Chapter I: Part 1

Transcriber's note:

Text enclosed by equal signs was in bold face in the
original (=bold=).

The symbols for "male" and "female," used in the
descriptions of the specimens collected, were replaced
by the text: "[Male]" and "[Female]," respectively.

A detailed transcriber's note is at the end of the
e-book.

University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History

Volume 17, No. 8, pp. 377-433, 1 fig. October 27, 1966

BIRDS FROM NORTH BORNEO

by

MAX C. THOMPSON

University of Kansas Lawrence 1966

University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History

Institutional libraries interested in publications exchange may obtain this series by addressing the Exchange Librarian, University of Kansas Library, Lawrence, Kansas. Copies for individuals, persons working in a particular field of study, may be obtained by addressing instead the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. When copies are requested from the Museum, 25 cents should be included (for each 100 pages or part thereof) for the purpose of defraying the costs of wrapping and mailing. For certain longer papers an additional amount indicated below, toward the cost of production, is to be included. Materials published to date in this series are as follows.

*An asterisk designates those numbers of which the Museum's supply (not necessarily the Library's supply) is exhausted. Materials published to date, in this series, are as follows:

Vol. 1. Nos. 1-26 and index. Pp. 1-638, 1946-1950.

*Vol. 2. (Complete) Mammals of Washington. By Walter W. Dalquest.
Pp. 1-444, 140 figures in text. April 9, 1948.

*Vol. 3. Nos. 1-4 and index. Pp. 1-681. 1951.

*Vol. 4. (Complete) American weasels. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp.
1-466, 41 plates, 31 figures in text. December 27, 1951.

Vol. 5. Nos. 1-37 and index. Pp. 1-676, 1951-1953.

*Vol. 6. (Complete) Mammals of Utah, _taxonomy and distribution_.
By Stephen D. Durrant. Pp. 1-549, 91 figures in text, 30
tables. August 10, 1952.

Vol. 7. Nos. 1-15 and index. Pp. 1-651, 1952-1955.

Vol. 8. Nos. 1-10 and index. Pp. 1-675, 1954-1956.

Vol. 9. Nos. 1-23 and index. Pp. 1-690, 1955-1960.

Vol. 10. Nos. 1-10 and index. Pp. 1-626, 1956-1960.

Vol. 11. Nos. 1-10 and index. Pp. 1-703, 1958-1960.

Vol. 12. *1. Functional morphology of three bats: Eumops, Myotis,
Macrotus. By Terry A. Vaughan. Pp. 1-153, 4 plates,
24 figures in text. July 8, 1959.

*2. The ancestry at modern Amphibia: a review of the
evidence. By Theodore H. Eaton, Jr. Pp. 155-180, 10
figures in text. July 10, 1959.

3. The baculum in microtine rodents. By Sidney Anderson.
Pp. 181-216, 49 figures in text. February 19, 1960.

*4. A new order of fishlike Amphibia from the
Pennsylvanian of Kansas. By Theodore H. Eaton, Jr.,
and Peggy Lou Stewart. Pp. 217-240, 12 figures in
text. May 2, 1960.

5. Natural history of the Bell Vireo. By Jon C. Barlow.
Pp. 241-296, 6 figures in text. March 7, 1962.

6. Two new pelycosaurs from the lower Permian of
Oklahoma. By Richard C. Fox. Pp. 297-307, 6 figures in
text. May 21, 1962.

7. Vertebrates from the barrier island of Tamaulipas,
Mexico. By Robert K. Selander, Richard F. Johnston,
B. J. Wilks, and Gerald G. Raun. Pp. 309-345, pls.
5-8. June 18, 1962.

8. Teeth of edestid sharks. By Theodore H. Eaton, Jr. Pp.
347-362, 10 figures in text. October 1, 1962.

9. Variation in the muscles and nerves of the leg in two
genera of grouse (Tympanuchus and Pedioecetes). By E.
Bruce Holmes. Pp. 363-474, 20 figures. October 25,
1962. $1.00.

10. A new genus of Pennsylvanian fish (Crossopterygii,
Coelacanthiformes) from Kansas. By Joan Echols. Pp.
475-501, 7 figures. October 25, 1963.

11. Observations on the Mississippi kite in southwestern
Kansas. By Henry S. Fitch. Pp. 503-519. October 25,
1963.

12. Jaw musculature of the Mourning and White-winged
doves. By Robert L. Merz. Pp. 521-551, 22 figures.
October 25, 1963.

13. Thoracic and coracoid arteries in two families of
birds, Columbidae and Hirundinidae. By Marion Anne
Jenkinson. Pp. 553-573, 7 figures in text. March 2,
1964.

14. The breeding birds of Kansas. By Richard F. Johnston.
Pp. 575-655, 10 figures. May 18, 1964. 75 cents.

15. The adductor muscles of the jaw in some primitive
reptiles. By Richard C. Fox. Pp. 657-680, 11 figures
in text. May 18, 1964.

Index. Pp. 681-694.

(Continued on inside of back cover)

University of Kansas Publications
Museum of Natural History

Volume 17, No. 8, pp. 377-433, 1 fig.
October 27, 1966

BIRDS FROM NORTH BORNEO

BY

MAX C. THOMPSON

University of Kansas
Lawrence
1966

University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History

Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Henry S. Fitch,
Frank B. Cross

Volume 17, No. 8, pp. 377-433, 1 fig.
Published October 27, 1966

University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

PRINTED BY
ROBERT R. (BOB) SANDERS, STATE PRINTER
TOPEKA, KANSAS
1966

31-4627

BIRDS FROM NORTH BORNEO

BY

MAX C. THOMPSON

CONTENTS

Page
INTRODUCTION 379
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 379
METHODS 380
NOTES ON ZOOGEOGRAPHY 380
COLLECTING LOCALITIES AND COLLECTORS 381
ECOLOGY OF THE COLLECTING LOCALITIES 382
ECOLOGICAL AFFINITIES OF THE AVIFAUNA AT QUOIN HILL 385
SEASONALITY OF BREEDING 387
ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES 390
LITERATURE CITED 432

INTRODUCTION

The major part of this report is an account of birds collected by the expedition of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum of Honolulu, Hawaii, to North Borneo, from June 24, 1962, through January 14, 1963. Most of the time spent in the then British Colony was devoted to collecting in lowland habitats. The chief collecting localities were in the vicinity of Quoin Hill on the Semporna Peninsula, and near Kalabakan. Approximately two weeks were spent in surveying the Tenom area. Additional work was done by the North Borneo Department of Agriculture after my departure, mainly by Antonio D. Garcia.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebted to J. L. Gressitt of the Entomology Department of the Bishop Museum for providing the opportunity for me to work on the expedition and to examine and report on the material collected. Without the help of the North Borneo Department of Agriculture, the success of our expedition would have been restricted. The Entomologist of North Borneo, G. R. Conway, was of great help with our logistic problems as was the Director of the Department, Mr. E. J. H. Berwick, and the Agronomist of Cocoa Research Station, Ed Wyrley-Birch. The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, Ltd., provided facilities and transportation at Kalabakan. Mr. Dai Rees of that corporation should be especially mentioned. Others who helped are: J. A. Comber, Ronnie Young, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Traulsen, Maureen Wyrley-Birch, and the Resident, Tawau, Mr. Peter Edge. The Conservator of Forests kindly provided the necessary permits for collecting.

