another, whether of plumage, structure, or 

 any other character. Melanopyrrhus anais (Less.) of New Guinea agrees with 

 Basileornis in tarsus, feet, bill, bare skin about the eye, tail, wing, and to a 

 considerable extent in coloration; it differs by its smooth crestless head, the 

 broad white bar across its wings, and its golden tawny rump and breast, but 

 the latter parts are to some extent mixed with black, and the young seems to 

 resemble Basilem-nis still more in coloration. 



Were the tail of Basileornis celehensis greatly lengthened and graduated, and 

 the white patches on the sides of the breast spread out broadly over the breast 

 and across the hind neck, the bird would then bear a not remote resemblance 

 to its compatriot, Streptocitta. We are inclined to regard Basileornis as somewhat 

 intermediate between Streptocitta and Melanopyrrhus. That Basileornis and Strepto- 

 citta gradually arose from a common stem in the island of Celebes itself would 

 be a very questionable hypothesis , but it appears most likely that the simpler 

 Basileornis celehensis is the form from which the more eccentric B. corythaix and 

 galeatus sprang, and hence Celebes has at present most claim to be regarded as 

 the land of origin of Basileornis. To find the form which may have given rise 

 to it and to Melanopyrrhus of New Guinea it is necessary to look further back. 



») Gray identified (b 1) the Pastor corythaix Wagl. with the Ceram bird, though CabanisTa -'J has 

 said — we hope erroneously — that it was described fi-om the type of Temminck's B. celehensis. 



