This species was seen twice, both times in the research station cocoa plantings. The specimen taken was from a shade tree, Trema orientalis.
Chalcites malayanus aheneus Junge: Malaysian Green Cuckoo.—Specimens, 9: Cocoa Research Station: ♀ definite brood patch, 17.5 gm., body molt, July 4, 1962, MCT 2587; ♂ testis 4 × 4 mm., 19.1 gm., August 8, 1962, MCT 2736; ♀, 17.5 gm., August 8, 1962, MCT 2737; ♂, 17.5 gm., August 8, 1962, MCT 2738; ♂ testis 4 × 3 mm., 18.2 gm., August 8, 1962, MCT 2739; ♀, August 25, 1962, MCT 2809; ♂, 21.1 gm., September 11, 1962, MCT 2900; ♂, October 2, 1962, MCT 2984. Tiger Estate: ♀ oviduct enlarged, brood patch, November 25, 1962, MCT 3318.
This cuckoo was common in the cocoa planting at the Cocoa Research Station and not found in any other type of habitat. Smythies (1960:255) thought that possibly two species of Chalcites were represented in the series of Chalcites malayanus from Borneo. I have assembled all 20 known specimens, however, including seven in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard unreported by Smythies (1957:638) and find that the variation in the coloration of the head and upperparts is due to the difference in sexes, the males being darker than the females. There is much variation in the length of the wing, but the meaning of this variation is not yet clear.
Surniculus lugubris barussarum (Oberholser): Drongo-cuckoo.—Specimens, 2: Cocoa Research Station: ♀ imm., July 28, 1962, MCT 2672, discarded; ♀ imm., 28.6 gm., August 25, 1962, MCT 2810.
The first specimen was taken in secondary forest; it had been sitting in a dead tree, occasionally darting out after insects. The second specimen was taken in cocoa; its stomach contained 50 caterpillars.
Eudynamys scolopacea (Linnaeus): Koel.—This species was observed at Tawau and on Siamil Island, on August 30 and September 18, respectively.
Clamator coromandus (Linnaeus): Red-winged Crested Cuckoo.—Specimen, 1: Telipok: ♀, February 10, 1963, TM 33.
Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus fuscigularis (Baker): Raffles Malcoha.—Specimen, 1: Cocoa Research Station: ♂, August 26, 1962, MCT 2813.
Flocks of three and four were seen in the cocoa. At Kalabakan the species was feeding about 40 feet up in the second canopy layer of the primary forest.