Authorities of the United States National Museum and The American Museum of Natural History generously permitted me to work at those institutions, using their specimens for comparative studies. Other specimens were borrowed from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Rijksmuseum Van Natuurlijke Historie, British Museum (Natural History), and the Yale Peabody Museum. Dr. Alexander Wetmore, Herbert Deignan, and Charles Vaurie helped with some of the more difficult taxonomic problems. Specimens cited in this report are in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, The University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and the U. S. National Museum.

Richard F. Johnston and Robert M. Mengel kindly read the manuscript and made many helpful suggestions. The latter re-read it and assisted with the editing.

The most recent comprehensive work published previous to my preparation of manuscript for the present account was Smythies (1960) "The Birds of Borneo."

This report is a partial result of field work supported by a grant from the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command, Department of the Army, to the Bernice P. Bishop Museum for research on ectoparasites of vertebrates. The contract numbers were DA-MD-49-193-62-G47 and G65. The Chapman Fund of The American Museum of Natural History met part of the cost of transporting, to and from the United States, specimens from North Borneo collected after I left there.

METHODS

While collecting at Quoin Hill, we used only guns in taking birds. At an area 12 miles north of Kalabakan, we supplemented the guns with mist nets in the primary forest. This method was excellent for taking rarely seen species. For example the thrush _Zoothera interpres_ was never seen in the field but was taken several times in mist nets.

Another method of collecting was the use of native snares. Such snares were made of heavy nylon string tied to a sapling, held down by a nylon string attached to a treadle. When a bird stepped on the treadle, it tripped the snare and a loop closed about its feet, hoisting it aloft. To divert large ground birds and mammals into the snare, natives placed brush barriers along the top of a ridge for one or two miles. Animals were diverted by these barriers until they came to an opening; if they went through they usually tripped the trap. Pheasants and the large ground cuckoo were taken in this manner.

NOTES ON ZOOGEOGRAPHY

The avifauna of Borneo is of Indo-Malayan affinities. The number of birds endemic to Borneo is relatively small; most species are shared with the Asian mainland. Only 29 birds are known to be endemic to the island and 17 of these are montane. The large proportion of montane endemics is not surprising, because Borneo has been connected with the Asian continent in recent geological time; lowland isolation, and differentiation, has been less extensive than the montane. The Sunda Shelf, on which Borneo is situated, lies in a shallow sea generally less than 300 feet deep. Beaufort has shown that the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java were connected until early historic times (Darlington, 1957:488).

The endemic species in Borneo are members of four, possibly five, genera that are also endemic. Four of these five genera are montane in distribution. The only endemic for which the geographic history cannot be adequately explained is the monotypic _Pityriasis gymnocephala_. Its affinities seem to be with the Cracticidae of New Guinea and Australia. The species has been found throughout Borneo. Since _Pityriasis_ is endemic to Borneo, it probably was detached from the parent stock at an early period. The Australasian affinities of _Pityriasis_ emphasize its zoogeographical peculiarities. A more detailed discussion of this species appears in the annotated list below.

COLLECTING LOCALITIES AND COLLECTORS

1. Cocoa Research Station, Quoin Hill, elevation 750 feet, Tawau. Max
C. Thompson (MCT) and Antonio D. Garcia (ADG).
2. Tawau. Max C. Thompson.
3. Twelve miles north of Kalabakan, elevation 600 feet. Max C.
Thompson.
4. Kalabakan, elevation 50 feet. Max C. Thompson.
5. Tiger Estate, 20 miles northwest of Tawau. Max C. Thompson,
Antonio D. Garcia.
6. Ulu Balung Cocoa Estate, Mile 27, Quoin Hill, elevation 750 feet,
Tawau. Antonio D. Garcia.
7. Karindingen Island. Max C. Thompson.
8. Siamil Island. Max C. Thompson.
9. Lahad Datu. Antonio D. Garcia.
10. Kuala Sumawang, 25 miles west of Sandakan. Antonio D. Garcia.
11. Agricultural Station, Mile 17, Sandakan (Gum-Gum). Antonio D.
Garcia.
12. One-fourth mile east Gum-Gum, Sandakan. Antonio D. Garcia.
13. Lamag, Kinabatangan River. Antonio D. Garcia.
14. Pintasan Agriculture Station, Kinabatangan River. Antonio D.
Garcia.
15. Kampong Kuamut, Kinabatangan River. Antonio D. Garcia.
16. Kampong Maluwa, Kinabatangan River. Antonio D. Garcia.
17. Ka-Karis, Kinabatangan River, elevation 200 feet. Antonio D.
Garcia.
18. Tongod, Kinabatangan River, elevation 300 feet. Antonio D. Garcia.
19. Tuaran. Max C. Thompson, Antonio D. Garcia, S. F. W. Chong (SFWC).
20. Telipok. Antonio D. Garcia, G. R. Conway.
21. Mt. Rumas, 5 miles northwest of Tuaran, elevation 75 feet, Antonio
D. Garcia.
22. Five and one-half miles southwest of Tenom, elevation 4,000 feet.
Max C. Thompson.
23. Tenom, elevation 600 feet. Max C. Thompson.
24. Kampong Banjar, Mile 29, Keningau. Antonio D. Garcia.
25. Oil Palm Research Station, Mile 32, elevation 40 feet, Sandakan.
Antonio D. Garcia.

ECOLOGY OF THE COLLECTING LOCALITIES

QUOIN HILL.--At this locality I recognized five habitat types as follows:

_Primary forest._--We were fortunate to be able to work at Quoin Hill because it had been opened to cultivation (of Cocoa, _Theobroma cacao_) for only a few years. Thus the primary forest here started at the edge of the Cocoa Research Station. This was in marked contrast to areas on the west coast, where one would need to travel many miles inland to find virgin forest. The forest at Quoin Hill was typical tropical rain-forest, composed mostly of dipterocarps (Dipterocarpaceae). These comprise an essentially Indo-Malayan family, members of which are so conspicuous that we commonly referred to it as Evergreen Dipterocarp Forest. The lowland forests of Borneo are composed of approximately 3,000 species of trees (Browne, 1955). At Quoin Hill, as in most of the tropical rain-forest of Borneo, the forest canopy is stratified in three layers, a distinct and easily recognizable top story and less easily separable middle and lower stories. The top canopy is composed of foliage of giant trees that may tower to heights of 200 feet and have trunks three to seven feet in diameter. The trunk is usually unbranched for 50 to 100 feet and the whole tree is supported by buttresses jutting out from the main trunk. Some of the most important plants in the tropical rain-forest are the strangler figs (_Ficus_ sp.). These plants, when in fruit, draw birds in large flocks to feed upon them. Such figs were common about the edges of the research station and some birds taken from these trees were never taken elsewhere. The birds seemed to wait for a certain degree of ripeness of fruits; on one day the figs were unmolested and the next day the trees would be swarming with birds. Strangler fig trees reach tremendous size and help form the upper forest canopy.

