A Manual of Philippine Birds (part 2 of 5)

A MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS

By Richard C. McGregor.

Class AVES.

Oviparous, warm-blooded, amniotic vertebrates which have their anterior extremities transformed into wings. Metacarpus and fingers carrying feathers or quills. With an intertarsal joint. Not more than four toes of which the first is the hallux. (Gadow.)

Subclass CARINATÆ.

Sternum with a keel; scapulæ and coracoids fused forming an acute or a right angle; foramen ischiadicum present; distal six or seven vertebræ fused to form the pygostyle.

Orders.

a1. Hind toe connected by a web to the inner toe ... Pelecaniformes (p. 200) a2. Hind toe not connected by a web to the inner toe.

b1. Nostrils tubular.

c1. Bill strong and decidedly hooked at the tip ... Procellariiformes (p. 84) c2. Bill weak, very small, gape very wide ... Caprimulgi in Coraciiformes (p. 295)

b2. Nostrils not tubular.

c1. Cutting edges of bill more or less distinctly fringed or serrated, tip of bill rounded ... Anseriformes (p. 184) c2. Cutting edges of bill not fringed.

d1. Rectrices rudimentary; or if evident not prominent, being short, soft, and hidden by the upper coverts.

e1. Tarsus flat; toes lobed ... Colymbiformes (p. 82) e2. Tarsus normal; toes not lobed.

f1. Hind toe wanting ... Hemipodii (p. 17) f2. Hind toe present. ... Excalfactoria and Megapodius in Galliformes (p. 9)

d2. Rectrices not rudimentary; if short not hidden by upper coverts.

e1. Anterior toes distinctly webbed and tarsus shorter than tail. ... Lariformes (p. 85) e2. Anterior toes not distinctly webbed; or, if webbed, tarsus decidedly longer than tail; or else bill extremely small with gape very broad and deeply cleft.

f1. Lower portion of thighs naked; or, if feathered, the bill lengthened and grooved along each side, the outer and middle toes separated for their entire length.

g1. Hind toe well developed and inserted on the level of the anterior toes; claws not excessively lengthened; loral or orbital region or both naked ... Ardeiformes (p. 157) g2. Hind toe if present, small and inserted above the level of the rest; or else size of bird small (less than 1 meter), loral and orbital regions fully feathered and middle claw not pectinate.

h1. If more than 1 meter long the hind toe short and elevated; if less than 1 meter long the hind toe not elevated.

i1. Size very large; hind toe small and elevated. ... Gruiformes (p. 155) i2. Size medium to small; hind toe not elevated. ... Ralliformes (p. 65)

h2. Less than 1 meter long, usually much less; the hind toe if present, short and elevated, or if long the claws excessively long and wings spurred ... Charadriiformes (p. 98)

f2. Lower portion of thighs feathered; or else middle and outer toes united for at least half their length, the bill if lengthened not grooved along the side.

g1. Bill strongly hooked and with a distinct cere at base of upper mandible.

h1. Toes three in front; or else outer toe reversible; claws sharp and powerful.

i1. No facial disk of modified feathers; plumage normal, compact; nostrils generally not concealed by bristles. ... Accipitriformes (p. 210) i2. Eyes surrounded by a disk of modified feathers; plumage soft and fluffy; nostrils usually concealed by stiff bristles. ... Strigiformes (p. 249)

h2. Toes two in front and two behind, the outer toe permanently reversed; claws small and dull ... Psittaciformes (p. 272)

g2. Bill not strongly hooked and without a cere at base of upper mandible.

h1. Hind toe small and elevated ... Galliformes (p. 9) h2. Hind toe or toes well developed and on the same level as the anterior toes.

i1. Upper mandible with a soft swollen base. ... Columbiformes (p. 23) i2. Bill without a soft swollen base.

j1. Toes two in front, two behind; rarely two in front and one behind, then the bill straight and the rectrices stiff and pointed.

k1. Two toes in front united for their basal joint.

l1. Inner toe reversed, tail graduated ... Trogones (p. 362) l2. Outer toe reversed, tail nearly square. ... Scansores (p. 389)

k2. Two toes in front perfectly free.

l1. Bill straight, its tip chisel-shaped; rectrices stiff, with stiff, pointed tips ... Piciformes (p. 392) l2. Bill more or less curved; rectrices long and soft, without stiff, pointed tips ... Coccyges (p. 363)

j2. Toes three in front, one behind; rarely two in front and one behind, then the tail soft; or rarely four toes turned forward and arranged in pairs.

k1. Claw of hind toe shorter than that of third toe; feet weak, or feet strong and two toes united for their basal joint ... Coraciiformes (p. 295) k2. Claw of hind toe equal to or longer than that of middle toe.

l1. Outer and middle toes united for their basal joint; bill broad; eye surrounded by a fleshy wattle; tail graduated ... Eurylæmiformes (p. 410) l2. Outer and middle toes not united; toes four in number; rectrices twelve with rare exceptions; bill variable in shape, never extensively membranous, softly tumid, nor cered ... Passeriformes (p. 413)

Order GALLIFORMES.

MEGAPODES, PAINTED QUAIL, AND PHEASANTS.

Bill short and stout, culmen curved; head small; body heavy; wings short and rounded, curved to the body; tail either very short or greatly elongated; legs moderate to heavy; claws well developed; toes four, slightly webbed at base. Members of this order are terrestrial; their flight is strong and swift but can not be sustained for a long distance. Their food consists of grain, seeds, and insects. The nest is usually a slight hollow in the ground, hidden by grass or brush; the megapodes, however, bury their eggs in mounds.

Suborders.

a1. Hind toe on a level with the other toes; feet and claws very heavy; colors plain, the sexes similar in color ... Megapodii (p. 9) a2. Hind toe slightly elevated; feet and claws moderate in size; sexes very different in color; males much brighter ... Phasiani (p. 11)

Suborder MEGAPODII.

Family MEGAPODIIDÆ.

Nostrils oval, situated near anterior border of surrounding membrane; bill moderate, culmen curved; orbital area nearly naked; ear-opening small; chin, throat, and face scantily feathered with short plumes, the skin usually red or dusky; legs, feet, and claws very large and powerful; claws slightly curved and usually blunt; anterior face of tarsus bearing a row of large scutes; rectrices short, exceeding coverts but little; sexes alike.

Genus MEGAPODIUS Gaimard, 1823.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

1. MEGAPODIUS CUMINGI Dillwyn.

PHILIPPINE MEGAPODE.

Megapodius cumingii Dillwyn, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1851), 119, pl. 39. Megapodius pusillus Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 765, pl. 78 (juv.). Megapodius dillwyni Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 766. Megapodius cumingi Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 449; Meyer and Wiglesworth, Birds of Celebes (1898), 2, 671, pl. 41, fig. 1; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 12; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 16; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 7.

Ou-cong', Calayan, Camiguin N.; ta-bon', Luzon, Mindoro, Cagayancillo, and in general.

Balabac (Steere, Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor); Fuga (Whitehead, McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Heriot, Whitehead); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Palawan (Everett, Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester, Platen); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Celebean Islands and islands of northwestern Borneo.

Adult.--Top of head dark blue-gray with a wash of olive-brown; a narrow gray collar on hind neck; rest of upper parts, including exposed parts of folded wing, rich olive-brown; lower parts dark blue-gray. Iris brown; bill yellow, dusky at base and about nostrils; legs and nails black or dark brown; skin about eye varies from bright red to almost black. A male from Cagayancillo measures, 340 in length; wing, 230; tail, 72.4; tarsus, 62; middle toe with claw, 57; bill from nostril, 14. A female from the same island measures, 340 in length; wing, 235; tail, 70; tarsus, 58; middle toe with claw, 57; bill from nostril, 14.

Young.--A bird measuring but 165 in length, taken in Calayan, October 7, 1903, bears a general resemblance to the adult but the superorbital space, lores, chin, and throat are closely feathered; forehead, chin, and area below eye dull yellowish brown; throat, sides of neck, and breast dull brown; middle of abdomen dark ochraceous brown; feathers of upper parts dark brown, obscurely edged with olive-brown on back, scapulars, and wing-coverts; plumage, except remiges and rectrices, soft and decomposed.

