34 



TAHAN EXPEDITION. 



CAMPOPHAGID^E. 



B4. PERICROCOTUS MONTANUS, Salvad. 



Pericrocotus montanus, Grant, p. 91. 



Pericrocotus croceus, Sharpe, P.Z.S., 1888, p. 269 ; Grant, p. 91. 



a.-k. >/;., /. et/.imm. Gunong Tahan. 3,300-7,000 ft. June and July, 1905. 

 (Nos. 130, 263, 274, 295, 311, 319, 332, 369-371). 



l.-t. m., f. Semangko Pass, Selangor-Pahang Border. February, May and 

 November, 1902-1904. 



tt. -w. m., /. Gunong Ulu Kali. 4,800-5,800 ft. February, 1906. 



x., y. m., f. Telom, Perak-Pakang Border. September, 1904. 



Iris, chestnut or dark brown ; bill and feet, black. 



After a careful examination of the large series of Pericrocoti for- 

 warded by Mr. Robinson, I am convinced that the type of P. croceus is 

 a mere colour variety of P. montanus, and that the females with the 

 top of the head and back dull glossy black and the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts bright yellow, which I had regarded as belonging to 

 P. croceus, are in reality merely fully adult females of P. montanus. 



Among the birds collected on Gunong Tahan, a male and female 

 (Nos. 369 and 370) are marked as a pair by Mr. Robinson. The male 

 is in fully adult plumage, but the female is obviously not a very old 

 bird as is shown by some of the feathers of the crown, which are 

 narrowly edged with whitish -buff. This bird has the plumage of the 

 head and back grey, and the rump and upper tail-coverts dull olive- 

 yellow. It, therefore, follows that, unless some mistake has been made, 

 the female sometime breeds in this grey plumage and that possibly the 

 glossy black croAvn and mantle are not assumed until the second year. 



No. 295, a female by dissection, is in partial male plumage, the 

 rump, breast and belly being orange-red. Mr. Robinson, as will be 

 seen from the following note, evidently shares my opinion as regards 

 P. croceus : 



[Common on Gunong Tahan from a limit of about 3,500 ft. up to 

 6,000 ft., and generally found in pairs. 



I cannot understand the Pericrocoti of the P. montanus section 

 and their relation to P. croceus (Sharpe), if that species has any real 

 existence, which I am very much inclined to doubt. Some females of 

 the series seem to agree with the bird assigned to P. croceus in having 

 the yellow colour of the rump much stronger and the head more glossy 

 black, but I am inclined to think that these are really the very adult 

 females of P. montanus. I send you my whole available series to help 

 to clear up the point. It is noteworthy that of the very many 

 specimens of the species that have passed through my hands I have 

 never seen a specimen agreeing with the male type of P. croceus. 

 There is no possible doubt about the sex of No. 295. — H. C. R.] 