The middle and lower forest canopies are not easily separable and I shall speak of them together. The trees forming these varied from 10 to 60 feet in height. The ground surface beneath the trees was usually bare except for leaf litter and dead branches. Sunlight penetrates only where the big trees have been removed or where the larger trees are otherwise widely spaced. At Quoin Hill the large trees of species affording lumber of commercial quality had been taken out, modifying somewhat the character of the forest. Such forest actually contained many of the animals characteristic of primary forest, and I refer to it as badly disturbed primary forest.

_Secondary forest._--In some of the areas adjoining the research station, roads had been bulldozed for future expansion and trees had been cut. These areas were starting to grow dense stands of grass and shrubs and will be jungle in a few years unless cut back. Most of the trees in this area are saplings with some trees as large as a foot in diameter.

_Fluviatile waters._--There are numerous small streams in the Quoin Hill area, the largest being the Balung River and Apas River. Little work was done along these streams and only the thrushes of the genus _Enicurus_ and some kingfishers seemed to be confined to them.

_Cocoa plantations._--Artificial plantings of cocoa, _Theobroma cacao_, formed a major habitat type at Quoin Hill, and provided a major source of food for birds. Cocoa planters have found it necessary to provide shade with trees of some other species. In some instances trees from the original primary forest were left standing to provide this shade, but more often exotic trees were planted. Most of the shade trees were of no use to birds save for providing resting places. _Trema orientalis_ was the most important in providing food for birds. Its fruit was used more by the frugivorous species of birds than that of any other tree in the cocoa plantings. Tree Cassava, an exotic, was constantly attended by the nectariniids, or honey creepers.

Although the cocoa plantings did not provide much plant material for bird food, they did apparently nourish a horde of insects, which the birds fed upon. A Drongo-cuckoo, _Surniculus lugubris_, had 50 caterpillars in its stomach. Healthy cocoa trees were sparsely inhabited by birds but areas that were obviously infested with insects literally swarmed with birds. Dead shade trees in the cocoa plantings also provided food for woodpeckers, with four species being found utilizing these dead trees.

_Abaca._--The last of the habitat types that I recognized at Quoin Hill was a small grove of Abaca, _Musa textilis_, and wild bananas, _Musa_ sp. This habitat type was frequented by spiderhunters (_Arachnothera_ sp.) of the family Nectariniidae.

KALABAKAN.--We worked at three localities in this area: 12 miles north of Kalabakan, Brantian Estate, and Kalabakan.

_Primary forest._--We were fortunate in being able to work on the very edge of the primary forest 12 miles north of Kalabakan. The composition of the primary forest was much like that at Quoin Hill and will not be discussed further. About a month after we arrived at our forest camp, logging crews moved in and cut the commercial timber near our area. The only immediately noticeable difference in the makeup of the avifauna after destruction of the forest canopy was the appearance of the drongo _Dicrurus aeneus_. This drongo was seen in areas where the trees had been cut, sitting on limbs and darting out after insects.

_Secondary forest._--The area around Kalabakan proper was in secondary forest, which was almost impossible to penetrate. At Kalabakan, _Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchus_, _Cecropsia striolata_, and _Macronous ptilosus_ were taken and I did not see them elsewhere. Kalabakan is situated on the Kalabakan River at the upper tidal limit. The Nipa-Mangrove association, not investigated, lies immediately below Kalabakan.

The Brantian Estate area was mostly in secondary forest and was situated on the Brantian River. There were some fairly large areas of grass with water buffalo wallows in them. These grassy areas were favorite haunts of the Painted Quail, _Coturnix chinensis_.

TENOM.--The first locality that we investigated was 5.5 miles southwest of Tenom, approximately 4,000 feet elevation, in moss forest. A few days were spent collecting in the area of Tenom itself.

_Moss forest._--The lower altitudinal limit of the moss forest was about 3,600 feet. The trees on top of the mountain were mostly oaks (_Quercus_) and were festooned with ferns, orchids, and other epiphytes. The area had been used as a triangulation station by a survey team and a small area on top of the mountain had been cleared earlier. At the time of our visit this small area had grown to secondary vegetation, mostly _Pandanus_. The oaks in the primary forest surrounding this disturbed area were generally about 30 to 50 feet high and there was little undergrowth in virgin stands. This area was usually swathed in fog from three o'clock in the afternoon until eleven o'clock the next morning. One morning of our fourteen there was clear.

_Paddy._--The area visited at Tenom itself consisted mostly of old paddy grown to grass and scrub. Forest did occur but was of secondary nature in the immediate vicinity of Tenom.

SIAMIL ISLAND.--This island is about one mile in circumference and the highest point is about 300 feet above sea level. The island has high bluffs on three sides but slopes gently to the sea on the other. There were patches of forest left on the island, one on the north side and one on the south. The sheer bluffs on the east side of the island were covered with _Pandanus_ sp. The undergrowth of the north forest had been cut, leaving extensive bare areas. The principal undergrowth was rattan. The natives are clearing and planting more of the island to coconuts and hope eventually to clear it completely.

KARINDINGEN ISLAND.--This island, about half a mile in circumference and between 10 and 20 feet above sea level at its highest point, was surrounded by extensive coral reefs and sand; the principal vegetation was mangroves.

ECOLOGICAL AFFINITIES OF THE AVIFAUNA AT QUOIN HILL

More time was spent at Quoin Hill than at any other locality. Fifty five of the more common and hence best-known birds are listed in Table 1 together with their primary and secondary preferences of habitat. The habitat distribution of the birds shows the amount of secondary utilization of habitats by birds that occurred predominantly in one habitat. Cocoa was utilized by 6.2 per cent of the birds of the primary forest, and 88.8 per cent of birds of the secondary forest. This indicates that cocoa is an effective substitute for secondary forest for some birds. Of the species of the primary forest, 18.7 per cent occurred also in secondary forest; thus, three times as many species of primary forest utilized secondary forest as utilized cocoa. This too might be expected, since "secondary" forest is of frequent natural occurrence and an ancient feature while the comparatively simple cocoa plantings are new and artificial.

TABLE 1.--Habitat preferences of 55 Quoin Hill birds.

