BIRDS FROM SIAM AND THE MALAY PENINSULA 513 



Family DICAEIDAE: Flowerpeckers 



DICAEUM CRUENTATUM IGNITUM (Begbie) 



Nedarinia ignita Begbie, The Malayan Peninsula . . ., p. 518, 1834 (Malacca). 

 Dicaeum cruentatum siamensis Kloss, Ibis, 1918, p. 216 (Lat Bua Kao, eastern 

 Siam). 



One male and one female, Biikit, Patani, January 23, 25, 1931; 

 four males, Bangnara, Patani, July 17, 18, 1926; one male, Patalung, 

 July 10, 1929; one male and one female, Nakon Sritamarat, September 

 17, 26, 1926; one male, Huey Yang, October 1, 1930; one female, 

 Koh Pangan, July 25, 1931; two males. Pran, April 1, 2, 1931; one 

 female, Nongkae, Februaiy 18, 1929; one male, Rajaguri, April 10, 

 1926; one male, Ban Pong, September 18, 1929; 15 males and nine 

 females, Bangkok, February 1 and July 5, 1924, December 28, 1925, 

 May 26-June 1, and October 26, 1926, April 30-May 12, 1934; one 

 male, Montaburi, March 22, 1924; one female. King Pai, Korat, 

 February 16, 1929; two males, Pak Chong, May 10, 1926; two males, 

 Khlung, Chantabun, January 3, 1930; one male and one female, 

 Lem Sing, Chantabun, June 9, 1926; one male, Kao Seming, Krat, 

 January 2, 1930; two females, Koh Chang, January 4, 1924, June 16, 

 1926; one male, Sakeo, near Krabin, May 4, 1928; four males and 

 three females. Ban Nan Kien, Nan, April 19-22, 1930; one male, 

 Nan, April 16, 1930; one male and one female, Sam Roi Yot, Novem- 

 ber 19, 1932; one male, Mae Hong Som, January 6, 1933; one male, 

 Muek Lek, April 19, 1933. 



Dr. Abbott collected nine males and three females in Trang (Prah- 

 mon, February 27, March 4, and April, 1896; Tyching, May 25 and 

 July 8, 1896; near Chong, January 20 and 24, 1897; near base Kao 

 Nom Plu, March 9, 1897; Trang, February 13, 1897, January 5 and 

 21, 1899); two males and one female, Dungun River, Trengganu, 

 September 19, 1900; one male, Pulo Langkawi, December 6, 1899; 

 one male, Pulo Adang, Butang Islands, December 16, 1899; one male 

 and one female, Tenasserim, (Victoria Point, March 30, 1900 and 

 Tanjong Badak, December 11, 1903). 



After carefully comparing a series of specimens from northern, 

 eastern, and Peninsular Siam, I cannot find any constant tangible 

 differences. Peninsular birds are said to be darker on the breast, 

 but some of the darkest-breasted specimens in the above series are 

 from the north and the Ughtest-breasted from Patani. I find on 

 examining the dates that the dark-breasted birds are taken in fall or 

 winter and the light breasted in summer, and these differences are 

 probably due to fading rather than being ecologic. There seems to 

 be little or no difference in size. No specimens have been examined 

 from India, except Tenasserim. 



