in Batchian; while others
altogether resemble the Alfuros of Ceram.

The influx of two races can easily be accounted for. The Sula Islands,
which are closely connected with East Celebes, approach to within forty
miles of the north coast of Bouru, while the island of Manipa offers an
easy point of departure for the people of Ceram. I was confirmed in
this view by finding that the languages of Bouru possessed distinct
resemblances to that of Sula, as well as to those of Ceram.

Soon after we had arrived at Waypoti, Ali had seen a beautiful little
bird of the genus Pitta, which I was very anxious to obtain, as in
almost every island the species are different, and none were yet known
from Bourn. He and my other hunter continued to see it two or three
times a week, and to hear its peculiar note much oftener, but could
never get a specimen, owing to its always frequenting the most dense
thorny thickets, where only hasty glimpses of it could be obtained, and
at so short a distance that it would be difficult to avoid blowing
the bird to pieces. Ali was very much annoyed that he could not get a
specimen of this bird, in going after which he had already severely,
wounded his feet with thorns; and when we had only two days more to
stay, he went of his own accord one evening to sleep at a little but
in the forest some miles off, in order to have a last try for it at
daybreak, when many birds come out to feed, and are very intent on their
morning meal. The next evening he brought me home two specimens, one
with the head blown completely off, and otherwise too much injured to
preserve, the other in very good order, and which I at once saw to be
a new species, very like the Pitta celebensis, but ornamented with a
square patch of bright red on the nape of the neck.

The next day after securing this prize we returned to Cajeli, and
packing up my collections left Bouru by the steamer. During our two
days' stay at Ternate, I took on board what baggage I had left there,
and bade adieu to all my friends. We then crossed over to Menado, on
our way to Macassar and Java, and I finally quitted the Moluccas, among
whose luxuriant and beautiful islands I had wandered for more than three
years.

My collections in Bouru, though not extensive, were of considerable
interest; for out of sixty-six species of birds which I collected there,
no less than seventeen were new, or had not been previously found in any
island of the Moluccas. Among these w