AKT. 4 BIRDS OF THE MEISTTAWI GROUP RILEY 17 



There are no immature males in the National Museum with which 

 to compare it. It does not agree with Sharpe's description ^* of this 

 plumage, but resembles the female; the back is darker, duller green, 

 and lacks the ochraceous spots; the feathers of the chest and breast 

 are edged with blackish. There are a few dark-blue feathers of the 

 adult plumage appearing on the back. 



HYDROCISSA CONVEXA CONVEXA (Temminck) 



Buceros convexus Temminck, PI. Col., livr. 89, February, 1832, pi. 530 (Java 



and Sumatra). 

 Anthracoccros coronatus convexus Chasen and Kloss, Ibis, 1926, p. 282. 



Two males and four females, Siberut and two males, Sipora. 



The National Museum contains four males from Nias, one male 

 (marked female) and three females (unsexed) from North Pagi 

 Island, two males. South Pagi Island, one male, Pulo Mansalar, W. 

 Sumatra, and a good series from the mainland, the Tambelans, and 

 Borneo, but only one male from Sumatra and one female from Java. 



AH the above apparently belong to one form and have a wing 

 from 260 to 305 ; average 14 specimens 288 mm. 



The bird from Tana Bala, Batu Islands, has been separated as 

 Hydrocissa conveosa harussensis Oberholser ^^ and was based on two 

 males with a longer wing measurement. The specimens have wings 

 of the same length, 315 mm., but whether this difference Avould be 

 maintained in a larger series is problematical. It is undeniably 

 greater than in any male I have been able to measure from any 

 other part of the range of the species, but not as great as the varia- 

 tion within Hydrocissa c. convexa. 



MEROPS PHILIPPINUS JAVANICUS Horsfield 



Merops javanicus Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. 13, 1821, p. 



171 (Java). 

 Mei'ops superciliosus javanicus Chasen and Kloss, Ibis, 1926, p. 283. 



Three males, three females, and one unsexed, Siberut, September 

 16-October 2. 



The above series are in worn and faded condition; the backs and 

 lower parts much mixed with blue. Merops philippinus philippinus 

 of the Philippine Islands has the back and breast washed with buffy ; 

 in the worn state, the buffy wash is accentuated. Specimens from 

 other parts of the range of the species have the breast more wavshed 

 with greenish, with little or no buffy suffusion. Siberut birds belong 

 to the Javan race. The United States National Museum also has 

 specimens of this race from Simalur Island, Batu Islands (Tana 

 Bala), and South Pagi Island. 



2* Cat. Birds. Brit. Mus., vol. 17, 1892, p. 286. 

 »Journ. Washington Acad. Scl., vol. 14, 1924, p. 300. 



22482—29 2 



