ee ee ar ate.
A Aa Ch oe A ‘Oe Was + EOP eS

IYNGIPICUS AURANTIIVENTRIS.

Orange-breasted Pygmy Woodpecker.

Picus'(Beopipo) aurantiiventris, Salvad. Atti R. Accad. Sci. Torino, iii. p. 524 (1868).

Tyngipicus aurantiventris, Salvad. Uccelli di Borneo, p. 41, tav. iv. fig. 2 (1874).—Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1881,
Dee

Tyngipicus aurantiwentris, Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 240.

 

As far as we know at present, this species is strictly confined to the island of Borneo, where it is especially
found in the Sarawak district. It was here that it was first discovered by the Marquis Doria and
Dr. Beccari. It appears to me to be a very distinct species, belonging to the section of the genus Lyngipicus
which contains the species with the occipital tuft on each side of the head. The orange colouring on the
belly also appears to be present in every specimen, whether young or old, though, as might be expected, it
is more developed in the fully adult birds. The four central tail-feathers are black in both sexes, while
the conspicuous black striping of the upper tail-coverts likewise appears to me to be a striking character.
The British Museum has received several specimens from the Messrs. Everett in Borneo. I have in my own
collection a skin obtained by Mr. Alfred Everett at Mateng, while the Museum possesses examples shot by
Mr. Henry Everett at Paku. Mr. Lowe met with the bird in Lumbidan, where it was also procured by
Governor Ussher and Mr. Treacher. Lastly, Mr. W. B. Pryer has recently obtained the species in the
district of Sandakan, in North-eastern Borneo.

As regards the habits and mode of life we know absolutely nothing, Mr. Treacher merely stating
that in Lumbidan the native name is “ Burong anie putie.”

The colour of the iris, according to the Marquis Doria, is whitish blue.

For the benefit of ornithologists I translate the description given by Count Salvadori :—

“‘dault male. Above black, varied with white; head dusky grey, surrounded by black behind; the
occiput ornamented with a lateral streak of red; back banded with white and black; sides of head and
of neck white; a broad band behind the eyes blackish dusky; throat and neck whitish; an obscure
malar band of dusky; underneath lurid white, streaked with dusky black; the breast and the abdomen
tinged with orange-yellow ; wings black, spotted with white on the inner margin; three median tail-
feathers black, the lateral ones banded with white on both webs; bill dusky horn-colour; feet lead-
colour; iris whitish blue.

“Adult female. Very similar to the male, but distinguished by the absence of the red streak on the
sides of the occiput, and by the paler orange-yellow colour of the abdomen.”

The Plate represents a pair of birds of the natural size, the female being in my own collection, whilst

the male is from a skin in the British Museum.
[R. B. 8.)