Nest.--The incubation mound built by this species is fully described below. The eggs are prized by the natives for food; both the eggs and the birds are quite palatable. When fresh the thin surface layer of the egg is dark pink, usually smooth, but occasionally roughened by small lumps; when exposed to air and light for some time the color becomes dull, dirty brown and in many cases the outer layer crumbles away exposing the true shell which is dull white and closely pitted. Five eggs from Calayan taken in December measure: 78 by 52; 82 by 52.5; 82.5 by 47; 80 by 51; 79 by 51.

"This species probably occurs on every island of any size in the group. It is frequently met with a considerable distance inland, where it frequents wooded plains and hill. Its nest is usually, though by no means always, built near the seashore. Several pairs of birds frequently nest in the same mound, scratching up a little additional material every time that an egg is deposited, eventually forming a very large mound of earth, decayed leaves, sticks, etc., which in extreme cases comes to measure from 4 to 5 meters in diameter by 1 1/2 meters high in the middle. The mound is frequently formed about the roots of some old stump. When ready to lay, the female tunnels into this mound, sometimes even burrowing into the solid ground to a depth of half a meter or more, so that the eggs are one to two meters below the surface of the mound. The egg is deposited at the bottom of this burrow, which is then filled up. The young birds dig to the surface as soon as hatched. They can run and fly when they leave the shell, and seem always to shift for themselves from the day of their birth. M. cumingi seems to lay all the year round, the female apparently depositing an egg about once a week. The eggs are oval in form, of a curious pinkish color when fresh, but rapidly fading to a light dirty brown if exposed to the light.

"The old birds seem rather reluctant to take wing and when flushed fly but a short distance, alight on the ground and run with great rapidity.

"There is much individual variation as to size and color even in birds from one locality. Length, 336 to 380; culmen, 15 to 19; tarsus, 55 to 68; wing, 210 to 233; tail, 63 to 86. Iris dark chocolate-brown; bill light yellowish at tip, brown at base; legs sometimes dark brown, but usually strongly tinged with red, especially at back; feet dark brown to black; nails black." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Suborder PHASIANI.

Family PHASIANIDÆ.

Bill strong and horny, nostrils oblong, never hidden by feathers; culmen curved but not hooked; tarsi naked and in the male armed with spurs (Excalfactoria without spurs); toes four, naked, and never pectinated along sides; sexes differently colored.

Genera.

a1 Much smaller; length less than 150 mm.; head without crest or comb; spurs absent ... Excalfactoria (p. 12) a2 Much larger; length more than 350 mm.; head crested or with a comb; spurs present in the male.

b1. No crest but with a fleshy comb; tail-coverts without ocelli; male with one pair of spurs ... Gallus (p. 13) b2. No comb but with an elongated crest; longer tail-coverts ocellated; male with two or three pairs of spurs ... Polyplectron (p. 16)

Genus EXCALFACTORIA Bonaparte, 1856.

This genus resembles Turnix but is distinguished from it by having a hind toe; the male is much handsomer than the female; the tail has but eight short rectrices which are hidden by the long upper coverts.

2. EXCALFACTORIA LINEATA (Scopoli).

ISLAND PAINTED QUAIL.

Oriolus lineatus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 87. Excalfactoria lineata Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 253; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 32; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 48, pl. 4, fig. 2; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 7.

Pu-gong bú-quet, ti-co ti-co, Manila; pu-gong pa-rang, Calapan, Mindoro.

Basilan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Koch & Schadenberg, Clemens); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Negros (Layard, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard); Ticao (McGregor). Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Australia.

Adult male.--Upper parts dark brown; most of the feathers with light shaft-lines, large subterminal black blotches, and some black bars; the black markings heaviest on lower back; forehead, circumorbital area, sides of neck, breast, and flanks slate-blue; chin, upper throat, and lower half of face black; throat patch bordered posteriorly by a wide, crescentic, white patch which is bordered posteriorly by a narrow black band; a white included patch on side of face from lower mandible to below ear, the anterior end of which is pointed; a narrow white line from below nostril to eye; a patch of rich chestnut covering middle of abdomen and lower breast; wings sandy brown; coverts and secondaries vermiculated with darker brown; tail chestnut; upper tail-coverts chestnut mixed with slate-blue. Iris deep red; bill dark blue, black along upper part; legs dark yellow; nails brown. Length about 135. Five males measure: Wing, 66 to 70; tail-coverts, [4] 26 to 28; exposed culmen, 9 to 11; tarsus, 18 to 19.

Adult female.--Upper parts and wings as in the male, but with a light buff, median line on head; forehead, sides of head, and throat dark buff; the black and white throat patch of male replaced in female by an equal area of dark buff in which the white bases of feathers show through on chin and upper throat; a line of fine black spots from gape to below ear-coverts; breast and flanks light buff, each feather crossed by one to three crescentic marks of blackish brown; middle of abdomen white or with a pale buff wash. Five females measure: Wing, 67 to 71; tail-coverts, 22 to 26; exposed culmen, 10 to 11; tarsus, 17 to 18.5.

Young.--In a very young chick from Sibuyan, sex undetermined, the upper parts, including wings and coverts, are blackish brown; top of head marked with three buffy lines extending from forehead to nape and separated by wide blackish brown bands; wing-coverts and feathers of back with edges and shafts buff; chin and throat pale yellow; upper breast, sides, and flanks black with wide white shaft-stripes; belly dirty yellowish buff. A nearly full grown male in mixed plumage, from Calapan, has the black chin-spot developed, the white patches partly developed, and the breast, abdomen, and flanks retain some of the old striped feathers of the first plumage along with the new chestnut and slate feathers. The young female of E. chinensis is said to have the upper breast and sides spotted; as age increases these spots resolve themselves into transverse bars. The young female of E. lineata probably undergoes a similar change of plumage.

Both the painted and bustard quails frequent grassy fields and plains, usually in small companies. When flushed they fly but a short distance and seldom get up a second time, seeming to place more reliance on running than on flight. Except Polyplectron the genera of the Philippine Turnicidæ and Phasianidæ range from the coasts to the highlands.

Genus GALLUS Brisson, 1760.

Head surmounted by a fleshy comb; a wattle on each side of throat; tail laterally compressed, the central feathers being higher than the lateral ones; the former greatly elongated and curved in the males; feathers of neck and rump long and pointed; each tarsus armed with a long sharp spur.

3. GALLUS GALLUS (Linnæus).

RED JUNGLE FOWL.

Phasianus gallus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 158. Gallus bankiva Temminck, Pig. et Gall. (1813), 2, 87. Gallus gallus Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 344; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 39; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 59; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8. ? Gallus stramineicollis Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1879), 317. [5]

La-bú-yu, Lubang, Manila, and generally; ma-noc' i-has', Bohol.

Balabac (Steere); Basilan (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Fuga (Whitehead, McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Schmacker, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Steere, Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere, Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Malay and Indian Peninsulas, Indo-Malayan Islands, Indo-Chinese countries.

Adult male.--Sides of head, chin, and throat clothed with scattered hair-like feathers; ear protected by short close-set feathers; feathers on top of head, neck, and mantle lanceolate, those of mantle very long; head, neck, and sides of neck dark reddish brown, becoming lighter and yellowish near ends of longest feathers, and forming a zone of orange-yellow, the tips again darker, reddish, and shaft-lines darker; mantle feathers hidden by hackles, and lesser coverts blackish brown with slight gloss; lower back and median coverts rich maroon-red forming a wide crescent; lanceolate rump feathers dark orange-red; below (except a few lanceolate reddish feathers on throat) blackish brown with a slight green gloss not always evident; primaries dark brown edged with buff; secondaries dark brown with exposed outer webs dark cinnamon, mottled near tips; alula and greater coverts blackish brown, the latter with green and purple gloss; tail and its upper coverts black, glossed with green; middle pair of rectrices curved outward and about twice the length of next pair. Top of head decorated with a deeply emarginated, fleshy comb, crimson in color; a wattle on each side of throat also crimson; a round lappet below each ear light bluish; other bare areas of head and neck pale crimson; bill dark brown above, lighter below; legs gray, spurs black, nails dark brown. The length varies greatly, of course, with the development of central rectrices. A male from Mariveles, Bataan measures, 660 in length; wing, flat on rule, 235; tail, 368; bill from front of comb, 17; tarsus, 74; middle toe with claw, 59; spur, 24. A male from Fuga, tail, 508; spur, 28.

