758 



Birds of Celebes: Charadriidae. 



For further synonymy and references cf. Salvaclori 13, 29; Sharpe 37. 



Figures and descriptions. Gould //, 5; Buller XXIV; Seebohm 28 (woodcut); Salv. 13; 

 Sharpe 37. 



Adult. Entire head and nape, a collar above the mantle, lower back, rump, upper 

 tail-coverts and tail, and entire under-parts white; hind-neck, mantle and 

 wings (including under wing-coverts; black, glossed with green; "iris yellow; bill black; 

 legs bright red": Guillem. 17 (N. Celebes: Faber — C 3566). 

 "Ii-is red" (cf, P. & F. Sarasin]. 



Sexes. According to Gould, the male is larger than the female. 



Young of the first autumn. "Crown of the head and hind-neck dusky black, mottled with 

 white; shoulders spotted with black darke:iing towards the back; upper part of back 

 and scapulars brownish black; upper surface of wings glossy black; the median coverts 

 as well as the feathers of the back narrowly tipped with brown; lower part of back 

 and rump white; tail-feathers dull black, tipped mth brown, their coverts (which are 

 very fluffy) pliunbeous at the base, white on their apical portion, and tipped with 

 yellowish brown; lining of wings black, the rest of the jjlumage pure white; bill black, 

 brownish towards the base; hides reddish yellow; legs pale yellow; the claws brown" 

 (Buller XXIV). 



A young specimen in the Dresden Museum differs from the adult in wanting 

 the black hind neck, the entire neck being white like the under-parts, the crown 

 and occiput smoke-grey, the mantle mottled with grey, the upper back brown (2, 

 Limbotto, July, J871: Meyer — C 1989). 



Other stages of plumage are described by Sir Walter Buller (XXIVj. 



Measurements. 



Wing 



Tail 



Tarsus 



Bill from 

 forehead 



a. (C 1988) c? ad., Limbotto, July, 71 (Meyer). ... | 222 70 120 60 

 6. (C 3566) ad., N. Celebes (Faber) 223 75 118 61 



c. (0 3565) ad., N. Celebes (Faber) 222 70 111 65 



d. (C 5251) ad., Gorontalo, Jan. 76 (v. Mussch.) ... 240 79 116 



e. (C 1989) juv., Limbotto, July, 71 (Meyer) 194 64 98 54 



f. (Sarasin Coll.) cT ad.. Lake Posso, 21. H. 95 . . . 232 76 118 67 

 ff. (Sarasin Coll.) Q ad.. Lake Posso, 21. IE. 95 . . . 221 75 97 63 



Eggs. 4. "The East Indian eggs are clay-yellow, with numerous, sharply deUneated, black 

 and black-brown spots. The measurements are 40 — 41 X 32 mm" (Nehrkorn MS.). 

 See, also, North 26, Buller XXIV. 



Nest. "A slight structure ... a few short pieces of rush and grass, placed in and around 

 a depression at the foot of a clump of rushes growing near the water's edge of a 

 lagoon" (South Grafton, Australia: Ramsay 26). Sometimes no nest is made 

 (Buller XXIV). 



Distribution. All Australia (Gould II, Bamsay 23); New Zealand (Buller XXI^^; New 

 Guinea; Ferguson Id.; Mysol; Amboina; Ternate (cf. Schleg. 3, Salvad. 13, 29); 

 Ceram (Ribbe 31); Celebes — Tondano (Reinw. a 1, Meyer 9), Limbotto (Forsten 5, 

 V. Rosenb. 3, etc.). Lake Tempe, S. Celebes (Weber 33), Lake Posso (P.& F. S. .3.5), 

 Saleyer (Everett 36); Timor (S. Miiller .3); Rotti (ten Kate 32); Sumbawa 

 (Forsten 3); Java (S. Miiller 3, de Bocarme 5); Borneo (Schwaner 3, 25); 

 Philippines — Mindanao (Cuming 7, Steere 28). 



The White-headed Stilt is a breeding species in Celebes, as is shown by 

 a young specimen in down in the Leyden Museum. It is a common bird on 



