DESCRIPTIONS OF ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR NEW 



SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF BIRDS FROM TJ 1 E 



BARUSSAN ISLANDS AND SUMATRA 



By HARRY C. OBERHOLSER 



ASSISTANT ORNITHOLOGIST, BIOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



During Dr. W. L. Abbott's sojourn in the East Indies he obtained 

 and presented to the United States National Museum a large number 

 of birds. Among these are several rich and important collections 

 from various islands and groups of islands in the Barussan chain 1 off 

 the western coast of Sumatra, and also from Sumatra itself. The 

 principal islands on which Doctor Abbott collected are: Simalur, 

 Lasia, Babi, Nias, Engano. and the Banjak, Batu, and Pagi groups. 



As the final detailed reports on these collections are necessarily for 

 some time delayed, it seems well to publish preliminary descriptions 

 of such forms as appear now to be new. 2 The following pages give 

 some idea of the richness of the endemic avian fauna of these Barus- 

 san Islands. 



Family ARDEIDAE 



BUTORIDES JAVANICUS ACTOPHILUS, new subspecies 



Resembling Butoridcs javanicus javanicus, from Java, but much 

 larger ; neck and lower parts paler. 



Type. — Adult female. No. 180100, U. S. N. M. ; North Pagi Island, 

 January 4, 1903 ; Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



BUTORIDES JAVANICUS ICASTOPTERUS, new subspecies 

 Similar to Butoridcs javanicus actophilns, from North Pagi Island, 

 but neck and lower parts darker. Like Butoridcs javanicus javanicus, 

 but much larger; and somewhat lighter on neck and lower surface. 



Type. — Adult male, No. 179009, U. S. N. M. : Simalur Island, De- 

 cember 10, 1 90 1 ; Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



'Tlie islands along the western coast of Sumatra were known to the ancients 

 as " Insulae Barussae " ; and since collectively they are unnamed in modern 

 geographies, they may, as a whole, conveniently and appropriately be called 

 the Barcssax Islands. 



2 Dr. C. W. Richmond has already published diagnoses of 24 new birds from 

 Doctor Abbott's collections on these islands (cf. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 

 15, 1902, pp. 187-190; ibid., Vol. 25, 1912, pp. 103-105; Proc. U. S. Nat. iMus., 

 Vol. 26, 1903, pp. 485-524) ; and the present writer 9 others (cf. Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., Vol. 35, 1909, pp. 657-680; Vol. 39, ion. pp. =,.^5-615 ; Vol. 42, 101 _\ 

 p. 16). 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol 60, No. 7 



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