200 
Birds of Celebes: Cuculidae. 
but two or three feathers of the adult in the tail ; back, breast, and belly Avith young 
and adult plumage intennixed, the adult predominating above (rf, Macassar, 10. July 95: 
P. & F. Sara sin). 
Measurements (2 ad., 2 juv. Celebes). Wing 102 — 106 mm; tail 103 — 113; tarsus c. 17; bill 
from nostril c. 12.5. 
Egg. Of. Kuschel 14: Java. 
Distribution. The Indian countries, to Malacca, Java, Bali, and Suinba, 8. China and Hainan, 
south throughout the Philippines to Borneo, and Celebes (see Salvador! 2, Shelley 3, 
Blanford 10, Styan 6, Grant 12, Hartert 13). 
In Celebes — Macassar (Wallace .3, Weber4, P. & F. vSarasin Jl); ? Togian 
(Meyer b 2)\ W. Celebes, Tawaya (Doherty 15). 
ximong the two hundred and more sjjecimens in the British Museum included 
by Capt. Shelley under the name C. merulinus, there is one marked: “cf ad. 
Macassar (A. E,. Wallace)”. This appears to be the specimen which was in 
the hands of Lord Walden in 1872 (hi)., when he remarked that it appeared 
to belong to the group of which C. merulinus is typical. This determination 
has recently been confirmed by Mr. Biittikofer, who records two specimens 
obtained by Prof. Weber at Macassar, and is further proven by four specimens 
obtained by Drs. P. and F. Sarasin at the same spot. Still further east Shelley 
records a specimen from Ternate, but this indication is not accepted without 
query by Count Salvadori (Orn. Pap., Agg. Ill, 1891, 218). 
Shelley remarks that C. merulinus appears to consist of three races: viz. 
“C. merulinus (Scop.), a pale bird with the grey of the head and throat sharply 
defined and Avith clear regular white bars across the inner webs of the tail- 
feathers. C. threnodes Cab., a rather darker bird Avith a deeper rufous buff 
colour on the breast. C. sepulchralis (S. Miill.), Avith the upper parts nearly 
uniform, the notches on the outer webs of the tail-feathers shaded Avith rufous 
and the white bars on their inner Avebs nearly obsolete”. From the last-named 
form, writes Mr. Biittikofer (4), C. merulinus “should certainly be separated. 
It is distinguishable from C. sepulchralis by its smaller size (wing maximum 
103, tail maximum 108 mm), further by the very pale ash-grey colour of head, 
nape, sides of neck, chin, throat and upper chest, which colour extends on to 
the upper breast in certain indmduals, and by the very pale ochre-yellow colour 
of breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts”. 
Mr. Hartert is of opinion that C. threnodes may also have to be separated 
again from C. merulinus. 
GENUS COCCYSTES Glog. 
In this genus, the species of which are about the size of a Turtle-dove, the 
tail is much longer than the wing, and the occipital feathers are length- 
ened so as to form a crest. Bill moderate, nostril a slightly projecting, 
oval formation of skin; Aving short, secondaries about Vi its length, tail strongly 
