KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 50. N:0 8. 45 



mens. Like other Sun-birds it is always seen on flattering wings searching the flowers 

 and leaves for food. 



In Pegu, Tenasserim and some parts of the Malay Peninsula this species is 

 replaced by Arachnothera aiirata Blyth. which differs from the preceding species in 

 being smaller and in having the striations much narrower on both the iipper and 

 lovver plumage. 



^ -«/i 1912 Bång Hue Hoiii. $ ''/^ 1912 Baiig Hue Horn. 

 Length = 170 mm. Lengtli -= 170 mm. 



Wing = 80 ^ Wing =81 > 



Tail = 43 » Tail == 43 » 



Culmen = 38 » Culmen -= 36 » 



Iris ^ black. 



81. Arachnothera longirostris Lath. — This Spider-hunter was only found 

 in or near the primeval evergreen forests, though it seems to have its hunting groimds 

 in old clearings and in secondary jungles more frequently than in the really big 

 forests. I also got this species like Arachnothera magna Hodgs. near Bång Hue 

 Horn, but it was much more rare than its near relative. 



There has been described several geographical races of this bird (v. Oort, 

 Notes Leyden Mus. 32, p. 194 — 196) but the Siamese birds clearly belong to the 

 typical Arachnothera longirostris Lath. 



According to v. Oort the bill measures 34 mm. (??) — 41 mm. (c^c^) and the 

 wing 58 mm. (??)— 69 mm. (c^cT). 



The specimen in my coUection, shot near Bång Hue Hom on the V2 1912 

 measures as follows. 



Length = 130 mm. 

 Wing = 58 * 

 Tail = 37 > 

 Culmen = 33 » 

 Iris = black. 



82. Chalcoparia phaenicotis Temm. — The Ruby-Cheek was rather common, 

 especially in brushwood- and secondary jungles, and in the coUection there are spe- 

 cimens both from Eastern, Central and Northern Siam. It seems, however, to be 

 more abundant in the North, as for instance round Bång Hue Hom and Den Chai, 

 I never met with this species south of Lat. 14° either on the island of Koh-Si-Chang 

 or in the districts of the Chantabon province visited by the Expedition at the end 

 of April 1912. 



One of the males shot at Den Chai on the lOth of February is not yet in full 

 plumage, nearly lacking the metallic gloss on the feathers on the back. 



