OCR Text |
Show 1877.] THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. 433 Batrachostomus javensis (Horsf), Sclater, P.Z.S. 1863, p. 211, " Banjarmassing, Borneo." Batrachostomus javanensis (Horsf.), Salvadori, Ucc. Borneo, p. 112, 2 . "Sarawak" (1874); Walden, J. A. S. B. 1875, pt. ii. extra no. p. 84, "ex Sumatra." Hab. Sumatra, Borneo. Doria, according to Salvadori, I. c, notes the iris of the female, ex Sarawak, as being light yellow (giallo chiaro). In the British Museum is preserved an example of B. cornutus, in rufous plumage, from Banjarmassing, identical with an example obtained by Mr. Buxton in South-east Sumatra. The national collection also possesses examples from Sumatra, from Banjarmassing, and from Labuan, in grey spotted and striated plumage, which vary but slightly from one another. Podargus cornutus is the title substituted by Temminck for that of P. javensis, Horsf., in the belief that the Javan and Sumatran species were identicalj on account of Horsfield's designation giving too restricted an idea of the geographical distribution of the species. The bird figured and described by Temminck (/. ci), however, is not in the absolute grey or mottled plumage of the male bird, but rather in the darker rufous-brown phase of the female, when the upper plumage is marked with fine narrow irregular transversal black markings. Dr. Jerdon (/. c.) treated P. cornutus, as figured in Shaw's General Zoology (xiii. pt. 2, p. 92, t. 41), as belonging to a species distinct from B. javanensis, Horsf. Shaw's engraving was copied from Temminck's plate (/. c). No. 1, 2 (?) adult (?) ex Lampong district, S. E. Sumatra (mus. nostr.). General colour pale clear rufous, somewhat paler than in B. affinis 2 adult, the description of which species will more or less apply to this kind in almost every respect but size. But the wings and tail are of a pale rufous-buff rather than rufous. The throat-feathers are nearly all white, and are without any transverse brown hues. Below they are bordered with a brown line, and then fringed with rufous. Many more of the pectoral feathers have white centres ; and these are all more elongated than round on the upper breast. Most of the flank-feathers are largely centred with white, which does not seem to be the case in B. affinis, ex Malacca. The white markings, from being more numerous and larger, are much more conspicuous on the under surface than in B. affinis; and they reach to the vent. The greater wing-coverts are also faintly tipped with pale albescent dots. The elongated auricular plumes are rufous to the tips and not brown. Wing 5*50, tail 5*37, tarsus 0*68, middle toe 0*75, bill from forehead 1*12, width of gape 1-38. A few feathers on the anterior surface of tarsus. No. 2, 2 (?) adult, ex Banjarmassing (Mus. Brit.) closely resembles the Lampong female (?), but has the gular plumes differently marked. They are white on both sides of the shaft; an irregular transverse brown line crosses the feathers when the down ceases, followed by a white or fulvous white band, which is bordered below by a brown transverse line, below which is a broad white band finally margined PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1877, No. XXVIII. 28 |