=====================================================
X = Primary |Primary forest
O = Secondary | |Secondary forest
| | |Cocoa plantations
SPECIES | | | |Fluviatile water
| | | | |Abaca
----------------------------+----+----+----+----+----
_Treron curvirostra_ | | X | | |
_Cacomantis merulinus_ | | O | X | |
_Chalcites malayanus_ | | | X | |
_Phaenicophaeus_ | | | | |
_chlorophaeus_ | | O | X | |
_Harpactes diardi_ | X | | | |
_Harpactes duvauceli_ | X | | | |
_Alcedo euryzona_ | | | | X |
_Ceyx erithacus_ | X | | | |
_Eurystomus orientalis_ | | X | O | |
_Calorhamphus fuliginosus_ | | O | X | |
_Megalaima chrysopogon_ | | X | O | |
_Megalaima henrici_ | X | | O | |
_Sasia abnormis_ | O | X | | |
_Meiglyptes tukki_ | | X | | |
_Dryocopus javensis_ | | X | O | |
_Chrysocolaptes validus_ | | O | X | |
_Eurylaimus ochromalus_ | | O | X | |
_Pitta guajana_ | X | | | |
_Coracina fimbriata_ | | | X | |
_Aegithina viridissima_ | | | X | |
_Chloropsis cyanopogon_ | | X | | |
_Irena puella_ | | X | | |
_Pycnonotus brunneus_ | | | X | |
_Criniger bres_ | | X | O | |
_Criniger phaeocephalus_ | X | | | |
_Criniger finschii_ | | | X | |
_Hypsipetes criniger_ | | X | O | |
_Copsychus pyrrhopygus_ | X | | | |
_Copsychus stricklandi_ | | X | O | |
_Enicurus ruficapillus_ | | | | X |
_Pellorneum capistratum_ | X | | | |
_Trichastoma malaccense_ | X | O | | |
_Trichastoma sepiarium_ | | X | | |
_Malacopteron magnum_ | X | O | | |
_Malacopteron magnirostre_ | X | O | | |
_Kenopia striata_ | X | | | |
_Stachyris poliocephala_ | | X | | |
_Alcippe brunneicauda_ | X | | O | |
_Orthotomus atrogularis_ | | X | | |
_Orthotomus sepium_ | | X | O | |
_Rhipidura perlata_ | X | | | |
_Muscicapa dumetoria_ | X | | | |
_Rhinomyias umbratilis_ | X | | | |
_Hypothymis azurea_ | | | X | |
_Anthreptes simplex_ | | | X | |
_Anthreptes rhodolaema_ | | | X | |
_Nectarinia hypogrammica_ | | X | | |
_Arachnothera longirostris_ | | | | | X
_Arachnothera flavigaster_ | | | | | X
_Arachnothera chrysogenys_ | | | | | X
_Arachnothera affinis_ | | | | | X
_Zosterops everetti_ | | O | X | |
_Lonchura fuscans_ | | X | O | |
_Oriolus xanthonotus_ | | X | O | |
_Platysmurus leucopterus_ | | X | O | |
+----+----+----+----+----
Total Primary | 16 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 4
| | | | |
Total Secondary | 1 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 0
----------------------------+----+----+----+----+----

The avifauna at Quoin Hill was a mixture of montane, submontane, and lowland species. Smythies (1957:527) defines four altitudinal areas of distribution: Higher Montane, Montane, Submontane, and Lowland. Higher Montane birds have not been recorded on mountains the summits of which are lower than 5,000 feet, although on higher peaks the actual lower limit of occurrence may be considerably below 5,000 feet. Montane birds have not been recorded on mountains the summits of which are lower than 3,000 feet, although specimens may have been taken below that altitude on higher peaks. Submontane, as defined by Smythies, is a comprehensive term applied to birds occurring from sea level to an elevation of 5,000 feet but ordinarily not found away from mountainous country. The Lowland birds normally range from sea level to 3,000 feet. Of the 125 species of birds observed at Quoin Hill, 1.6 per cent were Montane, 14.4 per cent were Submontane and 84 per cent were Lowland species. The distribution of birds 12 miles north of Kalabakan closely resembled that at Quoin Hill except for the total absence of Montane species and an increase of Submontane species to 25 per cent. The observation of fewer species (48) can be attributed to the nearly uniform habitat.

The avifauna in the moss forest 5.5 miles southwest of Tenom was unusual in that 45.4 per cent consisted of Lowland species; this locality lies 4,000 feet above sea level, yet only 27.3 per cent of its species were Submontane and 27.3 per cent Montane. If one looks at these figures from the standpoint of the actual importance of the three groups at this place, however, a different picture emerges. Some of the Lowland species were seen only once while I was there and few were common, while all of the Submontane and most of the Montane forms were more or less common.

SEASONALITY OF BREEDING

_The breeding season in North Borneo._--Birds in the Quoin Hill area of eastern Borneo seem to breed most commonly in June, July, and August. Table 2 lists 34 of the more common species at Quoin Hill for which evidence on breeding was available. The actual evidence was provided by females with active brood patches or active ovaries, males with enlarged testes, birds in juvenal plumage, or birds actively in annual molt. From such data dates of presumed breeding were extrapolated. In Table 2, the solid black lines indicate dates for which both male and female were in breeding condition. The dotted lines indicate enlarged testes but no evidence of breeding in females. In the bottom line of Table 2, the figures indicate the percentage of the population breeding in any one month. For instance, 2.9 per cent of the birds were breeding in March, but 73 per cent were breeding in June. Rainfall records from the Cocoa Research Station from April, 1959, to December, 1964, were available to me. These data, along with the average for each month, are given in Table 3. There appears to be little correlation between rainfall and breeding season at Quoin Hill. A true dry season in the Quoin Hill area does not occur, but monthly rainfall has varied from 0.57 inches to 21.27 inches in a single year.

TABLE 2.--Seasonality of common breeding birds at Quoin Hill. Solid lines indicate times of occurrence of known breeding; dotted lines represent times of presumed breeding.

============================================================================ SPECIES | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D ----------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- _Treron curvirostra_ | | | | | | | ....-----| | | _Cacomantis merulinus_ | | | | | | | | --------.......... _Chalcites malayanus_ | | | | | | -------- | | | | _Phaenicophaeus | | | | | | | | | | | | curvirostris_ | | | | | ------------ | | | | _Collocalia fuciphaga_ | | | | | | ..------ | | | | _Chaetura leucopygialis_ | | | | | ------| | | | | | _Harpactes diardi_ | | | | | ------------.... | | | _Eurystomus orientalis_ | | | | --------- | | | | | | _Calorhamphus fuliginosus_ | | | | | | -------.......| | | _Megalaima chrysopogon_ | | | | | | | --------- | | | _Megalaima mystacophanes_ | | | | | | --------..... | | | _Sasia abnormis_ | | | | | ------- | | | | | _Micropternus brachyurus_ | | | | | -------- | | | | | _Dryocopus javensis_ | | | | |-------- | | | | | _Pycnonotus cyaniventris_ | | | | | | | | | -------- | _Pycnonotus atriceps_ | | | --------- | | | | | | | _Pycnonotus brunneus_ | | | | | | ----------------- | | _Pycnonotus | | | | | | | | | | | | erythrophthalmus_ | | | | | | -------- | | | | _Zoothera interpres_ | | | | --------- | | | | | | _Malacopteron magnirostre_ | | | | | --------- | | | | | _Ptilocichla leucogrammica_ | | | | | | ------------ | | | _Kenopia striata_ | | | | | -------...| | | | | _Stachyris maculata_ | | | | | ----------| | | | | _Orthotomus atrogularis_ | | | | | | ----------------- | | _Orthotomus sericeus_ | | | | | | ------------- | | | _Orthotomus sepium_ | | | | | | ----------------- | | _Rhipidura perlata_ | | | | |-------- | | | | | _Prionichilus xanthopygius_ | | | | | | | | --------------- _Anthreptes rhodolaema_ | | | | | | --------- | | | | _Arachnothera flavigaster_ | | | | | | | | | | | ------ _Pityriasis gymnocephala_ | | | | | | | | | | ---------- _Oriolus xanthonotus_ | | | | | ---------- | | | | _Platysmurus leucopterus_ | | | | | ---------- | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D The percentage of breeding +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- in any one month is as | | | | | | | | | | | | follows: | 0 | 0 |2.9|8.8| 38| 73| 58| 50| 35| 17| 11| 8 ----------------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---

