I9I5-] 



H. C. Robinson : Species of Minivets. 



37 



claim whatever to specific rank, but is only a slightly larger 

 form of the Sumatran and Bornean P. xanthogaster. Raffles 

 with the female slightly more brightly coloured. None of the 

 Peninsula examples are as large as those of Hume's series from 

 Tenasserim, though northern specimens are decidedly larger 

 than those from Johore and from authentic specimens of 

 P. xanthognster from Sumatra and Borneo with which I have 

 compared them. The presence or absence of red on the outer 

 web of the fourth primary of the male, seems to be of little 

 diagonistic importance though it is more frequently absent in 

 southern than in northern peninsular specimens. It is present 

 in three out of four Sumatran specimens and in both the 

 Bornean skins which I have examined. 



Pericrocotus xanthogaster suhsp. xanthogaster. 



Raffles' Minivet. 



Lanius xanthogaster, Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. iii, p. 309 

 (1822). Pericrocotus xanthogaster, Sharpe, Stray Fenth. iv, 

 p. 208 (1876) ; Tweedd. Ibis, 1877 p. 315 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mus. iv, p. 74 (1879) ; Nicholson, Ibis, 1883, p. 46 

 Buttikofer, Notes Levd. Mus. ix, p. 46 (1887). Pericrocotus 

 ardens, Bp. Consp. i, p. 357 (1851) ; Hume, Stray Feath, v, p. 

 196 (1877J. 



Pericrocotus subardens, Hume, Stray Feath. v, p. 196. 



Adult male. — Practically indistinguishable from that of P. 

 xanthogaster flammifer but slightly smaller in size. 



Adult female. — Yellow on the forehead, more restricted, and 

 tint of the lower back and rump and under surface more 

 suffused with greenish olive. 



Dimensions. — Adult male. — Total length, 6.4 ; wing, 3.15 ; 

 tail, 3.1 in. 



Adult female. — Total length, 6.7 ; wing, 

 3.08; tail, 3.1. 



Localities in the Peninsula. — Negri Sembilan : Bukit 

 Tangga (January, July). Pahang : Krau River (November). 

 North Johore : Segamat, Padang Tuan (February). Malacca 

 (Brit. Mus.). South Johore {Hume Coll.). Singapore {Brit. 

 Mus.) . 



Remarks. — Owing to the comparatively small series avail- 

 able, es|3ecially of females, the identification of the bird from 

 the southern third of the Malay Peninsula with that from 

 Sumatra and Borneo is not altogether certain, though it is 

 probably correct. South of the termination of the main range 

 in Southern Selangor the bird is decidedly rare and but few 

 specimens are on record. In Sumatra and Borneo it appears 

 to be fairly common. 



