1871.] TO MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY." 105 



tnie, is enumerated as being contained in the Halberstadt Museum ; but the locaHties given in 

 the Museum Heineanum are not always trustworthy. As a distinctive character, Dr. Cabanis says, 

 "Bauch dunkelgrau, ebenso die Weichen, welche nicht weiss sind." Was he misled by 

 Temminck's figure of N. mystacaUs, with which Dr. Cabanis identifies M siparaja % Dr. Stoliczka 

 places some reliance on the tail being shorter than the wing in his examples. The two middle 

 rectrices in the Malaccan JEthopyga are seemingly shorter in proportion than in JE. miles. Out 

 of six adult Pinang males, I find that the tail in three is shorter than the wing (2 inches). One 

 has the tail an eighth of an inch longer than the wing. Two have the tail equal to the wing. 

 But, according to Mr. Wallace (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 220), it may be inferred that a short tail is a I^s, isri, 

 characteristic of true siparaja. In the imperfect state of our knowledge of the relationship of ^' '"' 

 the Sumatran and Malaccan JEtliopyga, it seems to me more prudent to retain the title of the 

 Sumatran species for that of Malacca, until it can be shown by comparisons made between actual 

 examples that they specifically differ. Whether the Javan K. mysticalis, Temm,, and the 

 Sumatran C. siparaja, Raffles, are identical, is much more open to dispute. 



38. Arachnecthka flammaxillaeis (Blyth). 



The absence of a maroon pectoral band in A.jngularis (Linn.), as I have previously remarked, 

 will probably be found to distinguish the Philippine from Mr. Blyth's species. Should, however, 

 Dr. Stoliczka's surmise prove correct, a new fact in the distribution of the Philippine ornis will 

 be established ; for, so far as at present known, there is not a single instance of a Philippine 

 species being found in the Malay peninsula and the remaining area of A. ^ammaxillaris, and yet 

 nowhere else. 



39. Nectaeophila malaccensis (Scop.). 



As I have already stated (Ibis, 1870, p. 48*), Javan and Malaccan examples of this species 

 in no way differ. 



40. Aeachnothera modesta, Eyton. 



Dr. Stoliczka observes, " This species is readily distinguished from the last (lY. malaccensis ^) 

 by its stout and short bill." What species is referred to'? 



49. Pitta geanatina, Temm. 



This is the correct title for the Malaccan bird, unless the slight differences it exhibits are 

 considered sufficient to separate it from the Bornean type. P. venusta, Temm., has not, I believe, 

 been found out of Sumatra. 



50. Geocichla modesta (Eyton). 



This title must give way to Turdus rnfulus, Drapiez (1826), a bird of passage in Java. There 

 can also be little doubt that it is the T.pallens, Pallasf. And if it is the Pah Thrush of Latham, 

 ex Pennant, with which Pallas identified his T. pallens, it will have to stand as T. jyallidiis, Gm. Ibis, 1S71, 

 The bird has been well figured in the 'Fauna Japonica,' pi. 27. I am unable to distino-uish P- 1*^^- 

 * \Antea, p. 90.— Eb.] f Conf. Blyth, Ibis, 1870, p. 1G7. 



P 