"Adult female.--Top of the head rust-red, shading into orange on the neck and pale yellow on the upper mantle, each feather with a wide black stripe down the center; rest of upper parts pale reddish brown, finely mottled with black and with pale shafts; quills blackish brown, the outer half of the outer webs of secondaries mottled with pale reddish brown; fore part of neck chestnut; chest and breast pale light red, shading into pale reddish brown on sides, flanks, and belly, each feather with a pale shaft; under tail-coverts brownish black; tail-feathers like the secondaries, the center pair of feathers mottled on the margins of both webs, and the outer pairs on the outer web, with pale rufous. Soft parts much the same as those of the male; comb very much smaller, and wattles absent. Length, 420; wing, 190; tail, 140; tarsus, 61.

"Immature males have the hackles of the mantle much paler than in the majority of adult birds and mostly with dark shaft-stripes; the chestnut part of the outer webs of the secondaries finely mottled with black nearly to the margins; the feathers underlying the hackles of the mantle dull, brownish black without any green gloss, and the comb and wattles rudimentary." (Grant.)

Chick.--Below light yellow-buff, palest on chin; throat, upper breast, and sides of neck washed with brownish buff; top and sides of head dark yellow-buff; a band from above angle of mouth backward through eye to side of neck dark cinnamon, bordered above with blackish brown; middle of crown and hind neck with a wide, black-bordered cinnamon patch which becomes diffused on interscapular region, reappears on middle of back and is continued to the tail; the black bordered on each side with light buff followed by dark brown; wings and tail light brown, speckled and vermiculated with darker brown. Iris light brown; bill, legs, and nails flesh. Small chicks were taken in Mariveles, Province of Bataan, March 8, 1902, and at Irisan, Province of Benguet, on April 30, 1903.

Nest.--A slight hollow dug in the earth in the shelter of bushes or grass is the usual nest. The eggs are much smaller than with domestic varieties; four from a nest found February 26, 1904, near Mariveles, Bataan, measure respectively: 47 by 36; 44 by 34; 45 by 35; 46 by 35. In color the eggs are light creamy buff; the shape is similar to that found in eggs from the domestic varieties.

The jungle fowl is found throughout the Philippines and the males are frequently domesticated by the natives and used for their national pastime of cock fighting. In this country at least the wild chickens afford the gunner no sport whatever as they habitually remain within thick tangles of brush where wing-shots are impossible, or, if by chance caught in the open, they scurry to the nearest thicket. There is no great difficulty, however, in securing specimens, if one cares to kill them sitting. Their flesh is usually tender and more savory than that of the domestic birds. The male has a high falsetto voice resembling very much that of a young domestic cock. Delighting in small growth mixed with a tangle of bamboo and rattan, especially if near cultivated fields, this species generally avoids true forest unless there be near-by clearings. The natives are very successful in taking the cocks alive by employing a live decoy which they picket within a small corral of snares.

Genus POLYPLECTRON Temminck, 1807.

Bill similar to that of Gallus; feathers of crown forming a long crest; wings short and rounded; rectrices twenty-four in number and greatly graduated; upper tail-coverts lengthened; tarsi covered with transverse plates and each tarsus armed with two or three sharp spurs; tarsus longer than middle toe with claw.

4. POLYPLECTRON NAPOLEONIS Lesson.

PALAWAN PEACOCK PHEASANT.

Polyplectron napoleonis Lesson, Traité d'Orn. (1831), 487, 650; Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 361; Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 43; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8. Polyplectron nehrkornæ Blasius, Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien (1891), 1; Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 360. Polyplectrum napoleonis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 39.

Pavo real, Spanish name.

Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White).

Adult male.--Black; top of head, crest, and hind neck green, changing with the light to purple; a large white patch from base of lower mandible extending over ear-coverts; a narrow superciliary line of white (this line is absent in some specimens; in others wider and confluent on nape); mantle, secondaries, and greater and median wing-coverts green, changing to blue and purple, bases of the feathers black; remainder of wing brown or blackish; back and rump black, thickly marked with small, rusty buff spots; longest coverts and rectrices similar but the spots fewer and lighter and each feather with two large, round or oval spots of peacock-green, surrounded by a black ring and an outer gray ring; longest coverts tipped with a narrow line of pale buff; rectrices tipped with lines of black, gray, white, and gray, the white line narrow and sharply defined; under parts all black, except tail-coverts which are speckled with buff. "Bill black tipped with pale horn-color; eyes chocolate-brown; legs, feet, and nails brown." (Bourns and Worcester.) A male from Iwahig, Palawan, measures: Wing, 190; tail, 240; exposed culmen, 28; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 66; middle toe with claw, 56.

Female.--Top of head and a short crest dark brown; sides of face, chin, and throat white; remainder of the plumage brown, more rusty above and on wings, finely speckled with dark brown and black; tail with the large round metallic spots of the male replaced by black spots having little or no metallic color. A female from Iwahig, Palawan, measures: Wing, 180; tail, 183; exposed culmen, 22; bill from nostril, 13; tarsus, 54; middle toe with claw, 48.

Young.--"An immature male resembles the female, but has tail and greater coverts like those of adult male, though the ocelli are much smaller and absent on inner webs of all the tail-feathers except three middle pairs; one or two feathers of mantle have a metallic bluish green patch in the middle and traces are apparent of black plumage on mantle, wing-coverts, throat, and under parts." (Grant.)

This beautiful peacock pheasant, the "pavo real" of the Spaniards, is confined to the Island of Palawan. Bourns and Worcester state that the species is extremely shy, all of their specimens, including 18 adults beside young, being taken by natives in snares. They give the following average measurements: Eleven males, length, 519; wing, 180; tail, 222; culmen, 24; tarsus, 61; seven females, length, 420; wing, 166; tail, 150; culmen, 22; tarsus, 55.

Bourns and Worcester have shown that the character upon which P. nehrkornæ was based--i.e., narrow superciliary stripes not confluent on nape--is variable to a great degree and not dependent upon age, so napoleonis is accepted as the correct specific name for the Palawan bird, although originally applied to a specimen supposed to have come from Luzon, an island in which the genus certainly does not exist.

Major John R. White has secured a fine series of these birds at the Iwahig penal colony, and he states that he has seldom seen the birds until snared by the natives.

Order HEMIPODII.

BUTTON QUAILS.

Culmen curved but not hooked; nostrils opening by a slit beneath a horny scale; tarsi naked, without spurs; hind toe absent; wings short, rounded, and curved to the body; rectrices short, soft, and nearly hidden by the long fluffy coverts.

Family TURNICIDÆ.

Size small, the largest Philippine species under 200 mm. in length, the others much smaller. Birds of this family resemble Excalfactoria in general form but may be recognized by their lack of a hind toe. They are usually found in grassy plains. The flight is rapid but of short duration; the birds get up at one's feet but seldom flush a second time. The nest is placed on the ground beneath a tuft of grass; eggs, three or four, spotted with brown.

Genus TURNIX Bonnaterre, 1790.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

Species.

a1. Breast without chestnut or rusty buff, heavily cross-barred with black. ... fasciata (p. 18) a2. Breast chestnut or rusty buff, without black cross-bars.

b1. Larger; wing more than 80 mm.; breast rich chestnut; chin white ([male]), or black ([female]), or white spotted with black (young) ... ocellata (p. 20) b2. Smaller; wing less than 80 mm.; breast rusty buff; chin whitish, never black nor mixed with black.

c1. Bill more slender, depth at angle of gonys, 4 mm. or less.

d1. Smaller; wing, 57 to 60; tarsus, 16.5 to 18 mm ... whiteheadi (p. 20) d2. Larger; wing, 65.5 or more; tarsus, 19 mm. or more.

e1. Larger; wing, 67 mm.; upper parts lighter ... suluensis (p. 21) e2. Smaller; wing, 65.5 mm.; upper parts darker ... celestinoi (p. 22)

c2. Bill stouter, depth at angle of gonys, 5.8 mm ... worcesteri (p. 23)

5. TURNIX FASCIATA (Temminck).

PHILIPPINE BUTTON QUAIL.

