NO. 2282. BIRDS hROM SIMALUR ISLAN D—ODERHOLHER. 483 



Adult female, No. 179686, U.S.N.M.; Sibabo Bay, February 22, 

 1902. Length in flesh, 354 mm. " Iris greenish yellow ; bill black ; 

 feet gray leaden." 



Both of these are in process of molt of quills and contour feathers. 

 They agree perfectly with the type series from the island of Simalur, 

 and show Thnponasc javensis pai'vus to be an excellent race, in fact, 

 almost a distinct species, which it would be were there not a small 

 form of Thrlponax javensis in the Philippine Islands, Thriponax 

 javen-m suluensis, the individual variation of which bridges over the 

 gap in characters. For this reason, however, it must stand as Thri- 

 ponax javensis parvus. 



Family MEROPIDAE. 



MEROPS SUPERCILIOSUS JAVANICUS Horsfield. 



Mfrop.i Javanicns Hoksfield, Trans. Linn. Sof. Lond.. ser. 1, vol. 13. pt. 1, 

 May, 1821, p. 171 (Java). 



One adult male, No. 179711, U.S.N.M.; Sibabo Bay, October 26, 

 1902. Total length in flesh, 309 mm. 



This is rather light-colored below, but otherAvise not peculiar. It 

 is in all essential respects identical with birds from the Malay Penin- 

 sula, which, together with those from Sumatra and Borneo, differ 

 from Philippine specimens in being larger, less tinged with golden 

 or coppery on the green portions of the upper parts, and more bluish, 

 less golden or brownish, green below. These differences are easily 

 seen on comparison, particularly of a series, and are well worthy of 

 recognition by name. Birds from India are indistinguishable from 

 those of the Malay Peninsula. 



The original Merops philipplnus^ came from the Philippine Is- 

 lands ; and the earliest name applicable to the Malay form is, there- 

 fore, Merops javanieus Horsfield,^ from Java. 



The ranges of the two forms here considered are as follows : 



Merops supeixiliosus philippinus Linnaeus. — Philippine Islands 

 to Celebes. 



Mcj'Op.s supe/'Cf'liosus jaranJcus TTorsfield. — India. Ceylon, Bur- 

 mah, to Cochin China, southern China, Siam, Malay Peninsula, Sum- 

 atra, Borneo, Java, and Timor. 



'Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 183 (see errata at end of volume). 

 'Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., ser. 1, vol. 13. pt. 1, May, 1821, p. 171 (.TavaK 



