224 
Birds of Celebes: Cuculidae. 
these P. melanops (Lesson) of the Philippine Islands, P. kangeanensis Vorderm. 
of the Kangean Islands, and a neAv species of Prof. W. Blasius (not vet 
described) from Mindoro may be added. The genus Pi/rrhocentor, like Centro- 
coccyoo and some others, is not admitted as distinct in Shelley’s Catalogue of 
the Cuckoos, where all the Centropinae are grouped together in the single genus 
Centropus\ it appears to us nevertheless to be Avorthy of distinction as a genus 
for the following reasons: 
Compared Avith Centropus hengalensis and Centropus senegalensis we find 
1. that the contour-feathers are different in character; in Pyrrhocentor the shafts 
are fine though stiff, the barbs also are long and unconnected, hairlike for the 
most part of the feather; in Centropus and Centrococcyjc the shafts are spinous, 
and the barbs have not such a hairlike appearance; 2. The primaries are 
different, the outer Avebs being rather suddenly narroAved in their distal half in 
Centropus and Centrococcyx, Avhereas in Pyrrhocentor the outer Avebs are propor- 
tionally broader, and the narroAving is slight and proceeds gradually from base 
to tip. The relative lengths of the primaries taken from specimens in Avhich 
all the feathers appear to have obtained their normal length are as folloAvs^): 
I 
n 
ni 
IV 
V 
VI 
VII 
vni 
IX 
X 
Pyrrhocentor celehensis .... 
70 
lOf 
122 
141 
148 
153 
152 
151 
149 
145 
Pyrrhocentor sp. (Mindoro). . . 
62 
87 
113 
124 
134 
135 
136 
138 
136 
131 
Centrococcyx hengalensis (a) . . 
74 
115 
130 
135 
135 
136 
133 
123 
120 
111 
Centrococcyx hengalensis (h) . ' . 
60 
92 
110 
117 
117 
117 
113 
106 
103 
97 
Centropus senegalensis .... 
80 
106 
125 
130 
130 
130 
129 
124 
119 
114- 
In Pyrrhocentor, as the above figures show, the first, second and third quills 
are relatively shorter than in Centropus and Centrococcyx-, the maximum length 
is obtained from the sixth to the eighth feather, instead of the fourth to the 
sixth; the Aving is still blunter, the quills seem Aveaker. The bird has all the 
appearance of being a very feeble flyer^). Consequently it is of the more value 
in questions concerned Avith the geographical distribution of birds. 3. The hind 
claAV of Pyrrhocentor is much shorter. 4. The young of Centrococcyx and Cen- 
tropus is rufous brown above barred Avith black; Ave have seen large numbers 
of Pyrrhocentor, but never one differing greatly from the adult. What the 
nestling is like is as yet unknown; if it is rufous barred Avith black this phase 
of plumage would appear to be of very short duration. 
The nearest knowm ally of P. celebcnsis is V orderman’s recently described 
P. kangeanensis of the Kangean Islands, a group Ijdng betAveen JaA^a and Celebes, 
though much nearer to the former island than to the latter. This form is much 
larger than P. celehensis and has the chestnut colour on the under parts of that 
1) Measurements taken from the base of the first primary. 
2) It was not sent to us hy our hunters from the islands of Manado tua, Mantehage, Lemheh, and 
Banka, six or eight miles from the coast of Celebes. In N. Celebes it is very common. 
