318 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE BIRDS OF LABUAN. [Apr. 1, 



island published in 1855 by Messrs. Motley and Dillwyn, which gives 

 45 species as the number collected by the former of these gentlemen 1 . 

 Secondly, I have examined two large collections sent by the Hon. 

 Hugh Low ; and in 1875 I contributed to the • Proceedings ' of this 

 Society a paper on the first of these which had been submitted to me 2 . 

 As in the case of Mr. Motley's collections, an exact record was not 

 kept of the birds which inhabited Labiian as distinct from those which 

 came from the mainland of N.W. Borneo ; and it turns out that 

 many of the species recorded by me in the paper above mentioned 

 are not inhabitants of Labuan at all. The second collection sent by 

 Mr. Low was still more extensive, but contained no exact indications 

 of locality excepting in a few rare instances ; I was, however, able to 

 obtain some particulars from Mr. Low during his visit to England 

 before his departure for Perak, where he is now the British Resident. 

 Previous to the two consignments here alluded to, Mr. Low had sent 

 several collections to England, all of which were dispersed by his 

 agents on every occasion as from Labuan ; and specimens are doing 

 duty in many Museums and private cabinets which ought to be la- 

 belled as from Lumbidan or the adjacent parts of North-western 

 Borneo, and not from the island of Labuan. 



On being appointed to the governorship of Labuan, my old friend 

 Governor Ussher at once set to work exploring the ornithology of his 

 dominion, and, with his usual zeal, speedily sent a large series of 

 skins to my care at the British Museum. This series embraced col- 

 lections from several localities, all carefully separated and indorsed, 

 the most complete being that from Labuan itself, where the Governor 

 is a resident, and where he has worked personally and by means of 

 trained collectors, many of the latter being educated to the work by 

 Mr. Low. The present list may therefore be considered perfectly 

 authentic, every specimen being ticketed by Governor Ussher himself. 

 Before turning to the personal notes of the latter gentleman, a great 

 tribute is due to Mr. Low for his last collection from Borneo, which 

 contained a very large series of eggs and nests taken with the parent 

 birds by his trained hunters, and described in this and the paper 

 which I have sent to the ' Ibis ' on the birds of Lumbidan. 



The following is Governor Ussher's account of his collections: — 



"The skins are nearly all in good order, and were chiefly collected 

 by a Kadyan youth of the name of Buak, whom I taught to shoot, 

 having purchased a light gun for him. I am indebted to the Hon. 

 Hugh Low, late Police-magistrate here, and now Resident in Perak, 

 for having instructed several of these boys in skinning birds. 



"The island of Labuan is about six miles from Borneo at the 

 nearest point. The colony comprises the undermentioned islands, 

 viz., Labuan, Daat, Karaman, Pappan, Great and Little Rusukan, 

 Burong, Enoe, and one or two nameless islets of diminutive size. 



1 It is probable, however, that some of the birds were from the mainland ; 

 and I only refer to those whose existence has been confirmed by the more recent 

 collectors. 



2 " On a Collection of Birds from Labuan. By E. Bowdler Sharpe," P. Z. S. 

 1875, pp. 99-111, pi. xxii. 



