Vol. XXV, pp. 103-106 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTIONS OF FIVE NEW BIRDS FROM THE 

 WEST COAST OF SUMATRA. 



BY CHARLES W. RICHMOND. 



Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.] 



The following descriptions of supposed new subspecies from 

 islands off the west coast of Sumatra have been in manuscript 

 for several years. They are based chiefly upon collections made 

 by Dr. W. L. Abbott in 1903 and 1904, the first collection 

 received from Dr. Abbott having been reported upon in 1903 

 (Proc. U. S. Nat, Museum, XXVI, pp. 485-524). 



Muscadivores consobrina babiensis subsp. nov. 



Type, No. 179,057, V. S. Nat. Mas., adult male, Palo Babi, northwest 

 coast of Sumatra, January 13, 1902; Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



Closely related to M. c. consobrina (Salvadori), but somewhat larger. 

 Length (in flesh), 4:!2; wing, 245; tail, 149; tarsus, 35; culmen,24mm. 

 A female measures: Length, 419; wing, 234; tail, 139; tarsus, .">)!; cul- 

 men, 26. An adult male from the neighboring island of Lasia is even 

 larger than the type: Length, 445; wing, 246; tail, 147; tarsus, 35.5; 

 culmen, 25. 



Five specimens of this subspecies were obtained by Dr. Abbott on Babi 

 anil Lasia. They have been compared with over forty good examples of 

 M. c. consobrina from Simalur, Nias, Lata and Pagi islands, and arc 

 larger than any of the latter. The measurements of M. c. consobrina 

 vary as follows: Length (in flesh), males, 390-430; females, 385-410; 

 wing, males. 218-241; females, 215-231; tail, males, 11S-140; females, 

 120-129 mm. 



The two little islets, Babi and Lasia, off the southeast coasl of Simalur, 

 are also the home of Palseornis major, a large form of P.fasciatus, and 

 Hypothymis abbotti, one of the largest species of its genus. 



L8— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXV, 1912. (103) 





