Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

igi7-j M. C. Koiunson : Birds from Pulau Langhaui. 189
115. DlCAEUM CRUENTATA tGNITA (Begbie).
Dicaeum cmentatum, Sharpe, torn. cit. p. 15: Robinson
and Kloss, p. 78.
slaty."
a. < . Telok
Wau. Terutau, 23rd-2gth December
[916. [Nos. 3714-7. 3737, 3772, 3790].
" Iris dark hazel, bill and feet black, basal half of bill
In view of Gyldenstolpe's identification of specimens from
Koh Lak, Siamese Malaya, with the reputed Chinese and
Hainan form, D. c. coccinea, (Scop)., I have again gone
through very carefully the very large series of this species in
the F.M.S. Museums, in the light of Hartert's remarks on the
subject, Nov. Zool. xvii, p. 243 (1910).
Begbie's specimens came from somewhere near Kessang
in the territory of Malacca, and it is therefore hardly legitimate
to regard specimens from Terutau, 400 miles to the north, as
strictly representative of his Nectarinui ignita. Our specimens
are by no means uniform and while the majority have
the outer aspect of the wing glossy purplish one or two have
the lesser wing coverts and scapulars with a distinct oily green
gloss without purplish. Specimens from Trang are the same
but those from Koh Pennan and Koh Samui have but little
purple tinge and must therefore be regarded asD. c. coccinea if
we are to recognise that form. In addition these specimens
have the red parts of the plumage more vermilion and less
scarlet, but this may be due either to age of the bird or of the
feathers. The females are certainly not more rusty orange
above as Hartert says is the case with Hainan specimens.
Hartert has not denned the limits of his three forms, at least so
far as the typical D. c. crucntata is concerned and it would
appear that they all converge somewhere in the region of
Southern ami Western Siam.
116. Dicaeum trigonostigma (Scop.).
Sharpe, tout. tit. p. 38; Robinson and Kloss, p. 78:
Robinson, antea, vol. v, p. no (1915).
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