CRINIGER CHLORIS, Finsch.

Molucean Bulbul.

Criniger flavicaudus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, p. 311 (nec Bp.).

Criniger simplex, Wallace, Ibis, 1862, p. 350 (nec Temm.).

Trichophorus simplex, Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p. 168 (1865).

Criniger chloris, Finsch, Journ. fiir Orn. 1867, p. 36.—Gray, Hand-list Birds, i. p. 274, no. 4021 (1869).—Salvad.
Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 777 (1875), xvi. p. 183 (1880).—Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. vi.
p- 85 (1881).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 376 (1881).—Guillemard, Proc. Zool.
Soc. 1885, p. 572.

 

Specimens of this species were sent by Mr. Wallace from the islands of Batchian and Halmahéra or Gilolo,
and were identified by the late Mr. G. R. Gray as Criniger flavicaudus of Bonaparte, which is a Ceram
species.

Mr. Wallace, in 1862, perceiving Mr. Gray’s mistake, described the species under the name of Criniger
simplex ; but this name could not be used, as there was already an African species, described by Temminck
as C. simplex. Dr. Finsch therefore proposed the name of C. chdoris for the species in place of that given
by Mr. Wallace. He described a specimen in the Leiden Museum from Halmahéra, collected by
Dr. Forsten, and Dr. Beccari procured the species both in this island and in Batchian, as Mr. Wallace had
already done before him. The latter gentleman likewise records its occurrence in Morotai or Morty Island ;
but no specimen from this island was in his collection, and the locality requires confirmation. Dr. Guillemard,
who obtained a large series of specimens in Batchian, says that the iris was ‘“ red-brown, the bill bluish green
with lighter edges, and the feet slate-colour.”

The following description is copied from the British Museum ‘ Catalogue of Birds’ :—

“© Adult female (type of C. simpler). General colour above dull olive-yellow, the wing-coverts like the back ;
quills brown, externally olive-yellow like the back, both the greater coverts and the primaries narrowly edged
with brighter yellow ; tail-feathers dark olive-yellow, with a narrow margin of rather brighter yellow; ear-
coverts and sides of face dark olive-yellow, the fore part of the cheeks more dusky, the lores ashy brown ;
throat bright yellow, as also the centre of the body and abdomen; chest and sides of the body olive, the former
with indistinct sharp lines of bright yellow ; thighs and under tail-coverts olive with yellow edges; under
wing-coverts and axillaries bright yellow; quills brown below, yellow along the edge of the inner web:
«bill dusky lead-colour, the margins pale ; feet lead-colour; iris dark’ (Vallace). Total length 8°5 inches,
culmen 0:95, wing 3°98, tail 3-6, tarsus 0°75.

«© Adult male. Similar in colour to the female. ‘Total length 8-3 inches, culmen 0-9, wing 4, tail 3:4,
tarsus 0°75.”

The Plate represents an adult bird in two positions, the figures being drawn from a specimen in the
British Museum.

[R. B. S.]

A
v
y

be)

AMS

ae