Birds in the moss forest near Tenom appeared to be breeding in January, paralleling the trend found by Voous (1950a) for the lowlands of Borneo.

_Other Bornean observations._--Voous (1950a) summarized data assembled by Coomans de Ruiter on the breeding of birds in the lowland of western Borneo near Pontianak. It appears that the breeding season in that part of Borneo, and indeed in all of western Borneo (Banks, 1950), starts in December and reaches a peak in March.

TABLE 3.--Monthly rainfall records, Cocoa Research Station, Quoin Hill.

============================================================================== Year |Jan. |Feb. |Mar. |April|May |June |July |Aug. |Sept.|Oct. |Nov. |Dec. ------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- 1959 | | | | 6.49|12.16|11.11| 7.64|12.11| 4.75| 8.33|12.10|13.81 1960 | 9.24| 8.17| 3.76|10.65| 8.84|11.00| 6.31|11.25| 8.56| 5.49| 8.39|11.81 1961 | 6.68| 8.06| 4.35| 4.74| 7.55| 7.25| 5.93| 2.40| 7.47| 5.58| 4.38|10.73 1962 | 3.82| 6.76|13.72| 9.68| 6.82| 7.49| 6.59| 5.82| 7.81| 9.47|19.80| 9.28 1963 |21.27| 8.18| 7.64| 0.57| 5.83| 4.62| 0.64|12.49| 5.24| 8.75| 7.43|11.05 1964 | 4.17| 7.92| 4.40|11.20|11.82| 8.04| 2.42| 7.52| 5.69|13.15| 8.82| 9.88 Avg. | 9.03| 7.81| 6.77| 7.22| 8.83| 8.25| 4.92| 8.59| 6.58| 8.46|10.15|11.09 ------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----

Gibson-Hill (1952) has questioned Banks' (1950) interpretation of data from the egg collection of V. W. Ryves. Gibson-Hill has shown that the data collected by Ryves covered two widely separated localities, one at Kiau near Kota Belud and the other near Sandakan. The former locality is on the west coast of North Borneo and the latter on the east coast of North Borneo. Gibson-Hill points out, and rightly so, that the timing of the rainfall in different parts of Borneo must be taken into account because of the large regional variation. The nesting data from the Ryves egg collection are scant and when used alone possibly yield a distorted view of the actual breeding season. Ryves did no collecting in the Sandakan area between September and March, and in the Kiau area between May and January. Although the breeding data from North Borneo accumulated by both Ryves and myself are limited, and records of rainfall are scant, there appears to be a trend toward breeding after the heavy rains have fallen.

_Seasonality of breeding in tropical birds._--Possibly Bornean birds breed mostly in the "driest" part of the year. If so, this is in contrast with the time of breeding of birds of other tropical areas. Moreau (1950) found that in the Congo there was no distinct breeding season for most groups of birds, but that in East Africa there was a double breeding season; the peaks coincided with the two rainy seasons. Lack (1950) found that the Geospizinae of the Galapagos breed only when it rains and that rainfall causes a flurry of nest building and singing. If the rains stop, then the courtship activities stop until the next rains. Miller (1963) found that in birds of a western Andean cloud forest the breeding season was spread over the year and that breeding could not be correlated with rainfall.

Obviously more study is required on breeding of birds in Borneo before the timing of the annual cycle can be ascertained.

ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES

The English names used in this report follow Smythies (1960) where possible. If the bird has not been recorded from Borneo previously, then I have resorted to Delacours and Mayr's "Birds of the Philippines" (1946). The taxonomy is that of Smythies (1960), except where current American or my own opinion differs and where new evidence has warranted a change. The sequence of families is that of Wetmore (1960).

Two species listed beyond that had not previously been recorded from the island of Borneo are: Red-footed Booby, _Sula sula_; and Whitehead's Thick-head, _Pachycephala whiteheadi_. Six additional kinds listed beyond had not previously been recorded from North Borneo. They are: Chinese Egret, _Egretta eulophotes_; Knot, _Calidris canutus_; Ground Cuckoo, _Carpococcyx radiceus_; _Stachyris nigriceps hartleyi_; Finch's Bulbul, _Criniger finschii_; and Pale Blue Flycatcher, _Muscicapa unicolor_.

_=Sula sula=_ (Linnaeus): Red-footed Booby.--A captive seen in the Tawau police station was said to have been caught when it landed at night on a police launch anchored off Siamil Island in or near May, 1962. The bird was in first-year or second-year plumage, seemed to be tame, and was thriving on a diet of fish. Identification was made by Alexander Wetmore from a photographic print. This is the first seemingly substantiated record of the species from Borneo, although it probably occurs there regularly. The species breeds on Bankoran Island and on Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea (Smythies, 1960:113).

_=Fregata ariel=_ (G. R. Gray): Lesser Frigatebird.--This conspicuous bird on the waters around Tawau is occasionally seen in Cowie Harbor but more often along the coast outside the Harbor. On September 20 an estimated 300-500 birds circled over the shore northeast of Tawau.

_=Ardea sumatrana sumatrana=_ Raffles: Dusky-gray Heron.--_Specimens_, 2. Karindingen Island: [Male] testis 12 x 23 mm., November 24, 1962, MCT 3308; [Male], November 24, 1962, MCT 3309.

The specimens were taken on the coral sand beach surrounding
Karindingen Island. At least 10 were seen feeding on the beach and
on a reef. One (MCT 3308) had testes of a size suggesting that it
was in breeding condition.

_=Casmerodius alba modestus=_ (Gray): Common Egret.--_Specimen_, 1. Karindingen Island: [Female], November 24, 1962, MCT 3310.

