1 64 
KINA BALU: SECOND EXPEDITION. 
an extraordinary noise! ” I walked further away, and this time he fell dead; but on 
reaching the place I found that the bird had fallen amongst a mass of moss-covered 
boulders, where, with the assistance of Nyhan, I searched for it for nearly an hour before 
we found the first specimen of Merula seebohmi. This beautiful species is somewhat allied 
to Merula javanica, and may be considered the representative Bornean form of that species. 
My fatigue at once left me and we proceeded up the mountain, shortly reaching a 
more protected spot where the trees formed a goodly-sized forest, the undergrowth of which, 
as usual, was chiefly composed of the horrible creeping bamboo, which here grew most 
luxuriantly. Whilst standing still in this forest we noticed a small rusty-brown breasted, 
blue-backed bird, at first sight something like a Robin; I give its colours as it was within 
two yards of me. At first we tried to catch it, then we endeavoured to get away from it, 
but the bird closely followed us : at last Nyhan went in one direction and I in another, 
and before long he shot it. This was another new and interesting species, being an 
exception to the plumage rule of the sexes—the male being entirely blue, Avith a narrow 
streak of silvery white over the eye. In most other countries the sexes of this species are 
alike. My species has been named Brachypteryx erythrogyna (the red female). Before 
Nyhan had picked up the dead bird, I saw creeping about—almost at my feet—a small 
creature which I at first thought was a mouse, but 1 soon discovered that in reality the new 
comer was a small Timeliine bird. This little brown bird was if anything tamer than the 
species just shot, and was only secured after ten minutes in trying to get away from it; 
and when shot it was too much hit. This bird was of general dull brown, the throat being 
dusky white and speckled, the tail-feathers being exceptionally weak and loosely webbed; 
this, our third new bird within an hour, was not only a new species but a new genus: it 
has been named Androphilus accentor ( i . e. the man-loving Accentor). What mistaken 
confidence, poor bird! The few specimens of these two species obtained by me invariably 
sought us out in the forest, appearing within a few yards or often under our very toes. I 
have been closely followed by an Androphilus for fifteen yards or so, as I Avalked slowdy 
purposely to see how far the little friendly bird would follow. The Kadyans used to laugh 
at and call these little innocents “ bodo,” i. e. fools; at times they used to try and catch 
them with their head-cloths. Thus ended my first stroll, when in three shots we had 
collected three new species. During this walk it drizzled or rained without ceasing. 
1st February.—I have set my maximum and minimum thermometers, and my meteoro¬ 
logical return for the month will be found at the end of this Chapter. 
During our first ascent from the lower camp to this altitude I heard a feeble attempt 
at “Tonkakis.” This note was so decidedly different to the “ Tonkakis ” of Cissa minor, the 
Green Jay found near the campongs, that I knew that the bird which uttered this note 
must be different, nearly allied to, or perhaps a new species of, Cissa. This morning, after 
Nyhan and Tungal had started, I had just finished my breakfast of porridge, when I heard 
again that same note uttered amongst the gnarled moss-covered trees close to the camp. 
After a careful stalk I caught sight of a bird moving about amongst the branches; taking a 
most deliberate pot-shot, on reaching this spot I picked up a perfect specimen of a Cissa, 
which at a glance I saw was entirely different from Cissa minor —the eye alone of the new 
bird being white, while that of the other is lake. This bird was new, and has been named 