Hemipodius fasciatus Temminck, Pig. et Gall. (1815), 3, 634, 757. Turnix fasciata Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 535; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 48; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 70; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8. Turnix nigrescens Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 765. Turnix haynaldi Blasius, Ornis (1888), 4, 317.

Pu-gong daan, Manila; tic-ti'-co, Calapan, Mindoro.

Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Luzon (Everett, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor, Mearns); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.--Above blackish brown; feathers of back largely black with white or buff margins; in some specimens the margins largely rufous; chin and throat white; breast and sides light buff with clear-cut, subterminal, black cross-bars; abdomen and belly dirty white; flanks and under tail-coverts washed with buff; quills blackish brown, first three or four narrowly edged with pale buff or white; first alula-quill widely edged with pale buff or white; coverts light buff, more or fewer with strong cross-bars. Bill black, yellow at base; legs pale greenish yellow. Length, 140. Three males measure: Wing, 68 to 76; tail, 23 to 28; culmen, 12 to 13; tarsus, 21 to 22; middle toe with claw, 18 to 19.5.

Adult female.--Like the adult male but larger; chin and throat black; hind neck and sides of neck decorated with a collar of rich chestnut. Iris white; bill yellow, slightly greenish toward tip; legs greenish; nails flesh-colored. Length, 160. Three females measure: Wing, 72 to 81; tail, 29 to 30.5; culmen, 13 to 14; tarsus, 23 to 25; middle toe with claw, 20 to 23.

Young.--Immature birds of both sexes resemble the adult male but the bars of breast are reduced to spots or to irregular V-shaped bars; above more uniform, dull rusty brown and edges of feathers more or less rusty; wing-coverts blackish brown, notched with white.

There is much variation in the color of the upper parts due to wear; birds in fresh plumage (February, Manila) are largely chestnut above and males may have a narrow chestnut collar; the rich color fades and the feathers become abraded very rapidly. A male (March 17, Tarlac) shows scarcely any chestnut and that of a faded hue. The species is easily recognized in any plumage by the black bars (spots in young) on breast.

Eggs.--"The eggs of the Philippine bustard quail are grayish white, densely covered with specks and dots of yellowish brown and small blotches of pale purple. The three examples in the collection [collected by the Steere Expedition in Negros, November 10], are very broad ovals and measure respectively: 28.4 by 21.3; 27 by 21.3; 26 by 21.3." (Oates.)

A nest believed to belong to this species was found in Mindoro, March 23, 1905. It was made of dry grass and placed on the ground in an old clearing, where it was well hidden by the surrounding grass. The three eggs were slightly incubated; two of them measure 25 by 20 and the third measures 24.6 by 19.8. The ground-color is white, closely speckled with dull greenish brown and occasional small spots of various shades of lilac, the larger end rather thickly marked with blotches of blackish brown. One specimen from Manila, July 30, 1908, measures 23.5 by 18.5.

"Common about old paddy-fields and on grassy plains. It flies but a short distance and then buries itself in the grass, where it runs rapidly and hides so well that one is seldom able to flush a bird the second time." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

6. TURNIX OCELLATA (Scopoli).

SPOTTED BUTTON QUAIL.

Oriolus ocellatus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), pt. 2, 88. Turnix ocellata Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 22, 548; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 49; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8.

Pu-gong gu'-bat, Manila.

Luzon (Everett, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor, Worcester, Mearns).

Adult male.--Above mottled and spotted; head and sides of face black with roundish white spots and some rusty edging to feathers; rest of upper parts with large black centers to feathers whose edges are light buff and tips rusty; a slight trace of a chestnut nuchal collar; chin and middle of throat white; breast uniform rufous-chestnut; middle of belly dirty white; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts dirty buff; primaries brown with pale edges; secondaries mottled and with wider, buff edges; coverts and tertials buff, each with a larger, roundish, black spot. "Iris white, upper mandible grayish brown at tip, pale yellow from nostrils back; lower mandible pale yellow, except tip light brown, legs and feet light straw-yellow, except joints and soles light brown; nails gray. Length, 165." (Worcester.) A specimen from Benguet measures: Wing, 93; tail, 33; culmen, 15; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 24.

Adult female.--Similar to male but larger; throat and chin black; chestnut of breast continued above as a wide nuchal collar. Iris white; bill pale yellow, grayish at tip; legs dull yellow; nails whitish. Length, 180; wing, 115; tail, 37; culmen, 17; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 27.5. These measurements are from a specimen taken near Manila.

Young.--In young males the throat is more or less spotted with black and many of the breast-feathers are subterminally spotted with black. In young females the throat is more or less spotted with white.

This is much the largest of the Philippine button quails and appears to be confined to the Island of Luzon.

7. TURNIX WHITEHEADI Grant.

WHITEHEAD'S BUTTON QUAIL.

Turnix whiteheadi Grant, Hand-Book Game Bds. (1896), 2, 276; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 5, 493; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 48; McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 7, pl. I, fig. 2; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8.

Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor).

Adult male.--General color above black, finely vermiculated with gray and dull reddish brown or with dull chestnut; crown mostly black with dull chestnut tips to the feathers; a distinct median line of buff from bill to neck; many feathers on back edged with buff or whitish buff; forehead and whole side of face pale buff, most of the feathers black tipped; chin, upper throat, and abdomen white; breast dark buff; a few black spots on sides of breast; a few feathers on sides, under wings, dull chestnut; quills brown with light edges; long alula-quill edged with white; coverts largely ochraceous-buff or dull chestnut and more or less marked with large black spots; long scapulars broadly edged with ochraceous-buff or pale yellow-buff. Iris white; upper mandible dark horn; lower mandible dull blue; legs and nails flesh-colored. Length, about 120; wing, 56.5 to 61; tail, 16.5 to 28; culmen, 9 to 10; tarsus, 16.5 to 18.

Adult female.--Differs from the adult male in having median crown-line and sides of face pale straw or whitish; a narrow collar of dull chestnut; above generally darker and marked with a greater amount of dull chestnut. Wing, 60 to 64; tail, 18 to 22; culmen, 9.5 to 11.5; tarsus, 17 to 18.

Young.--Immature birds are similar to adults but have the breast white, streaked with dark brown; upper parts more uniformly and less richly colored.

Eggs.--White with numerous, obscure, lilac markings; around the larger end a band of dark sienna; larger end covered to middle of egg with a wash of dark brown; edge of this color-area well-defined and slightly irregular; smaller end of egg with a few small specks and a faint brown wash. Two eggs measure respectively 20 by 16 and 20 by 16.5. Another egg, measuring 20.6 by 16.2, is white, speckled with brown and has nearly one-half the surface, at the larger end, covered with dark vandyke-brown. Eggs are deposited in August so far as known.

The only known specimens of Whitehead's button quail were purchased in the Quinta Market, Manila. It is said that they are trapped in the vicinity of Parañaque, some 7 kilometers from Manila.

8. TURNIX SULUENSIS Mearns.

SULU BUTTON QUAIL.

Turnix suluensis Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 18, 83; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8.

Sulu (Mearns).

