THE BIRDS OF THE NATUNA ISLANDS 109 



ANTHREPTES M ALACENSIS ERIXANTHUS, new subspecies 



Subspecijic characters. — Resembling Anthreptes malacensis bornensis, 

 from Borneo, but somewhat larger; in the male with yellow of pos- 

 terior lower parts lighter, and flanks and crissiim usually more 

 grayish; in the female with the upper surface lighter and more yellow- 

 ish, throat more yellowish (less grayish or olivaceous), and the 

 remaining lower parts darker, medially rather more golden yellow. 



Description. — Adult female, U.S.N.M. No. 174851; Bunguran Is- 

 land, Natuna Islands, June 25, 1900; Dr. W. L, Abbott. Anterior 

 upperparts dull light warbler green, much mixed and shaded with 

 hair brown on pileum and mouse gray on back, rump and upper tail 

 coverts, warbler green ; wings and tail, fuscous, the tail basaily edged 

 with warbler green; the wing quills, and greater and median wing cov- 

 erts, edged with citrine, the lesser coverts with warbler green verging 

 toward citrine; sides of head and of neck dark citrine drab washed 

 with 3'^ellowish; the lores and a very short narrow line over the eye, 

 and another under the eye, paler and nearly yellowish white; chin 

 and throat between citron yellow and amber yellow; jugulum between 

 wax yellow and olive-ocher; middle of breast wax yellow, the middle 

 of lower abdomen paler, and together with the crissum, rather dull 

 citron yellow; sides and flanks, dull yellow shaded with pale grayish; 

 lining of wing dull white, washed anteriorly with barium yellow; 

 edge of wing amber yellow. 



This Natuna Islands race seems to be even more like Anthreptes 

 malacensis haweanus from Bawean Island in the Java Sea, than like 

 the Bornean form. From the Bawean Island bird it may, however, be 

 distinguished by the darker and duller upper surface, more golden 

 middle of the breast, and duller, laterally more olivaceous washed, 

 lower parts of the female; and the rather more grayish flanks and 

 crissum of the male. 



Doctor Abbott's collection contains 7 specimens of this sunbird, as 

 follows : 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174849, Brian Island, near Sirhassen 

 Island, May 31, 1900. 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174848, Bunguran Island, June 22, 

 1900. "Iris red." 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174847, Sirhassen Island, June 6, 

 1900. 



Adult female (type), U.S.N.M. No. 174851, Sirhassen Island, 

 June 1, 1900. 



Female in first autumn plumage, U.S.N.M. No. 174852, Bunguran 

 Island, June 25, 1900. 



Juvenal female, U.S.N.M. No. 174854, Bunguran Island, July 24, 

 1900. 



