460 
Birds of Celebes; Nectariniidae. 
formula C. frmatus = saleyermsis for a form which is equidistant from the typical 
fremtus and from saleyerensis , then C. frmatus < sakyerensis with a more acute 
angle for forms which incline towards saleyerensis in a less degree, and C. frmatus 
(^sakyerensis with a less acute angle for forms which incline towards saleyerensis in 
a greater degree. To indicate the estimated degrees mathematically (■<; 45 “) is too 
fantastic a method to commend itself. 
More practical ■ — hut to be condemned perhaps as suggesting an accuracy of 
knowledge which we do not possess — is the use of mrmerals as propounded else- 
wliere (see also Haliastur indus). between the typical, C. frenatus and the extreme 
C. frenatus saleyeremis we believe we could aiTangc a series of 24 “subspecies” with 
the small degree of difference seen between C. f. platmi and C. f. dissmtiens taken 
for the unit: then the typical form remains the typical C. frenatus, or C. frenatus^i 
sakyermsiso] the Saleyer bird is C. frmakiso saleyermsissP, the North Celebes bird 
C. frenatus^o sakyerensis 4 , standing much nearer to the typical than to the Saleyer 
form; the lowland bird of South Celebes (platenij may be held to have, say, 7 times 
as much affinity with the Saleyer race as with the typical form, or: C. frenatus 3 
saleyerensisii, the Bonthain bird standing a little nearer still to that of Saleyer 
becomes: C. frenatuss sakyerensisgs. 
These formulae are very easy to set up, but any one who will undertake to 
prove that the numerals are erroneously apphed will have a difficult, and remarkable, 
piece of work to do. 
It is preferable here to abstain from inventing a formula for the Bonthain 
birds. These specimens are referred to under: 
Cyrtostomus frenatus dissentiens (Hart.). 
t. Cinnyris frenata dissentiens ( 1 ) Hart., Nov. Zool. 1896, 152, pt. ; ( 2 ) id., ib. 1897, 155. 
Distribution. Bonthain Mts. — Indrulaman (Everett 7); Loka (P. & E. Sarasin); “from 
the lower hills up to 6000 ft.” (Doherty 2 ). 
Further local variation. Adults from Celebes may be at once distinguished from adults 
from New Guinea (Passim, Dore) by their browner olive-green upper surface. 
Not so an adult male from Buru (Nr. 1855), which is like Celebes birds as to 
its back, but is a trifle larger in size (wing 58 mm). An adult male from Bat j an 
is a little browner above than the NewGuinea specimens, though hardly distin- 
guishable. Adult males from Peling and Banggai are larger in bill and body than 
the form of N. Celebes, but in colour they are often similar, that is, browner 
olive-green than the ty}ncal, eastern, C. frenatus. An adult male and female from 
New Britain arc the yellowest specimens as regards their upper surface we have 
seen, and it appears as if an influence, which makes the birds become yellower or 
browner respectively, is felt in increasing force the fui'ther south and east or west 
the species ranges. In a similar manner Haliastur Indus seems to have gradually 
lost its dark stripes in extending its range from India to the Papuan Islands. Mr. 
Biittikofer terras the characters pointed out by Prof. W. Blasius in C. frenatus 
platmi inconstant, so that even the separation of the Celebes-form as a subspecies 
appears unallowable; on the other hand, we find that individual variation in 
C. frenatus as a whole seems to run within comparatively narrow limits, though plateni, 
etc. arc undoubtedly connected with the typical form of New Guinea by every con- 
ceivable intermediate form from the Moluccas. 
