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Show 1887.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM PERAK. 441 black, the sides of the latter dark crimson enclosed by black ; breast, abdomen, sides of body, and flanks pale olive-greenish, yellower on the centre of tbe breast, which is also streaked with black, and just below the velvety black of the upper breast are some tiny longitudinal streaks of scarlet; on the sides of the body and flanks a tuft of pale yellow; thighs and under tail-coverts like the breast; under wing-coverts and axillaries yellow, with white bases; quills below dusky blackish, white along the inner edge. Total length 5 inches, culmen 0 7 , wing 2-0, tail 1-6, middle feathers 26, tarsus 0-5. ARACHNOTHERA MAGNA, Hodgs.; Shelley, Monogr, Nect. pl. 112. fig. 1. "No. 26. Irides brown. Feet and legs bright orange; bill black. Female much larger than the male. A very active bird, with a loud harsh note." ARACHNOTHERA LONGIROSTRIS (Lath.); Shelley, t. c. pl. 114; Hume, Str. F. 1879, p. 55; Kelham, t. c. p. 501; Salvad. t. c. p. 214. " No. 25. Irides brown. I only saw these Spider-hunters once, when a large party of them were fluttering on the tops of some small trees, making a continual chirping." DICEUM IGNIPECTUS (Hodgs.); Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 41. "No. 49. c?- Irides brown." A specimen in bad condition, but apparently identical with others from the Himalayas. DENDROPHILA AZUREA (Less.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 211. " No. 55. 2 • Irides white ; skin round eyes white; legs and hill blue-grey. Sexes alike. This pretty little Nuthatch frequents the densest parts of the jungle, usually in the ravines, and seems to prefer the trunks of the largest trees to hunt for insects &c. Is seen singly or in small parties of three or four." Count Salvadori finds fault with Gray's figure of this species, and says that the feet in the dried skins from Sumatra were greenish, not yellow ; but it is probable that they became yellow in time, and certainly our Java skins have yellow legs ; but a Timor specimen has them dark, like the Perak bird. Both the last-named specimens are duller blue on the back than the Java specimens. ZOSTEROPS AURIVENTER, Hume; Sharpe, Cat. B. ix. p. 163. " No. 43. 2 • Irides yellow-brown." MOTACILLA MELANOPE, Pall.; Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 497 (1885). Calobates melanope, Hume, Str. F. 1879, pp. 65, 161 ; Salvad. t. c. p. 236. "No. 40. 6- Hides dark brown. Males and females alike." |