OCR Text |
Show 318 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE BIRDS OF LABUAN. [Apr. 1, island published in 1855 bv Messrs. Motley and Dillwyn, which gives 45 species as the number collected by the former of these gentlemen1. Secondly, I have examined two large collections sent by the Hon. Hugh Low ; and in 1875 I contributed to the ' Proceedings ' of this Society a paper on the first of these which had been submitted to me2. As in the case of Mr. Motley's collections, an exact record was not kept of the birds which inhabited Labuan as distinct from those which came from the mainland of N.W. Borneo ; and it turns out that many of the species recorded by me in the paper above mentioned are not inhabitants of Labuan at all. The second collection sent by Mr. Low was still more extensive, but contained no exact indications of locality excepting in a few rare instances; I was, however, able to obtain some particulars from Mr. Low during his visit to England before his departure for Perak, where he is now the British Resident. Previous to the two consignments here alluded to, Mr. Low had sent several collections to England, all of which were dispersed by his agents on every occasion as from Labuan; and specimens are doing duty in many Museums and private cabinets which ought to be labelled as from Lumbidan or the adjacent parts of North-western Borneo, and not from the island of Labuan. On being appointed to the governorship of Labuan, m y old friend Governor Ussber at once set to work exploring the ornithology of his dominion, and, with his usual zeal, speedily sent a large series of skins to m y care at the British Museum. This series embraced col-lections from several localities, all carefully separated and indorsed, the most complete being that from Labuan itself, where the Governor is a resident, and where he has worked personally and by means of trained collectors, many of the latter being educated to the work by Mr. Low. The present list may therefore be considered perfectly authentic, every specimen being ticketed by Governor Ussber himself. Before turning to the personal notes of the latter gentleman, a great tribute is due to Mr. Low for his last collection from Borneo, which contained a very large series of eggs and nests taken with the parent birds by his trained hunters, and described in this and the paper which I have sent to the ' Ibis' on the birds of Lumbidan. The following is Governor Ussher's account of his collections:- " The skins are nearly all in good order, and were chiefly collected by a Kadyan youth of the name of Buak, whom I taught to shoot, having purchased a light gun for him. I am indebted to the Hon. Hugh Low, late Police-magistrate here, and now Resident in Perak, for having instructed several of these boys in skinning birds. " The island of Labuan is about six miles from Borneo at the nearest point. The colony comprises the undermentioned islands, viz., Labuan, Daat, Karaman, Pappan, Great and Little Rusukan, Burong, Enoe, and one or two nameless islets of diminutive size. 1 It is probable, however, that some of the birds were from the mainland; and I only refer to those whose existence has been confirmed by the more recent collectors. 2 " O n a Collection of Birds from Labuan. By R. Bowdler Sharpe," P. Z. S. 1875, pp. 99-111, pi. xxii. |