This species was seen on three dates: August 17 at Karindingen
Island, where 30 were observed feeding along the mangroves
bordering the island; on November 24, on the same island, where a
specimen was taken from a flock of 30 birds that had been feeding
on the coral sand and reef; and on November 30 when a single bird
landed at the small reservoir at the Cocoa Research Station and
began to feed in the shallow water. Only four specimens appear to
have been recorded earlier (Smythies, 1957:561), although Smythies
(1963:270) lists additional sight records.

_=Egretta garzetta=_ (Linnaeus): Little Egret.--On November 24 at Karindingen Island, I observed several mixing freely with individuals of _E. sacra_ on the coral sand beaches and reefs.

_=Egretta eulophotes=_ (Swinhoe): Chinese Egret.--_Specimen_, 1: Ka-Karis, Kinabatangan River, 200 feet: [Male], October 20, 1963, ADG 326.

This is the only record known to me of this species from North
Borneo. Smythies (1960:126) lists 11 specimens from other parts of
Borneo.

_=Egretta sacra=_ (Gmelin): Reef Egret.--The species was observed at Karindingen Island on August 17 and November 24, 1962, and was the most common egret on the island. One compact flock of 50 was seen at high tide. No white-phased birds were in the flock.

_=Bubulcus ibis coromandus=_ (Boddaert): Cattle Egret.--_Specimen_, 1: Tongod: [Female], October 21, 1963, ADG 328.

Individuals were observed daily at Tuaran with cattle at the
Agricultural Research Centre. I saw them on December 9 when I
arrived at Tuaran and again on January 13, when I departed.

_=Ardeola bacchus=_ (Bonaparte): Chinese Pond Heron.--_Specimen_, 1: 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Female], October 26, 1962, MCT 3151.

The specimen was brought to our camp by a local boy who obtained it
on a stream that ran through his kampong (village) near our sulap
(hut). The stream was a small one that ran out of the primary
forest, through the village, and back into secondary forest.

_=Butorides striatus=_ (Linnaeus): Little Green Heron.--_Specimens_, 2: Telipok: [Female], March 10, 1963, TM 67; Sex?, December 13, 1962, TM 6.

This heron was seen at Karindingen Island on August 17, 1962, in a
small swamp near the Tawau airport on September 16, and on the reef
at Siamil Island on September 18. The specimens collected at
Telipok were not identified to subspecies.

_=Ixobrychus cinnamomeus cinnamomeus=_ (Gmelin): Chestnut Bittern.--_Specimen_, 1: Tuaran: Sex?, December 24, 1963, SCFC 32.

This specimen was probably taken in the paddy around the
Agricultural Research Centre, where I saw Chestnut Bitterns in
January 1963.

_=Leptoptilos javanicus=_ (Horsfield): Lesser Adjutant Stork.--_Specimen_, 1: Karindingen Island: [Male] testis small, November 24, 1962, MCT 3311.

My first observation of this species was at Karindingen Island on
August 17, when approximately 100 birds were seen feeding on the
coral sand and reefs. I saw them also within a mile of Semporna
along the ship channel, usually in the vicinity of fish traps. On
August 31 two birds flew high overhead at Quoin Hill, proceeding in
the direction of Cowie Harbor. On November 24, large numbers at
Karindingen Island were sitting in mangroves and feeding on the
reefs around the island. Two birds were caught by the rising tide
while feeding on the reef and were unable to take off. One of these
was shot in approximately six to seven feet of water; its feathers
were completely waterlogged. Interestingly the flaky skin of the
crown had blue-green algae growing on it. These birds were heard
calling many times on the reef and in the mangroves; the call is
much like the deep growl of a dog.

Sims, Banks, and Harrison have found the storks common in this area
(Smythies, 1957:569). Although I could find no evidence of it,
possibly Karindingen Island is a nesting locality.

_=Anas querquedula=_ Linnaeus: Garganey.--_Specimen_, 1: Kg. Banjar: sex? November 13, 1963, ADG 329.

This teal obtained by Garcia is our only record of any duck from
North Borneo.

_=Haliastur indus=_ (Boddaert): Brahminy Kite.--This common resident of the Cocoa Research Station was observed almost daily while I was in the field. It seemed to prefer the cleared areas replanted to cocoa and oil palm and was common also at Tawau, Semporna, and Karindingen Island.

_=Accipiter trivirgatus microstictus=_ Mayr: Crested Goshawk.--_Specimens_, 2: Pintasan Agriculture Station: [Male], October 17, 1963, ADG 314. Cocoa Research Station: [Male], April 30, 1963, ADG 89.

_=Spizaetus cirrhatus limnaetus=_ (Horsfield): Changeable Hawk-eagle.--_Specimen_, 1: Tiger Estate: [Male], April 28, 1963, ADG 74 (Specimen in black phase).

_=Hieraetus kienerii formosus=_ (E. Geoffroy): Rufous-bellied Hawk-eagle.--_Specimens_, 2: Cocoa Research Station: [Female] imm., July 10, 1962, MCT 2615. Tiger Estate: [Female], July 13, 1962, MCT 2621.

The presence of an immature bird of this species in North Borneo
lends support to the suggestion of Smythies (1957:580) that this
species breeds in Borneo.

_fHaliaeetus leucogaster=_ (Gmelin): White-bellied Sea Eagle.--This eagle appears to be fairly common along the coast in the Tawau-Darvel Bay area. I saw it around Cowie Harbor, Tawau, Semporna, and Siamil Island.

_=Spilornis cheela=_ Latham: Crested Serpent Eagle.--I saw this eagle but once, circling overhead at the Cocoa Research Station on September 26, 1962.

_=Microhierax latifrons=_ Sharpe: White-fronted Falconet.--_Specimens_, 2: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 2 x 1 mm., 41.2 gm., July 6, 1962, MCT 2600. Tiger Estate: [Female] oviduct regressing, old brood patch, December 1, 1962, MCT 3418.

This species was first seen at the Cocoa Research Station. The
specimen taken there bobbed its head in the manner of various other
falcons. On two occasions individuals were observed sitting in a
low tree in the front yard of a home in Kalabakan.

These records extend the known range of this species south from
Darvel Bay (Smythies, 1960:161) to Cowie Harbor.

_=Falco peregrinus japonensis=_ Gmelin: Peregrine Falcon.--_Specimen_, 1: Kampong Kuamut: [Male], October 20, 1963, ADG 327.

_=Coturnix chinensis=_ (Linnaeus): Painted Quail.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 8 x 5 mm., September 6, 1962, MCT 2881.

This specimen is intermediate between _C. c. lineata_ and _C. c.
caerulescens_, tending slightly toward the latter in having more
rufous coloring on the tertials. R. E. Kuntz took a male at Ranau
(USNM 472504) that was also intermediate in its characters but was
referable to _C. c. lineata_. These two specimens, when compared
with series of specimens from the Philippines and Sumatra, fitted
into a clinal progression of increasingly rufous tertials toward
Sumatra. Peters (1934:96) united _C. c. caerulescens_ with _C. c.
palmeri_, but Amadon (in _litt._) retains _C. c. caerulescens_
(Smythies, 1957:588). No clear-cut distributional pattern is yet
discernible in North Borneo and the arrangement of Amadon (MS)
should probably be reviewed again when more specimens become
available.

