310 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS COLLECTED BY 



were Brachyurus propinquus and B. Steerii. This large Pitta, discovered near Zamboanga, 

 is one of the most interesting of Dr. Steere's discoveries. 



Basilan. — This island lies to the south of Zamboanga, and has apparently never before 

 been visited by a naturalist. 23 species were obtained by Dr. Steere ; and of these 

 the following were new: — Ghrysocolaptes maculiceps, BZalcyon Winchelli, BZypothymis 

 super ciliaris, Setaria ruficauda, Zeocephus cinnamomeus, Macrcmus striaticeps, Bendro- 

 biastes basilanica, Irena melanochlamys, Sypsipetes rufigularis, Orthotomus cinereiceps, 

 0. frontalis, Dicceum hypoleucum, Mudrepanis pulcherrima, Sarcophanops Steerii. Con- 

 sidering that all the collecting done on this island was accomplished within a short 

 distance of the Spanish fort and settlement, it may be confidently hoped that a good deal 

 still remains to be discovered in Basilan. 



Malamaui. — Dr. Steere informs me that this little island is really nothing but a con- 

 tinuation of Basilan, from which it is separated only by a narrow channel about 100 

 yards across. This strait, however, is very deep, allowing a large ship to pass in ; and it 

 is a favourite halting-place for the Spanish gun-boats. The distance between these two 

 islands is so small that doubtless the same species of birds are common to the two. 

 Malamaui is a low flat island, but very heavily wooded. Of the 8 species obtained by 

 Dr. Steere, only one, Sumiculus velutinus, did not occur in any other of the Philippine 

 Islands ; but three of the new species discovered on Basilan were also found on Malamaui. 



Cujo. — Dr. Steere did not collect any birds here ; so that at present we know only of 

 the 5 species recorded by Lord Tweeddale. 



Palawan. — On this island Dr. Steere broke new ground ; and of the 31 species obtained 

 by him the following were new : — Chrysocolaptes erythrocephalus, Zeocephus cyanescens, 

 Mixornis TVoodi, Ptilocichla falcata, Bhyllornis palawanensis, Irena Tweeddalii, Criniger 

 frater, Cittocincla nigra, Arachnothera dilutior, JEthopyga Shelleyi. Of the remaining 

 21 species recorded, 13 at least are well-known Bornean and Malayan forms, showing 

 the strong Bornean element in the ornithology of the island, as might almost have 

 been expected from its proximity to Borneo. At the same time the presence of 

 such birds as Tanygnathus luzoniensis, Leucocerca nigritorquis, and Brachyurus sordidus 

 (not B. Muelleri), shows great affinity to the true Philippine avifauna. We must wait 

 therefore for thorough exploration of the island before we can determine for certain its 

 zoological affinities ; but there can be little doubt that it holds an intermediate position 

 between Borneo and the other islands of the Philippine archipelago. 



Balabac. — Dr. Steere was so prostrated with fever during his residence here that he 

 was unable to do as much work as he would have done had his health been good. He 

 met with only 9 species, two of which, Dryococcyx Harringtoni and Barns amabilis, were 

 new, and not found elsewhere. Most of the remaining ones are known from Borneo or 

 from the other islands of the Philippine group. 



Sulu Islands. — Mr. Hugh Low has been so good as to give me some birds which he 

 had obtained from Si Butu ; and although they consisted of only two species, they clearly 

 show the nature of the Sulu avifauna, and its close relations to that of the Philippines. 

 One of them is an apparently new species of Sarcops ; and the other is a new Oriole 

 (Oriolus suluensis, Sharpe). As far as I am aware, only two other species, Belargopsis 



