Birds of Celebes: Ploceidae. 
545 
m. Munia atricapilla brunneiceps {1] Hart., Nov. Zool. 1896, 154; (2) id., ib. 1897, 161. 
“Bingissi”, Tjamba Distr., S. Celebes, Platen. 
“Burong gotoUo”, Malay for all Plocddm, Celebes, Meyer li 2. 
Figures and descriptions. Wald, g I\ Bartl. VIII\ Sliarpe f 9\ Russ k 1. 
Diagnosis. Head all round blackisb brown. 
Distribution. Celebes: — South; Maca.ssar (Wallace 7, Meyer /« 2, etc.), Tjamba (Platen 
g 5 and in Dresd. Mus.), Tempe and Palopo (Weber g 10)\ Posso Lake, Centr. Cel. 
(P. & P. Sarasin I 2)\ West Celebes (Doherty ni 2); Minahassa (Meyer h 2, Rosenb. 
j 1, etc.); Togian (Meyer h 2); South Borneo — Banjermassing (Mottley g3, g 9), 
N. W. Borneo (Everett g 7, etc.); Labuan (Mottley etc., i 1, g 6, g 9). 
Adult. Head all round blacki^i brown, becoming blacker on the throat and breast; re- 
maining parts brownish hazel, darker below, and upper tail-coverts glossy and redder, 
abdomen, thighs and under tail-coverts blackish. Wing 51 mm; tail 33; tarsus 16; 
bill fi'om nostril 8 (Manado, March, 1871; Meyer — C 398). Iris brown; bill bluish; 
feet and claws light greyish blue (M. h 2). 
The specimen described is inseparable from some examples of jagori, proving 
that we have to do with intergrading subspecies in jagori and brunneiceps\ if tliis were 
not the case, they would not be subspecies, but species. 
Sexes. The sexes are similar. 
Young. General colour wood-brown, rather darker on the mantle and wings, greyer on the 
head. A few black feathers on the under tail- coverts and crissum. “Iris brown; 
bill and feet lead-grey” (Q juv., Tjamba Distr., 27. VI. 78: Platen — C 5378). 
Skeleton (Meyer, Abb. v. Yogelskel. 1894, H, pL CCIV). 
Length of cranium . . . 
23.0 
mm 
Length of tarso-metatarsus 
15.5 
mm 
Greatest breadth of cranium 
12.0 
• » 
Length of digitus I . . . 
14.0 
Length of humenis . . . 
14.0 
Length of digitus H . . 
12.5 
Length of ulna .... 
16.0 
» 
Length of digitus IH . . 
19.0 
Length of radius .... 
13.5 
> 
Length of digitus IV . . 
14.0 
Length of manus .... 
15.0 
» 
Length of sternum . . . 
19.0 
Length of metacarpus . . 
7.0 
■» 
Greatest breadth of sternum 
10.0 
» 
Length of digitus I . . . 
3.0 
Height of crista sterni . . 
6.2 
» 
Length of digitus H . . . 
6.5 
» 
Length of coracoideum . . 
13.7 
Length of digitus IH . . 
2.5 
» 
Length of scapula . . . 
16.0 
» 
Length of femur .... 
14.0 
» 
Length of clavicula . . . 
14.5 
Length of tibia .... 
24.0 
Length of pelvis .... 
17.0 
» 
Length of fibula .... 
8.0 
•» 
Greatest breadth of pelvis 
11.0 
Egg. Short oval, white, thick-shelled and chalky: size 14.5 X 12 mm (Tomohon, Minahassa, 
15. VI. 94, P. & F. Sarasin). 
Nest. The nest, which contained the above-mentioned egg, is pendant pear-shaped, the 
entrance-hole in the side near the top; almost entirely composed of a fine yellowish 
grass from wliich the seeds have fallen; a few bits of broad, dead flag-leaf interwoven ; 
greatest external diameters about 200 X 120 mm, walls very thick, except at the 
bottom (Sarasin OolL). 
The arbitrary denomination of subspecies is a work which both vexes the 
conscience and gives a lot of literary trouble to him who thus makes a show 
of knowledge which he does not possess of the racial variation of the species, 
Meyer Si Wigl e swo rtli, Birds of Celebes (Nov. ISth, 1S!)7I. 
69 