"Adult female (type and only specimen).--General color of upper parts walnut-brown, the feathers finely banded and vermiculated with gray and black; top of head clove-brown, the feathers almost imperceptibly edged with gray, divided by a median stripe of isabella-color extending from the base of the bill to the occiput; sides of head and neck buffy white speckled with clove-brown; nape walnut-brown, the feathers edged with gray; mantle walnut-brown, the feathers edged with gray, and vermiculated with black, gray, and traces of very pale cinnamon; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts clove-brown, the feathers narrowly edged with gray on the back and upper rump, more broadly with cinnamon on the lower rump and upper tail-coverts; tail grayish drab, the feathers perceptibly cross-banded with wavy lines of dusky, edged with cinnamon on outer webs, with middle pair of feathers extending 7 mm. beyond the next pair; scapulars and humerals conspicuously edged externally with golden buff and cinnamon; primaries grayish drab, the two outer ones edged externally with wood-brown; secondaries darker drab, edged with cinnamon on the outer web; greater wing-coverts cinnamon, drab at base, with a subterminal black spot on the outer web; lesser wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous, edged with buff, with a subterminal black ocellus; chin, upper throat, and malar region, whitish, the last speckled with blackish brown; lower neck and upper breast clay-color, bordered by a chain of oval black spots, the largest 3 mm. in length; lower breast and middle of belly whitish; sides of lower neck, and sides of chest and breast, chestnut mixed with black and clay-color; flanks light clay-color; under tail-coverts darker clay-color; lining of wings pale clay-color and pale grayish drab. Length of skin, 120; wing, 68; tail, 31; culmen, 11.5; depth of bill at angle of gonys, 3.8; tarsus, 19.5." (Mearns.)

9. TURNIX CELESTINOI McGregor.

CELESTINO'S BUTTON QUAIL.

Turnix celestinoi McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 292, 317.

Bohol (McGregor).

Adult male (type and only specimen).--Ground-color of upper parts black; feathers of head narrowly edged with dull buff, paler on forehead; a narrow median line of pale buff from forehead to nape; hind neck, mantle, rump, and tail-coverts with wavy, broken, cross-lines of dark rusty buff, obsolete on neck; lores and side of head light buff with small black tips to feathers; a patch on each side of neck pale vinaceous-buff with narrow black cross-lines; chin and throat white, each feather with narrow buff tips, middle of abdomen white; rest of lower parts rusty buff or clay-color, a trifle lighter than in T. worcesteri; each feather on sides of breast marked with a wide black bar; primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts, and alula drab-gray; first primary and first feather of alula edged exteriorly with ocherous-buff; secondary-coverts and inner secondaries with wide edges of ocherous-buff preceded by large black spots or bars; wing-lining and axillars drab-gray; tail bluish slate and hidden by the long coverts. Length, 130; wing, 65.5; tail, 18.1; exposed culmen, 11.5; depth of bill at angle of gonys, 4; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 18.5.

The only specimen known was taken on a grassy hill near the town of Guindulman, in Bohol, June 22, 1906. It is closely related to T. suluensis.

10. TURNIX WORCESTERI McGregor.

WORCESTER'S BUTTON QUAIL.

Turnix worcesteri McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 8, pl. 1, fig. 1; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 8.

Luzon (McGregor).

Adult (sexes nearly alike).--General color above black; forehead spotted with white; feathers of crown and nape tipped with pale buff and some edged with white, producing an incomplete white line on middle of head (this line may be perfect in a well made skin); feathers on back and rump barred and tipped with pale buff; tertials and scapulars edged with whitish buff; feathers on sides of face mostly white with black tips; lores white; feathers on sides of neck black, each with a wide, subterminal, white bar; a small black spot behind ear; breast and throat rusty buff or dark clay-color, this color extending up each side of the white chin-area as rusty-buff tips to the feathers and bounded above by the black-tipped white feathers of malar region; flanks, under tail-coverts, and sides of abdomen and breast also rusty buff, but paler; middle of abdomen whitish; a few feathers on sides of abdomen barred with blackish brown; primaries, their coverts, and secondaries drab-gray; four outer primaries narrowly edged with whitish; secondaries barred with whitish on outer webs; secondary-coverts blackish, mottled and edged with pale buff; rectrices blackish, edged with buff. Bill pale bluish; legs flesh-pink, nails slightly darker; iris very pale yellow. A male measures: Length, 120; wing, 65; tail, 27; culmen from base, 10; depth of bill at angle of gonys, 5; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Length of female, 128; wing, 71; tail, 23.5; culmen, 11.4; depth of bill at angle of gonys, 5.8; tarsus, 16.7; middle toe with claw, 18.

Worcester's quail is known from four specimens which were purchased in Quinta Market, Manila. It resembles T. whiteheadi but differs from that species in having the bill much deeper. Major E. A. Mearns informs me that he is quite sure that he saw a live bird of this species in Manila, in August, 1907.

Order COLUMBIFORMES.

DOVES AND PIGEONS.

Tip of bill horny and strongly convex forming a "nail" which is often of a shade or color different from that of the soft, contracted, basal portion; covering of nostril generally tumid; toes four, three in front, cleft to the base or with a slight web; hind toe not elevated; legs and toes never much lengthened; tarsus either slightly longer or slightly shorter than middle toe without claw; wing flat and rather long; in several genera the primaries variously cut or attenuated; tail usually square or slightly rounded; never forked; in Macropygia and Geopelia the rectrices are greatly graduated. A few genera are terrestrial, but most of them are more or less arboreal and generally capable of strong, swift, and sustained flight. Their food is largely grain and small seeds; the larger species feed on the fruits of trees, rarely on the leaves. The nest is a slight structure of twigs placed on the ground, in a shrub, or in a tall tree. Eggs one or two, pure white or slightly cream-colored; in shape rather long, equal ended, ovals.

Suborder COLUMBÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Families.

a1. Soles very broad; tarsus stout, more or less feathered, and generally shorter than middle toe without claw.

b1. Nostril coverings flat or but slightly swollen ... Treronidæ (p. 24) b2. Nostril coverings swollen forming a grape-seed shaped prominence on each side of culmen ... Columbidæ (p. 51)

a2. Soles not greatly expanded on sides of toes; tarsus more slender, unfeathered, and longer than middle toe without claw ... Peristeridæ (p. 54)

Family TRERONIDÆ.

Soles very broad; tarsus stout, more or less feathered; bill stout or large; gape very wide in some; nostril covering flat or somewhat swollen; tail moderate in length, nearly square; medium to large sized species.

Subfamilies.

a1. Under tail-coverts long, their tips reaching well beyond toes; size generally smaller; length, 340 mm. or less.

b1. First primary not attenuated; third primary scooped on middle of inner web, except in Phapitreron which has mostly brown plumage. ... Treroninæ (p. 24) b2. First primary abruptly attenuated, except in Spilotreron which has mostly green plumage; third primary normal ... Ptilopodinæ (p. 36)

a2. Under tail-coverts moderate, their tips reaching little if any beyond toes; size generally larger; length, 360 mm. or more ... Muscadivorinæ (p. 42)

Subfamily TRERONINÆ.

Genera.

a1. General color green or greenish yellow; rectrices fourteen, under coverts usually equal to or longer than shortest rectrix; third primary deeply scooped near middle of inner web.

b1. Horny nail of bill reaching feathers of forehead ... Treron (p. 25) b2. Horny nail of bill not reaching feathers of forehead.

c1. Tail slightly graduated; under tail-coverts broadly streaked, the shafts black ... Sphenocercus (p. 26) c2. Tail square; under tail-coverts not streaked, the shafts of the same color as the webs ... Osmotreron (p. 26)

a2. General color brown; rectrices twelve, under coverts shorter than shortest rectrix; third primary not scooped ... Phapitreron (p. 29)

Genus TRERON Vieillot, 1816.

This genus differs from the other green pigeons in having the horny portion of culmen extending back to frontal feathers; a small naked area around eye; pattern and colors of the plumage very similar to those of Osmotreron axillaris.

11. TRERON NIPALENSIS (Hodgson).

THICK-BILLED GREEN PIGEON.

Toria nipalensis Hodgson, As. Research (1836), 19, 164, pl. 9. Treron nipalensis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 34; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 53; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 82; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9. Treron nasica Steere, List Birds and Mams. Steere Exp. (1890), 24.

Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Steere, Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White). Nepal to Burma, Malay Peninsula, Siam, Cochin China, Tenasserim, Borneo.

