Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

152 Journal of the F.M.S. Museums. [Vol. VII,
It is unfortunate that we should have to transfer the name
"viridis" from one well known species of Africa and India
to this species but Hartert's statements cannot apparently be
gainsaid. It is to be hoped, however, that some enthusiastic
splitter will be found to discern differences between typical
Javan birds and others from the Malay Peninsula, Borneo
and Sumatra, as even the most austere lumper would view the
race with an indulgent eye and we should be able to return
to the more familiar name suma.tranus for the local form, with
a clear conscience, even if it was onlv used as a subspecific
title.
44.
Merops philippinus, Linn.
Sharpe, torn. cit. p. 71 ; Robinson and Kloss, p. 37
Robinson, antea, vol. v, pp. 146.
Merops superciliosus philippinus, Gyldenstolpe, p. no.
a-b. 2?. imm. Telok Wan, Terutau. i8-20th
December, 1916. Nos. 3656, 3674.
'" Iris carmine, bill black, feet greyish black."
Other specimens in the museum from Pulau Terutau are
dated February and March. In the south of the Peninsula,
probably from about the latitude of Terutau, this Bee-eater is
almost certainly only a winter visitor, or at any rate is veryrare
at other seasons, all the specimens in the museums being
dated from October to March. Further north it begins to be
a resident form, as it was common on Koh Samui and Koh
Pennan, islands in the Bandon Bight, about Lat o°N., in May,
I9I3-
45. Melittophagus leschenaulti swinhoei, Hume.
Melittophagus swinhoii, Sharpe, torn. cit. p. 55;
Robinson and Kloss. p. 36: Robinson, antea, vol. v. p. 92;
Robinson, Ibis, 1915, p. 734.
p. no.
Melittophagus leschenaulti swinhoei, Gyldenstolpe,
a. 3 . Telok Wau, Terutau, 25th December, 1916.
[No. 3739.]
" Iris carmine, bill and feet black."
Common also at Langkawi, whence specimens have been
obtained in the months of February, April, November and
December.
Immature birds have the chestnut bay of the forehead
mingled with greenish, the throat paler and the chestnut colour
of the lower throat preceding the black patch not nearly so
marked.
This species has never been found further south in the
Peninsula than Parit, central Perak, whence we have two
specimens shot in September, ign. It occurs neither in
Borneo or Sumatra but reappears in a slightly altered form in
Java and Bali as the typical .V. leschenaulti (Vieill.)
;