Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
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XXI. ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS FROM PULAU<br />
LANGKAWI AND OTHER ISLANDS ON THE<br />
NORTH-WEST COAST OF THE MALAY<br />
PENINSULA.<br />
By Herbert C. Robinson, C.M.Z.S., M.B.O.U.<br />
The present paper is based mainly on a collection made<br />
by Mr. Seimund and myself and .1 staff <strong>of</strong> native collectors on<br />
<strong>the</strong> principal islands <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> north-west coast <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Malay</strong><br />
Peninsula between <strong>the</strong> parallels oi (> N. and 7<br />
30' N. during<br />
<strong>the</strong> months <strong>of</strong> December and January, 1916-17.<br />
The islands had for <strong>the</strong> most part been visited by us<br />
previously for two or three days at a time and I have in many<br />
cases included species obtained on <strong>the</strong>se occasions where <strong>the</strong><br />
specimens have raised points <strong>of</strong> any interest. Many species<br />
on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, notably hawks and herons, which have<br />
been sufficiently dealt with elsewhere are not here mentioned.<br />
The collections are probably fairly exhaustive for <strong>the</strong><br />
islands <strong>of</strong> Langkawi and Terutau but are <strong>of</strong> course very<br />
incomplete, for <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r islands, which were only visited for<br />
two or three days at a time, merely sufficiently long to obtain<br />
representative series <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> small mammals which were <strong>the</strong><br />
main objects <strong>of</strong> our visits.<br />
It will be seen that <strong>the</strong> avifauna presents <strong>the</strong> same<br />
general characters as those <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r groups <strong>of</strong> islands<br />
in <strong>the</strong> vicinity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Malay</strong> Peninsula, namely, a great scarcity<br />
<strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> more strictly jungle frequenting species belonging<br />
to <strong>the</strong> great family <strong>of</strong> Timcliidae, and <strong>the</strong> total absence <strong>of</strong><br />
Eurylaemidae, though we find a few species <strong>of</strong> Trogons, Barbets<br />
and Woodpeckers orders which are entirely absent from <strong>the</strong><br />
islands <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Pahang on <strong>the</strong> east side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Peninsula, <strong>the</strong>se islands being smaller in extent and separated<br />
from <strong>the</strong> mainland by broader stretches <strong>of</strong> deeper water.<br />
Owing to <strong>the</strong> fact that our visit took place in <strong>the</strong> winter<br />
months, migrator}- flycatchers, thrushes and warblers are well<br />
represented, while a considerable number <strong>of</strong> shore birds were<br />
also obtained or observed.<br />
A brief account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> localities visited on <strong>the</strong> present<br />
cruise is appended, while <strong>the</strong> synonymy has been restricted to<br />
narrow limits, only two. papers which have some bearing<br />
on <strong>the</strong> localities being usually quoted vi/ :<br />
"On birds from <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Portion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Malay</strong><br />
Peninsula including <strong>the</strong> Islands <strong>of</strong> Langkawi and Terutau ;<br />
with notes on o<strong>the</strong>r rare <strong>Malay</strong>an Species from <strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
Districts." By Herbert C. Robinson and Cecil Boden Kloss.