Adult male.--Crown ashy, forehead lighter; face and neck dark gray, the latter followed by a narrow line of ashy gray; mantle, including lesser wing-coverts, dark chestnut; lower back, rump, and tail-coverts dark green; under parts yellowish green, breast more yellowish; thighs and flanks darker and greener, mixed with white; under tail-coverts cinnamon; wings black; median and greater wing-coverts and secondaries edged with yellow; some of the inner secondaries tipped with green; tail above, ashy gray with a black band some distance from the tip, but the median rectrices green and the next two partly green. "Legs and feet vary from lake-pink to coral-red; orbital skin pea-green; the irides vary from bright orange to yellowish red, with an inner, deep-blue ring more or less apparent; gape and base of upper mandible to nostril bright red; rest of bill pale yellowish, or greenish white, tipped with greenish." (Hume.) Two males from Palawan measure: Length, 250, 260; wing, 132, 136; tail, 89, 87; culmen from base, 20, 21; tarsus, 19.8, 20.

Adult female.--Differs from the male in having the mantle dark green like lower back; under tail-coverts buffy white with large pointed shaft-marks of dark green. A female from Palawan measures: Length, 250; wing, 130; tail, 84; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 20.

"Two females measure: Length, 210; culmen, 20; wing, 130; tail, 74; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris with outer orange and inner brown ring; bill yellow, red at base of lower mandible." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus SPHENOCERCUS Gray, 1840.

This genus resembles Osmotreron, but it has a longer and more strongly graduated tail and the hard portion of the upper mandible is shorter.

12. SPHENOCERCUS AUSTRALIS McGregor.

SOUTHERN WEDGE-TAILED PIGEON.

Sphenocercus formosæ McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 9; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9. Sphenocercus australis McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 344.

Pú-nay, Calayan; a-ri-da-uang', Batan.

Batan (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor).

Adult male.--General color above olive-green, lighter and grayish on neck and sides of neck; crown ochraceous-buff; lower parts uniform green from chin to abdomen; middle of abdomen white, washed with pale yellow; sides blue-gray; flanks and thighs dark olive-green, mixed with fine lines of pale yellow; under tail-coverts pale yellowish (the longest buffy), each with a wide, dark olive-green shaft-mark; shoulders maroon connected by a maroon band across the back; primaries and secondaries black; secondaries and greater coverts with narrow margins of pale yellow; inner secondaries and tail dark green like back; tail black below with a narrow gray tip. Bill light blue, the tip whitish; skin about eye blue; inner ring of eye clear blue, outer ring pink, a dusky intermediate ring; legs dull carmine, nails pale blue. Length, about 355; three specimens measure: Wing, 188 to 197; tail, 125 to 130; exposed culmen, 19 to 20; tarsus, 24 to 27; middle toe with claw, 38 to 40.

Adult female.--Differs from the male in lacking the ochraceous of crown and the maroon of shoulders and back, the entire upper parts being green. Three specimens measure: Wing, 185 to 189; tail, 118 to 125; culmen, 19 to 19.5; tarsus, 24 to 27; middle toe with claw, 35.5 to 37.5.

This species is closely related to Sphenocercus formosæ and specimens of the two species should be compared. It is not uncommon in Calayan and Camiguin. We were first led to search for it by hearing its weird, prolonged cry which is remarkably like that of a child in pain. Having located the tree in which one of these birds was resting it was difficult to see the bird as its yellowish green under parts were in perfect harmony with the color of the leafy branches.

Genus OSMOTRERON Bonaparte, 1854.

Length, 280 to 305 mm.; colors largely yellow or olive-green; primaries black; secondaries and coverts with conspicuous yellow borders; tail nearly square, moderate in length; under tail-coverts very long, equaling or slightly exceeding rectrices; bill short and moderately stout; feathers covering proximal tarsal joint.

Species.

a1. Tail green above.

b1. Smaller; green of neck and breast lighter and more tinged with yellow. ... axillaris (p. 27) b2. Larger; green of neck and breast darker ... everetti (p. 28)

a2. Tail bluish slate above with a subterminal black bar ... vernans (p. 28)

13. OSMOTRERON AXILLARIS (Bonaparte).

PHILIPPINE GREEN PIGEON.

Treron axillaris Bonaparte, Compt. Rend. (1854), 39, 875. Osmotreron axillaris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 48, pl. 4; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 54; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9.

Pú-nay, in general use.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Meyer, Murray, Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Meyer, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Everett, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Steere, Everett, Keay); Panay (Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibay (Porter); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Tablas (Celestino); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).

Adult male.--Top of head and a narrow band in front of mantle pearl-gray, darker on crown; mantle and lesser coverts rich maroon, forming a wide band across the back; rest of upper parts (except wings) and lower parts, except as beyond, yellowish green, duller and greener on neck and face, darker and richer on rump and tail-coverts, lighter and yellower on lower parts; flanks and thighs dark olive-green; under tail-coverts white, their tips light yellow; wings black; inner secondaries, and median and greater coverts edged with clear lemon-yellow; outer secondaries edged with pale straw-yellow; tail black below with a wide, gray terminal band. Iris light glistening blue; bill dark red at base, bluish beyond nostrils; feet and nails lead-blue. Length, 280 to 305; three males measure: Wing, 153 to 158; tail, 98 to 100; culmen from base, 20 to 23; tarsus, 23 to 24.

Adult female.--Somewhat similar to the male but general coloration darker and greener; edging of wing-coverts paler; maroon of mantle and wings and gray band in front of mantle wanting; under tail-coverts with narrow, dark-green shaft-lines. A female from Lubang measures: Wing, 165; tail, 104; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 22.

This very showy dove is usually found feeding in fruit trees and often in company with the smaller, congeneric species, O. vernans, but the latter is a much rarer bird.

14. OSMOTRERON EVERETTI Rothschild.

EVERETT'S GREEN PIGEON.

Osmotreron axillaris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 48 (part). Osmotreron everetti Rothschild, Nov. Zool. (1894), 1, 41; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9.

Bongao (Everett); Meimbun (Everett?); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Burbidge, Guillemard, Everett).

"Osmotreron everetti resembles O. axillaris from the Philippines, but is altogether a larger bird; the purplish chestnut mantle is bordered above by a very conspicuous interscapulary band of lavender-gray, of the same color as the crown; this color is of a lighter shade than in O. axillaris and the interscapulary band is much less distinct and not so pure gray in the latter. In O. everetti the green of the neck and breast is a shade lighter and more tinged with yellow, the abdomen paler and more grayish along the middle. Length, about 279; wing, 161 to 165 ([female] 162 to 165); tail, 91 to 92; bill, 19; tarsus, 23. 'Iris greenish silvery' (Everett); 'iris pearly green; bill red at base, blue at tip; feet pale slate.' (Guillemard.) I have no female of true O. axillaris to compare, but the female of O. everetti seems to be the larger, and the mantle much darker olive." (Rothschild.)

I have seen no specimens of Everett's green pigeon.

15. OSMOTRERON VERNANS (Linnæus).

PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON.

Columba vernans Linnæus, Mantissa Plantarum (1771), 526. Osmotreron vernans Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 60; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 54; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 83; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 9.

Pú-nay. in general use.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Steere Exp., McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Everett, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Siasi (Guillemard); Sibay (Porter); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino). Celebes, Malay Peninsula, Indo-Malay Islands, Indo-Chinese provinces.

Adult male.--Head, chin, and upper throat blue-gray, darkest on crown; forehead, sides of face, chin, and throat faintly greenish; neck all round and sides of head behind eye lavender-gray, forming a narrow band on hind neck and a wide patch on lower throat, followed by a patch of deep orange on breast; lower breast and abdomen yellowish green, clear lemon-yellow on middle of belly; sides and lining of wing blue-gray; flanks and thighs dark olive-green, the latter streaked with light lemon-yellow; under tail-coverts chestnut; back, rump, mantle, and secondary-coverts dull gray-green, richer green on the coverts; upper tail-coverts like rump but with a faint chestnut wash; primaries, alula, primary-coverts, and outer secondaries black; some of the primaries and secondaries edged with yellow; greater coverts broadly margined with pale yellow, forming a conspicuous band; rectrices slate-gray above, each with a black subterminal band and washed with green near the base; rectrices blackish below with narrow slate-gray tips. Base of bill black, tip pale blue; iris light yellow; legs and feet coral-pink. Salvadori quotes the following iris colors from Davidson: "Irides with three rings, the outer one rose-pink, the next prussian-blue, the innermost ultramarine-blue." Length, 280; wing, 147; tail, 92; culmen from base, 19; tarsus, 23.