These birds were observed several times at the Cocoa Research
Station but were difficult to collect. They were abundant in the
grasslands on the Brantian Estate.

_=Rollulus roulroul=_ (Scopoli): Crested Green Wood Partridge.--It was observed once along the Apas River at the Cocoa Research Station, in primary forest.

_=Haematortyx sanguiniceps=_ Sharpe: Crimson-headed Wood Partridge.--Frederick Dunn saw one fly across the padang at the Cocoa Research Station rest house on September 9.

_=Lophura ignita=_ (Shaw and Nodder): Crested Fireback Pheasant.--_Specimens_, 3: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], molting, July 20, 1962, MCT 2624. 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Female], November 4, 1962, MCT 3206; [Male], November 7, 1962, MCT 3216.

This pheasant was taken in native snares from primary forest.

_=Lophura bulweri=_ (Sharpe): Bulwer's Pheasant.--_Specimens_, 3: 5.5 mi. SW Tenom: [Female], December 25, 1962, MCT 3534; [Male], December 27, 1962, MCT 3539; [Female], December 27, 1962, MCT 3540.

This bird was first taken in a snare 12 miles north of Kalabakan.
Unfortunately, the specimen was stolen and only its tail feathers
were brought in by the trappers. Mr. Comber of Sapong Estates in
Tenom said this species comes in numbers with the wild-pig
migration and that he had observed this at least three times. He
has also seen three-quarters grown young at Tenom, so they
seemingly nest there. They were found only in primary forest.

These specimens constitute the first records of the species for the
west coast of North Borneo (_cf._ Smythies, 1957:593).

_=Argusianus argus grayi=_ (Elliott): Great Argus Pheasant.--_Specimens_, 6: 12 mi. N Kalabakan: [Male], October 14, 1962, MCT 3034; [Female], October 22, 1962, MCT 3121; [Male], October 23, 1962, MCT 3130; [Male], October 27, 1962, MCT 3166; [Female]?, October 29, 1962, MCT 3307. 5.5 mi. SW Tenom: [Female], December 19, 1962, MCT 3464.

This species is a common resident of the primary forest at
Kalabakan and in the lower areas around Tenom (J. A. Comber, pers.
comm.). It is found only in primary forest.

_=Rallina fasciata=_ (Raffles): Malaysian Banded Crake.--_Specimen_, 1: Tiger Estate: [Male], July 11, 1963, ADG 193.

_=Amaurornis phoenicurus javanicus=_ (Horsfield): White-breasted Waterhen.--_Specimens_, 3: Tuaran: sex?, March 1, 1963, ADG 5. Telipok: [Female], February 2, 1963, TM 23; [Male], February 2, 1963, TM 24.

This species was commonly observed in marshes near Tawau and on the
Brantian Estate.

_=Gallicrex cinerea=_ (Gmelin): Watercock.--_Specimen_, 1: Tiger Estate: sex?, December 17, 1962 (taken on dry grassland).

_=Squatarola squatarola=_ (Linnaeus): Black-bellied Plover.--On September 2 I saw a flock of 12 plovers on the Tawau golf course. They were in a mottled plumage indicating extensive molt and feather growth. Later in the day a bird in almost complete breeding plumage flew overhead.

_=Charadrius peroni=_ Schlegel: Malay Sand Plover.--On September 15, one was sitting on the Tawau Airport runway. Another was observed on November 20, feeding near a water buffalo wallow on the Brantian Estate. Smythies (1960:191) lists sandy beaches as the only habitat.

_=Charadrius leschenaulti=_ Lesson: Large Sand Plover.--On September 16 one was sitting on the Tawau Airport runway.

_=Numenius phaeopus variegatus=_ (Scopoli): Whimbrel.--_Specimen_, 1: Karindingen Island: [Male], November 24, 1962, MCT 3315.

This was the most common curlew around Karindingen Island on
November 24. Flocks of 10 to 20 individuals were feeding on the
coral sand around the island, and a few individuals were sitting in
the tops of dead mangroves at low tide.

_=Numenius arquata=_ (Linnaeus): Common Curlew.--On November 24, a Common Curlew flew from Karindingen Island toward the mainland.

_=Numenius madagascariensis=_ (Linnaeus): Eastern Curlew.--I first observed this curlew on August 17 at Karindingen Island, where 50 were feeding on the coral sand. At that time it was the most abundant shorebird. When I returned to the island on November 24, several were seen around the island, but the species was not so abundant as _N. phaeopus_.

_=Limosa lapponica=_ (Linnaeus): Bar-tailed Godwit.--A flock of five was observed at Karindingen Island on November 24.

_=Tringa totanus eurhinus=_ (Oberholser): Redshank.--_Specimens_, 2: Karindingen Island: [Female], November 24, 1962, MCT 3312; [Female], November 24, 1962, MCT 3313.

On August 17, this bird was common and feeding on the coral sand at
Karindingen Island. When I revisited the island on November 24 the
Redshank seemed to prefer the mangrove areas for feeding and was
the most common wader.

_=Tringa ochropus=_ Linnaeus: Green Sandpiper.--_Specimen_, 1: Brantian Estate: [Female], November 19, 1962, MCT 3305.

The specimen, one of three or four birds seen, was taken near a
grassland pond.

_=Heteroscelus incanum=_ (Gmelin): Wandering Tattler.--One was feeding along a sandy beach and later on rocks on Siamil Island on September 18, 1962.

_=Capella megala=_ (Swinhoe): Swinhoe's Snipe.--_Specimens_, 3: Tiger Estate: sex?, December 9, 1962; sex?, December 9, 1962. Pintasan Agriculture Station: [Male], October 17, 1963, ADG 317.

These three specimens lend support to the theory of Smythies
(1960:206) that this species is the common snipe of North Borneo.

_=Calidris canutus=_ (Linnaeus): Knot.--On August 17, I saw 20 Knots feeding on the coral sand at Karindingen Island. They were still partly in breeding feather, showing rusty color here and there on the breast. I saw no Knots on November 24 at Karindingen Island. There is but one prior record for Borneo, from the North Natuna Islands (Chasen, 1935:39).

_=Erolia ruficollis=_ (Pallas): Red-necked Stint.--_Specimen_, 1: Karindingen Island: [Male], November 24, 1962, MCT 3314.

The species was common on November 24 around Karindingen Island,
usually in flocks of 5 to 10 birds.

_=Glareola pratincola=_ (Linnaeus): Collared Pratincole.--_Specimen_, 1: Tiger Estate: [Male], April 28, 1963, ADG 75.

_=Chlidonias hybrida=_ (Pallas): Whiskered Tern.--_Specimen_, 1: Kuala Sumawang: sex?, September 18, 1962, ADG 280.

Smythies (1960:217) lists no record for North Borneo.

