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Show 1875.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM LABUAN. 105 Sumatran specimens, I fail to find any specific difference at all, agree with previous authors who have united them. The nest is a rude structure, apparently taken off the ground, and composed of fine roots and slender twigs, with a few dead leaves and dry moss. The four eggs sent are white, with scribblings of dark grey or chocolate-brown freely distributed all over the surface, but nowhere so thick as to obscure to any extent the white ground of the egg. Family TIMALUDAE. 28. M A C R O N U S PTILOSUS, J. & S.; Salvad. I. c. p. 216. This species has not before been noticed from Labuan ; but Mr. Low sends a pair with the nest and eggs. The nest appears to have been taken from the ground, and is a coarsely made structure, composed of thin roots and grasses badly welded together, with a few dead leaves round the outside. The eggs are thickly speckled with brown on a ground of dull white, and are not very unlike thickly marked eggs of the common Sparrow of Europe. 29. SETARIA AFFINIS (Blyth) ; Salvad. I. c. p. 231. Three specimens. New to Labuan. 30. BRACHYPTERYX MALACCENSIS, Hartl.; Salvad. 1. c. p. 222. One specimen. New to Labuan. 31. MIXORNIS BORNEENSIS, Bp.; Salvad. I.e. p. 215. Several specimens. 32. TIMELIA MACULATA, Temm.; Salvad. I.e. p. 211. Three specimens. 33. CYANODERMA BICOLOR. Timalia, sp., Sclater, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 215. Timalia bicolor, Blyth, Ibis, 1865, p. 46. The series of this species sent by Mr. Low proves that it is not the true C erythropterum of Blyth (cf Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 213), and that the characters communicated to Dr. Sclater by Mr. Wallace (cf. Sclater, /. ci) are of specific importance. In spite of its suggested Malaccan origin, I believe that the Timalia bicolor of Mr. Blyth will turn out to be the Bornean bird; and I therefore adopt the title. C. bicolor differs from C. erythropterum in being brighter rufous above, and in having the breast and belly ochraceous brown; the entire head, throat, and chest are blackish slate-colour, whereas in C. erythropterum the colour of the back is extended on to the occiput and crown of the head. Count Salvadori thinks that Blyth's species may be the male ; but all Mr. Low's specimens are the same ; nor do the young differ materially ; and my comparison of adults has been made with a sexed male specimen of Mr. Wallace's, from Sumatra. |