Adult female.--Nearly all green; somewhat similar to the male but darker green above; the lavender wanting on head and neck, and orange wanting on breast, these parts being dark green; under tail-coverts pale yellow, more or less washed with cinnamon on inner webs. One female from Mariveles, Bataan Province, measures: Length, 280; wing, 148; tail, 93; culmen from base, 19; tarsus, 22.

"Young male.--Resembles the female, but with some trace of the vinaceous purple color on the neck, and of the brown-orange on the breast.

"Young female.--Has the rufescent color of the upper tail-coverts scarcely visible, and the central tail-feathers more or less tinged with green.

"Some specimens have the forehead and throat more or less tinged with greenish, but they are not confined to a particular locality. I have seen in the Museum of Paris a variety entirely of a canary-yellow." (Salvadori.)

"Its nest is a mere platform of twigs, grass-stems, tendrils, and leaves, measuring about 180 mm. in breadth. The eggs are nearly oval in form, pure white in color, and measure 31 by 24." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus PHAPITRERON Bonaparte, 1854.

Length, 230 to 280 mm.; sexes alike in color; colors nearly uniform brown of various shades; a wide iridescent band on neck; primaries neither scooped nor cut; rectrices graduated and rounded and with gray tips; under tail-coverts gray or dark buff. Birds of this genus are closely related inter se, maculipectus alone showing a slight departure from the type in its mottled breast. The species fall naturally into two groups which might take the rank of subgenera were anything to be gained thereby. The first five species (see key to species), the amethystina group are rare deep-woods birds; their colors are generally darker brown than those of the leucotis group and the bill is noticeably longer and heavier, being longer than tarsus. The five species of the leucotis group are fairly common in their respective ranges; they are to be found in more open country or even on the borders of rice-fields; in this group the tarsus equals, or is slightly greater than, the culmen.

Species.

a1. Culmen more than 19 mm.; longer than tarsus.

b1. Breast not mottled.

c1. Under tail-coverts cinnamon or ocherous-brown.

d1. Breast brown; wing longer ... amethystina (p. 30) d2. Breast pearly ash; wing shorter ... brunneiceps (p. 32)

c2. Under tail-coverts ashy gray.

d1. Under tail-coverts not tipped with fulvous ... cinereiceps (p. 31) d2. Under tail-coverts slightly tipped with fulvous ... frontalis (p. 32)

b2. Breast distinctly mottled ... maculipectus (p. 33)

a2. Culmen less than 17 mm.; equal to or less than tarsus.

b1. Forehead gray or fulvous, not white.

c1. Throat and cheeks deep ruddy fulvous.

d1. Throat darker; occiput dull amethystine-rufous ... leucotis (p. 33) d2. Throat lighter; occiput bright coppery amethystine ... occipitalis (p. 34)

c2. Throat and cheeks pale fulvous.

d1. Forehead grayish; light streak under eye fulvous ... nigrorum (p. 35) d2. Forehead pale fulvous; light streak under eye white ... brevirostris (p. 35)

b3. Forehead and chin pure white ... albifrons (p. 36)

16. PHAPITRERON AMETHYSTINA Bonaparte.

AMETHYSTINE BROWN PIGEON.

Phapitreron amethystina Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 28; Compt. Rend. (1855), 40, 214; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10. Phabotreron amethystina Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. (1875), 9, 214, pl. 34, fig. 2; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 66; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55.

Bohol (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Meyer, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Goodfellow, Celestino); Panaon (Everett); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead).

Adult.--A black line below eye from gape to neck; below this a line of white mixed with reddish brown; general color above dark brown, lighter on forehead and fore crown; bird held toward the light, neck and its sides, beautiful, iridescent purple and violet-blue; wing-coverts, back, rump, and tail-coverts, dark glossy green; bird held away from the light, neck and sides of neck blue or deep violet; wings, back, tail, and its coverts washed with purple; below uniform light brown except middle of abdomen and tail-coverts which are dark buff; tail dark brown with a broad, apical, gray band, the middle pair of rectrices do not show this band from above. Iris light brown; bare skin about eyes dark, dirty red; bill black; legs and feet bright carmine; nails horn-colored. Length, about 255. In a male from Bataan Province, Luzon, the wing is 140; tail, 99; culmen, 23; tarsus, 20.5. Salvadori gives the following measurements: Wing, 146; tail, 78; bill, 22; tarsus, 22.

"A rare bird in the few islands where it is found. Legs dull pink; iris dark brown; feet dark pink; nails brown; bill black. Length, 292; wing, 145; tail, 97; culmen, 25; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 30." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

17. PHAPITRERON CINEREICEPS Bourns and Worcester.

GRAY-HEADED PIGEON.

Phabotreron cinereiceps Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 8; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Phapitreron cinereiceps McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).

"Adult.--Top of head, nape, and sides of neck clear ashy gray, slightly washed with rufous on forehead; hind neck amethystine as in P. amethystina; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts brown with bronze reflections, the tail-coverts slightly more ruddy than back; four outer pairs of tail-feathers dark brown, lighter at base; two central pairs ruddy brown with bronze reflections; all the tail-feathers with ashy tips which form a distinct terminal band 6 mm. in width; shafts of tail-feathers black; wing-coverts and secondaries uniform with back; primaries dark brown, the first five sharply edged with rusty brown on outer web; a narrow black stripe under eye; sides of face, ear-coverts, fore neck, and breast rich ruddy brown, the breast with a slight metallic gloss; chin and throat lighter; abdomen and thighs fulvous brown; flanks darker with slight metallic wash; under tail-coverts clear ashy gray; shafts of tail-feathers with basal half black, apical half white; under surface of tail nearly black, the terminal gray band distinct and wider than on upper surface, measuring 15 mm. on outer pair of feathers; under wing-coverts and axillars like the flanks; under surface of quills uniform dark brown. Bill black; legs and feet dirty purplish; nails black; iris in one specimen bright yellow, in another orange-red. Length, 260; wing, 134; tail, 99; culmen, 20; tarsus, 18. Sexes alike." (Bourns and Worcester.)

This species is known from the types only.

18. PHAPITRERON BRUNNEICEPS Bourns and Worcester.

BROWN-HEADED PIGEON.

Phabotreron brunneiceps Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 9; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Phapitreron brunneiceps McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 281.

Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).

"Adult.--Above dark brown with greenish reflections; amethystine spot on hind neck less blue than in P. amethystina; top of head brown, forehead slightly lighter and nape slightly darker than crown; sides of face and ear-coverts brown, paler than crown; a narrow, dark brown streak under eye; chin and throat grayish fulvous; breast pearly ash; abdomen, flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts ochraceous-brown; under surface of tail brownish black with a broad, gray, terminal band; under wing-coverts and axillars fulvous-brown; primaries with sharply defined light edges on upper web; below slightly more ashy; tail-feathers brown above with distinct terminal bands of gray, central pair with slight metallic gloss; shafts of quills black above and below except the terminal 15 mm. which are white. Bill black; feet dark pink; nails brown; iris orange-red. Length, 255; wing, 132; tail, 89; culmen, 24; tarsus, 18. A well-defined species distinguished from P. amethystina by its smaller size and the entirely different color of its under surface." (Bourns and Worcester.)

This species is very distinct from P. amethystina being smaller and differently colored. A male measures: Length, 267; wing, 135; tail, 100; culmen from base, 25.

19. PHAPITRERON FRONTALIS Bourns and Worcester.

CEBU AMETHYSTINE PIGEON.

Phabotreron frontalis Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 10; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Phapitreron frontalis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Cebu (Bourns & Worcester).

"Adult.--General color of upper surface as in P. brunneiceps but forehead and crown lighter, nape washed with ashy gray, and lacking metallic gloss; tail glossed with dull bronze instead of amethystine and the terminal band less strongly marked than in brunneiceps; under surface much as in brunneiceps but everywhere darker; under tail-coverts ashy gray, slightly tipped with fulvous; tail much as in brunneiceps, the outer web of outer pair of feathers being, however, light brown; basal half of shafts dirty whitish; apical fourth white, rest brown. Iris pale orange; bill black; legs and feet purple; nails light brown. Sexes alike. Length, 260; wing, 140; tail, 100; culmen, 51; tarsus, 21." (Bourns and Worcester.)

