Birds of Celebes: Nectariniidae. 
471 
“Taramisi baa”, “T. maririka” and "Tete mariri”, etc. (= Q and juv.), Nat, Coll. 
Description. M. & Wg. 1. 
Adult male. Velvety black; lesser and shorter middle wing-coverts, lower half of 
back and upper tail-coverts metallic steel-blue; tail-feathers blue-black, with 
broad metallic edgings of greenish steel; bead above metallic greenish gold; sub- 
malar stripe steel-blue, becoming violet on the sides of the jugulum; chin, throat 
and jugulum metallic pansy-purple, becoming redder and more coppery according 
to the light; nnder-parts black, slightly washed with blue; cxuills below dusky, 
Tbll and feet black (type, ad. [(J*], Kabruang, 3. XI. 93: Nat. Coll — C 13138). 
Female. Above olive-green with a shght orange wash; wing-coverts and quills dusky, 
edged with olive-green; tail-feathers bluish black, metallic at the edges, the three 
outer pairs tipped with white, about II) mm broad in the outermost; under-parts 
oclu-e-yellow, bright orangc-ochraceou.s on the throat and juguhun, wa.shed udth olive- 
grey on the rianlcs; under Aving-coverts and inner edges of qtiills wliite; carpal 
edge yellowish (typo [Q] ad. Kabruang, 13. Xl. 93: Nat. Coll. — C 13145). 
Two other specimens, agreeing with tlie above, we regard as adult females from 
the richness of their coloration (0 13149 and 13147). 
Judging from the good series of this species and sangirensis in the Dresden 
Museum, we find that the orange-colour on the throat is less strongly expressed in 
the female of II. sangirensis, from wdiich that of IL tahutensis is further distinguishable 
by its larger size and the oliA-e-green, washed with orange, of its upper surface. 
Young. A specimen with a rather shorter bill is similar to Avhat we describe as the adult 
female; head and mantle a, little greyer (Kabruang, 0 13150). 
Three other specimens (immature females?) have the bill as long as in the adult, 
the throat whitish yellow, the breast greener, the head above in two cases a shade 
broAvner than in the adult female (Kabi uang, C 13148 .rnd 131.)3, Salibabu, 0 13156). 
Immature male. Five specimens, like the adult female, the throat washed with orange in two, 
in the otlier three not. All specimens with a steel-blue submalar stripe like that of 
the old male, but not continued (as violet) doA\m the sides of the jugulum a.lso. The 
feathers of inale matru’ity sprout at different times and parts of the body, varying in 
individuals and apparently following no nde of development. Thus, in one specimen 
(Kabruang, C 13146; there is a single steel-blue feather in the wing-coverts of the right 
wing and a few black feathers on the right side of the mantle and middle of upper- 
breast; a second (Kabruang, 0 13144) has some green-gold feathers on the occiput, 
one or two steel-blue ones on the upper tail-coverts, and one or more black ones on 
the breast, tail apparently adult; a third (Salibabu, C 13155) has only a few green- 
gold feathers oir the occiput, and an adult tail. 
Measurements <1 adult males). Wing 64 — 68 mm, tail 42 45, bill from nostril 14.5 16; 
tarsus 1 6 ca. 
(3 adult ? females). Wiirg 60—64; tail 38 ca.; bill from nostril 14—15.5. The 
specimen described as young has the Aving 58, bill fr. n. 13; the three specimens without 
orarrge on the throat: wing 58 — 59, bill fr. n. 14.5 10. 
Distribution. Talaut Islarrds : Kabruang, Karkellang, and Salibabu (Nat. Coll, in Dresd. and 
Tring Museums). 
Numerous examples of this species were obtained in October— November, 
1893, in the above island of the Talaut-group by native hunters in our employ, 
and again in the 1894 and 1896. In coloration though not in geographical 
location — the adult male is intermediate between H. sangirensis of the Sangi 
