Birds of Celebes: Melipliagidae. 
483 
and above the ear-coverts a patch of bare skin; tail of 12 feathers, nearly as 
long as the 'wing, graduated, the outermost rectrix about 2 cm shorter than the 
middle ones, each feather terminally narrowed to a sharp point; 1“‘ primary 
more than half as long as the 2"^ the 2”^ longer than the secondaries, the 4“* 
and 5“ longest, the shafts of all the remiges, except the P* and 2“^ terminally 
projecting as a minute point or thorn (seen likewise in the genera Melipotes, 
Leptornis, and others); tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw, 9 transverse 
scales on it; the first and second joints of the fourth toe united to the basal 
joint of the third toe, as in all Meliphagidae . 
The o'enus is known only from Celebes. Its most peculiar characters are 
the tail, the patch of bare skin on the cheek, and its Myzomela-VikQ, but un- 
serrated, bill. 
* 191. MYZA SAKASINORUM M.&Wg. 
The Sarasins’ Honey-sucker. 
Plate XXVIII. 
Myza sarasinorum (1) M. & Wg., Ahh. Mas. Dresden 1895, Nr. 8, p. 11. 
Male Head and neck dark slate, with blackish centres to the feathers and almost pure 
black on the superciliary and malar regions, becoming more umher-hrown with 
blackish centre-streaks on the back, and almost uniform dark umber on the lower 
back and upper tail-coverts; wings and tail blackish, with external edgings of 
umber- under parts reddish umber, the upper- breast with blackish centre-streaks, 
becoming blacker with greyer borders on throat and chin; under wing-coverts 
reddish umber- remiges and rectrices below shining dusky; behind the eye a 
lartre bare n-xteh (“colouidess, i. e. pale, without pigment”); bill blacldsh; legs and feet 
S'(5 Lno„gM.ntina,ig, south side, c. 1800 m, 29.Vm.9t: Surusin Coll., 
type). 
Wing 89 mm', tail 82; tarsus 24; culmen from suture 25.5. from uostril 14.2. 
Distributiou. Mautiuaug Mouuttins, North Celebes (P. & P. Sarasin). 
The type of this peculiar species and genus of Honey-sucker is at present 
the only specimen known. It was obtained by the cousins Sarasin at the high 
altitude of about 6000 ft. during their across the North Peninsula 
from Buol on the north coast to the Gulf of lommi. 
The affinities of this bird are somewhat tmeertam Except that its bill is 
smaller and not serrated, it agrees herein with MeUeste. but differs by its 
longer graduated tail of pointed featheis (see plate), ihe Papuan Ue^te. 
has the rectriees similarly pointed, hut not graduated and similarly much hare 
skin on the face, but its bill is short, like a Thrush s. Bare ekin on the face 
is found in several other Meliphagine genera, such as Janthotis, Mehrrhophetes 
and some species of Ptilotis. . , 
Until Drs P. & F- Sarasin, Mr. Everett, and Mr. Doherty went to 
Celebes it was not known that the high mountains harboured so many interest- 
