198 Letters , Extracts from Correspondence , IVote, 
formation about its being arboreal. Here it is truly terrestrial, 
perching only to rest and sleep. 
“ It is astonishing how little care even professed naturalists 
have given to determining localities. The localities of species 
given by the 'Dutch Scientific Commission* are full of errors. 
Ptilonopns monachus and P. hyogaster are given to Celebes, 
whereas they are unknown there, but are abundant in Gilolo and 
Batchian; and exactly the same error is made with Macropygia 
reinwardti, which you will see in my collections, but not from 
Celebes. Todiramphus funebris is also unknown in Celebes, but 
common in Gilolo, so that the Dutch naturalists seem to have 
placed all their species of unknown locality in Celebes, acting 
as the French have done in giving to the little island of 
Vanikoro hundreds of insects which were never found there. 
"Among the other interesting species from Gilolo are a 
Ptilonopus and a Platycercus —both, I think, new; the beautiful 
lanthcenas halmaheira , Bp., and several fine aquatic birds and 
Waders. 
" In a few days I commence work in Ceram, where I hope to 
make a very fine collection, especially of Psittacida , the Lories 
of Ceram surpassing even those of New Guinea in variety and 
beauty. I live in hopes too of a new Semioptera , or some equally 
interesting form. 
“ I take every opportunity of purchasing live specimens of 
Parrots from the islands I may probably not visit, and hope to 
get most valuable materials for elucidating their distribution in 
the East, which is in the highest degree interesting. Between 
the Lomus gari'ulus of Gilolo and that of Batchian there is a 
constant difference in the size of the dorsal yellow patch: are 
they considered distinct species ? 
"The species of Ceram birds mentioned in BonaparteV Con¬ 
spectus* are very few: how is it, then, that it has such a name 
for fine birds ? I know nothing fine from it, but the Lories, 
which are superb. However, I hope and believe it will produce 
some very fine things—new Pigeons, perhaps. The Cassowary 
is said to be abundant in Ceram, and to be the same as the New 
Guinea species. The Tanysipterce are very puzzling: which is 
the true T. dea , Linn. ? The Dorey and Ternate specimens seem 