_=Sterna bergii=_ Lichtenstein: Greater Crested Tern.--_Specimens_, 2: Kuala Sumawang: [Female], September 18, 1963, ADG 278; [Male], September 18, 1963, ADG 279.

This tern was observed several times off the coast of North Borneo
near Tawau.

_=Treron curvirostra curvirostra=_ (Gmelin): Thick-billed Pigeon.--_Specimens_, 9: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 9 x 5 mm., 166.7 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2693; [Male] testis 5 x 4 mm., 167.2 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2694; [Male] testis 13 x 6 mm., 167.8 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2695; [Male] testis 9 x 5 mm., 155.5 gm., August 1, 1962, MCT 2700; [Female], 112.9 gm., August 2, 1962, MCT 2712; [Male], 185.8 gm., August 2, 1962, MCT 2713; [Female], 135.4 gm., growing new 5th primary, August 25, 1962, MCT 2806; [Female], 132.2 gm., August 31, 1962, MCT 2842; [Male], 112.5 gm., August 31, 1962, MCT 2843.

This pigeon was the most common bird eating wild figs (_Ficus_) in
the communal feeding trees, where there were as many as 30 gathered
in one tree to feed. While resting, individual birds commonly
dipped their tails.

_=Treron olax olax=_ (Temminck): Little Green Pigeon.--_Specimens_, 2: Cocoa Research Station: [Male] testis 11 x 5 mm., September 1, 1962, MCT 2844. Pintasan Agriculture Station: [Male], October 14, 1963, ADG 306.

The species was seen only once. At the Cocoa Research Station, one
bird sat on a dead tree and fed on a red berry from a vine. The
call resembled the crying of a child. Others called in the cocoa.
The bird taken had testes of a size indicating possible breeding
condition.

_=Treron vernans purpurea=_ (Gmelin): Pink-necked Green Pigeon.--_Specimens_, 10: Tiger Estate: [Male], November 25, 1962, MCT 3323; [Female], November 25, 1962, MCT 3325. Telipok: [Female], January 31, 1963, TM 22; [Female], January 31, 1963, TM 20; [Male], January 31, 1963, TM 19; [Female], January 31, 1963, TM 21; [Male], February 10, 1963, TM 35; [Male], February 2, 1963, TM 25. Mt. Rumas: [Female], March 6, 1963, ADG 11. Tuaran: [Female], November 29, 1963, SCFC 34.

The species was confined to the lowlands around Tawau, as at the
Tawau Airport in the scrub growth. Flocks of 50 to 100 were
observed at Tuaran. None of the specimens taken in November was in
breeding condition.

_=Ducula bicolor=_ (Scopoli): Pied Imperial Pigeon.--I observed this pigeon on September 18 and 19 at Siamil Island. On the first day two were seen in the few remaining trees on the island and on September 19 a flock of 12 flew southwest over the island at about 8:30 A. M.

_=Streptopelia bitorquata=_ (Temminck): Javanese Turtle Dove.--On Siamil Island on September 18 and 19, two were seen at close range feeding with 10 _S. chinensis_. There is only one other record from Borneo; Pryer took one at Sandakan in the 1880's (Everett, 1889:193) and it has not been recorded since. Chasen (1935:22) speculated that the Javanese Turtle Dove was introduced to Borneo as a cage bird. But, Borneo is seemingly well within the normal range of the species and probably it is a resident of North Borneo. The Javanese Turtle Dove and the Spotted-necked Dove, _S. chinensis_, closely resemble each other; this resemblance may help to account for the lack of records of _S. bitorquata_.

_=Streptopelia chinensis=_ (Scopoli): Spotted-necked Dove.--_Specimens_, 2: Tiger Estate: [Male], June 19, 1963, ADG 149. Telipok: [Male], February 10, 1963, TM 34.

This is a common bird of the coconut groves around Tawau and on
Siamil Island.

_=Chalcophaps indica=_ (Linnaeus): Emerald Dove.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], June 17, 1963, ADG 146.

Birds, always solitary, of this species often were seen in the
cocoa groves at the Cocoa Research Station.

_=Tanygnathus lucionensis lucionensis=_ (Linnaeus): Blue-naped Parrot.--_Specimens_, 3: Siamil Island: [Male], September 19, 1962, MCT 2928; [Female], September 19, 1962, MCT 2929; [Female], September 19, 1962, MCT 2930.

These birds were seen on September 18 and 19. I saw flocks of 10 to
20 in the remnant of forest on the north side of the island. The
birds were almost entirely inhabitants of the forest and were
rarely seen in the coconut groves. I estimated the entire island
population to be between 30 and 100 birds. The Japanese residents
knew nothing of the birds, although they were aware of a cockatoo
(_Cacatua galerita_) that had lived at large on the island for
several years. The Blue-naped Parrot has been found only on the
Maratuas and on Mantanani Island. Smythies (1960:242) surmised that
the Mantanani population was introduced by sailing craft from the
Sulu Sea. In the light of the present discovery, I think the
species is a naturally-established resident of the North Bornean
islands.

_=Psittinus cyanurus cyanurus=_ (Forester): Little Malay Parrot.--_Specimens_, 2: Tiger Estate: [Female], October 11, 1962, MCT 2998; [Male], October 11, 1962, MCT 2997.

Smythies (1963:277) was the first to record this species from North
Borneo. However, the Harvard Primate Expedition in 1938 took three
specimens as follows: [Male], Sandakan, June 6, 1937, MCZ 197123;
[Male], Morutai Besar, June 27, 1937, MCZ 197124; [Male], Kalabakan
River, July 16, 1937, MCZ 197125. The Harvard collection of birds
from North Borneo appears to have been overlooked, although it was
mentioned in passing by Smythies (1960:526). The specimens in my
collection were taken in the same general area where H. G. Deignan
took the Harvard specimens.

_=Loriculus galgulus=_ (Linnaeus): Malay Lorikeet.--_Specimen_, 1: Cocoa Research Station: [Female], May 1, 1963, ADG 103.

This lorikeet was rare at all of our collecting localities.

_=Cuculus fugax fugax=_ Horsfield: Malayan Hawk-Cuckoo.--_Specimens_, 3: Cocoa Research Station: [Male], 86.0 gm., August 28, 1963, MCT 2825; [Male], 79.0 gm., September 11, 1962, MCT 2899; [Female], September 28, 1962, MCT 2977.

This species was first observed on August 28 in primary forest and
was seen regularly from then until September 28 in secondary
forest, primary forest, and in cocoa shade trees.

_=Cacomantis sonnerati=_ (Latham): Banded Bay Cuckoo.--Birds that may have been of this species were observed on several occasions. E. J. H. Berwick (pers. comm.) claimed he had heard _C. sonnerati_ at the Cocoa Research Station. I have heard many times a call sometimes ascribed to this species but I have not actually seen the bird making the sound. If the call note I heard is actually of this species it is not rare in the Quoin Hill area.