478 
Birds of Celebes: Meliphagidae. 
we regard this record as most probably erroneous. The species ranges from 
India to Borneo and Java (Shelley). The following references indicate the 
occurrence of the species in Celebes, the authors being guided by Muller and 
Schlegel, without referring to further proof. 
a. Araehnothera longirostra (1) Miill & Schl., Verb. JSTatuurk. Comm., Zool. Aves 1846, 69 
(Celebes); (2) Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. 1849, 222 (Cel.); ('/ZZ) Shelley, Monogr. 
Kect. p. L, ‘457, pi. (1878), (Cel.); (4) W. Bias., J. f. O. 1883, 115. 
b. Araehnothera — ? (1) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, YIII, 70. 
e. Araehnocestra longirostris (1) Bclib., Hb. sp. Orn., Scansoriae 1853, 315 (Cel.). 
d. Araehnothera longirostris (1) Gadow, Cat. B. IX, 1884, 103 (Cel.); (2) Sharpe, Ibis 
1890, 279 (Cel.). 
For synonymy and further referenees cf. Shelley a III, Gadow d 1. 
FAMILY MELIPHAGIDAE. 
The Honey-suckers vary in size from about that of a Wren to that of a 
Jay; they are birds of plain plumage, metallic tints and blue are wanting, red 
is found only in Myzomela-, the bill is generally decurved, often very long and 
slender, the nostril longitudinal covered with a coriaceous operculum, “or oval 
and situated in front of a coriaceous groove” (Gadow); in some forms the tomia 
are serrated. The tongue is protractile, bifid, and furnished with peculiar 
brush-like fibres on the tip. The family is almost exclusively peculiar to 
the Australian Region. 
GENUS MYZOMELA Vig. Horsf.. 
The characteristics of the genus by W. A. Forbes are given below. They 
are very small birds, most of them differing from all other Meliphagidae by 
having red in the plumage. The edges of the mandibles are serrated. 
* 189. MYZOMELA CHLOROPTERA Twee del. 
Scarlet Honey-sucker. 
Myzomela chloroptera (1) Wald., Ann. & Mag. X. H. 1872, (4) IX, 399; (2) id., Tr. Z. S. 
1872, Vni, 117; /'.3J Meyer, J. f. O. 1873, 405; (4) Salvad., Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. 
1875, yn, 662; (5) Briiggem., Abb. Ver. Bremen V, 1876, 74; (VI) W. A. Forbes, 
P. Z. S. 1879, 260, pi. XXIV, fig. 1; (7) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 132; (8) Gadow, Cat. 
B. IX, 1884, 132; (9) Salvad., Ibis 1884, 326; (10) Biittik., Zool. Erg. Weber’s 
Rcise Ost-Ind. 1893, IH, 279; (11) M. & Wg., Abb. Mus. Dresd. 1895, Xr. 8, p. 11 ; 
(12) Hart., Xov. Zool. 1896, 153, 168; (13) id., ib. 1897, 157. 
Figure and descriptions. Forbes VI', AValden 7; Salvadori 4 (? = (J', not Q); Briiggem. 3 
(? = o’ not Q); Gadow 8. 
Adult male. Upper surface, entire bead, throat and breast scarlet-poppy-red; scapulars, 
wings and tail-feathers black, the greater wing-coverts and quills edged with ochra- 
