Birds of Celebes: Oriolidae. 



593 



The typical O. formosiis of Siao remains slightly the largest of all known 

 Orioles, though very nearly equalled by its near relation O. melanisticits of Talaut, 

 which exceeds it in length of bill. The latter curious bird — when its melan- 

 istic hues are not pronounced — may be distinguished from O. formosus by 

 its black wings and two middle tail-feathers, on which the yellow-olive of the 

 back is absent, or present in only a small amount. 



Schlegel united Oriolus formosus with the Philippine O. acrorhynckus Vig., a 

 species distinguished by its much smaller size, its large yellow frontlet covering- 

 most of the crown, and its lighter greenish yellow back. O. frontalis Wall., 

 of Sula, also united by Schlegel with A. acrorhynckus, is more like O. formosus, 

 a very little smaller, but golden yellow on the back, not dark greenish yellow. 



This species is another example of the increase in size of birds in the Sangi 

 Islands. 



Several specimens, killed in June — July, are moulting. 



+ ^ 250. ORIOLUS MELANISTICUS M. & Wg. 



Talaut Oriole. 

 Plate XXXVII. 



Oriolus melanisticus (1) M. & Wg., J. f. O. 1894, 247; (2) Eotlisch., Bull. B. O. 0. 1894, 

 Nr. 19, Ibis 1894, 547; (3) M. & Wg., Abh. Mus. Dresd. 1895, Nr. 9, p. 7. 



"Tariawo" or "Ariawu", Talaut, Nat. Coll. 



Adult. Like tbe adult 0. fm-mosus, but the wings and two middle tail-feathers entirely, or 

 almost entirely black; a broad yellow collar round hind neck (about 40 mm wide), 

 sometimes mixed with black; back varpng from yellow-ohve, with a few dark centres 

 to the feathers, to ahnost perfect black with shght fringes of yellow-olive; bill a Uttle 

 longer than in 0. formosus (type, SaUbabu, 30. X. 93 and 4 others: Nat. Coll.). 

 Bill in the skin reddish white, feet purphsh black. 



Immature. We hold the specimens with the least black on the back for females or immature. 



Young. Very like the young of 0. formosus, but the feathers on the back with dark centres, 

 wing-coverts blackish with yellowish tips (juv., Kabruang, 7. XI. 93: Nat. Coll. — 

 C 13113). 



Measurements. 



a. (C 13115) ad., SaUbabu, 30. X. 93 (Nat. Coll.) . . 



h. (C 13110) ad., Kabruang, 9. XI. 93 (Nat. Coll.). . 



. c. (0 13112) ad. [? 2 J, Kabruang, 2. XI. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 



d. (C 13114) ad. [?$], Salibabu, 31. X. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 



e. (C 13111) ad. [? $], Kabruang, 9. XI. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 

 /. (C 13113) juv., Kabruang, 7. XI. 93 (Nat. Coll.) . 

 7 adults from Karkellang, Nov. 1894, and autumn, 1896 



Average size fi-om 5 adults: wing 166.4, tail 122.6, tarsus 28; bill fr. nostr. 27.8. 

 Individual variation! Specunens, apparently adult, vary in having the back and upper wing- 

 coverts yellow -olive to black. Yellow covers nearly the whole of the forehead in 

 some examples, in others it is reduced to a small amount in the middle of the fore- 

 head and at the base of the bill. The yellow collar covers the entire hind neck and 



Meyer i Wig lenworth, Birds of C«lebes (Nov. Ulth, 1S97 



75 