The length of culmen given above (2 inches in original description) is undoubtedly an error.

20. PHAPITRERON MACULIPECTUS Bourns and Worcester.

MOTTLED AMETHYSTINE PIGEON.

Phabotreron maculipectus Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 10; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55; Grant, Ibis (1896), 563. Phapitreron maculipectus McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).

"Adult male.--Upper surface exactly as in P. amethystina except that the primaries are slightly darker; dark brown stripe under eye extending from gape through ear-coverts to hind neck; below this a white stripe and a second shorter dark stripe below the latter; cheeks fulvous brown; chin and throat more ruddy brown; breast clear ashy gray, each feather having an edging distinctly lighter than its center, producing a beautiful mottled appearance; feathers on center of fore breast washed with brown and forming a distinct patch; feathers of abdomen lack the dark centers, and their edges washed with light brown; thighs and under tail-coverts cinnamon-brown, much lighter than in P. amethystina; under surface of tail-feathers dark brown, nearly black, with faint metallic gloss and a broad, gray, terminal band; shafts of feathers black changing to white at tips; under surface of wing and axillars uniform fulvous brown. Bill black; feet dark pink; nails dark brown, nearly black. Wing, 145; tail, 115; culmen, 26; tarsus, 20. Length not taken from birds in flesh. This beautiful species was obtained in the Island of Negros on the mountains of the interior, where it is by no means common. It is distinguished from all the other species of the genus by its fine mottled breast." (Bourns and Worcester.)

21. PHAPITRERON LEUCOTIS (Temminck).

NORTHERN WHITE-EARED PIGEON.

Columba leucotis Temminck, Pl. Col. (1823), 189. Phabotreron leucotis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 67; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 83. Phapitreron leucotis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10; McGregor, Bur. Govt. Labs. Manila (1905), 34, 6, pl. 3 (nest). Geopelia striata Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 246 (eggs)! error.

Ba-to ba-to tu-loc, Manila; cu-lu-cu-luc, Lubang.

Catanduanes (Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Everett, McGregor, Porter).

Adult.--A black line from gape to nape below eye; below this a white line from opposite the posterior border of eye to nape; above, general color brown; forehead and crown dark gray; below brown; chin, upper throat, and cheeks ruddy fulvous; lower breast and abdomen slightly ochraceous, much paler posteriorly; under tail-coverts dark pearl-gray; wings brown; primaries with pale edges; rectrices brown, each with a wide, terminal, gray band. Metallic reflections; specimen held toward the light, occiput, neck, sides of neck, throat, breast, sides of body, and flanks bronze-green; a blue collar on hind neck and a blue band across interscapulars; back, rump, and wing-coverts touched with purple; when specimen is held away from the light the blue bands change to green; the green of neck and lower parts becomes purple; the back, wing-coverts, tail-coverts, and rectrices are touched with violet and dark purple. Iris varies, usually mottled pinkish surrounded by a narrow white ring or a pale blue ring; bill black; legs carmine; nails horn-brown. Length, about 235. Three males average: Wing, 134; tail, 81; culmen from base, 18; tarsus, 20.

Four eggs taken by Whitehead at Cape Engaño in May, 1895, are "glossy and measure from 26.5 to 28.5 in length, and from 19.5 to 20 in breadth." (Oates.)

"Fairly common in deep woods. Breeds in April. Legs and feet deep pink; nails brown. Length, 260; wing, 127; tail, 95; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 29." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

This species is fairly abundant in the islands where it occurs. Several nests were found in Mindoro; they were constructed of twisted plant tendrils which material gave the nests the appearance of being made of spiral springs. The nest was invariably placed in a small tree and rested on a horizontal branch at from 2 to 6 meters from the ground. Eggs and nestlings were found from April 8 to May 6.

22. PHAPITRERON OCCIPITALIS Salvadori.

BASILAN WHITE-EARED PIGEON.

Phabotreron occipitalis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 68; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Phapitreron occipitalis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).

Adult (sexes similar).--"Similar to P. leucotis, but the rufous throat more vinous, and the occiput of a coppery amethystine, very conspicuous; the back and wings of a more greenish hue. 'Iris light warm brown; bill black; feet carmine.' (Everett.) Length, about 230; wing, 127; tail, 91; bill, 15; tarsus, 20." (Salvadori.)

"Iris purple; legs and feet dark pink; nails brown; bill black. Length, 250; wing, 126; tail, 86; culmen, 18; tarsus, 18.5; middle toe with claw, 28. Abundant in Basilan. A deep woods bird." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

23. PHAPITRERON NIGRORUM Sharpe.

NEGROS WHITE-EARED PIGEON.

Phabotreron nigrorum Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. Zool. (1877), 1, 346, 353; Hand-List (1899), 1, 55; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 68. Phapitreron nigrorum McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Tuc-mó, Masbate, Ticao, and in general use.

Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Layard, Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).

Adult.--Very similar to Phapitreron leucotis but smaller; chin, sides of face, and upper throat much paler; the white line on auricular region replaced by a wider line of pale fulvous from bill to nape. Bill black; iris gray; legs dark scarlet; nails brown. Four specimens, two of each sex, measure: Wing, 119 to 124 (122); tail, 90 to 96.5 (94); culmen from base, 17 to 18 (17.5); tarsus, 16.5 to 18 (17.5).

"Very common in the forests of the central Philippines. Iris dark brown; legs and feet dark pink; nails leaden; bill black. Length, 229 to 250; wing, 119 to 127; tail, 84 to 96; culmen, 17 to 19; middle toe with claw, 26 to 29." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

24. PHAPITRERON BREVIROSTRIS Tweeddale.

SHORT-BILLED PIGEON.

Phabotreron brevirostris Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 549; Challenger Report (1881), 2, Zool. pt. 8, pl. 6; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 69; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Phapitreron brevirostris McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Goodfellow, Clemens, Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard).

"Similar to P. leucotis, from which it differs in having the forehead and throat grayish fulvous, the occiput constantly amethystine, and the rectrices with a decided amethystine tinge; it resembles also P. nigrorum, especially as regards the coloring of the forehead and throat, but it differs in having the subocular streak white and the occiput more amethystine. Length, about 240; wing, 124; tail, 99; bill, 13; tarsus, 19." (Salvadori.)

"It seems to us that there must be something wrong about the Sulu record of P. brevirostris. We obtained no pigeons of the P. leucotis type in Sulu, and the single specimen obtained by us in Tawi Tawi has been lost or destroyed, so that we are unable to identify it, but it would be indeed remarkable if P. brevirostris should give way to P. occipitalis in Basilan only to reappear in Sulu. In the face of Count Salvadori's identification of Guillemard's specimen, however, we have nothing to say.

"Iris purple; legs and feet deep purple; nails brown. Five birds from Samar and Siquijor average: Length, 235; wing, 122; tail, 83; culmen, 19; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 26. A female from Mindanao is larger, measuring: Length, 250; wing, 127; tail, 94; culmen, 17; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 28." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

25. PHAPITRERON ALBIFRONS McGregor.

BOHOL WHITE-EARED PIGEON.

Phabotreron brevirostris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 69 (part). Phapitreron albifrons McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 317.

Li-mú-con, Bohol.

Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

Adult male (type).--General color brown, much darker above, with iridescent reflections most pronounced on nape, mantle, and breast; merging rather abruptly into dark gray of crown; occiput, nape, and sides of head ruddy brown; from gape a narrow brown line passing below eye with a wider white line underneath, both lines reaching beyond ear-coverts; chin white, gradually changing to gray on throat and ochraceous on breast and abdomen; under tail-coverts and a wide band at end of tail pale french-gray; wings uniform with the back; primaries with a narrow light brown edge on outer webs; with the bird held toward the light the occiput and nape are glossed with green, followed by a patch of metallic blue, this followed on interscapulars by a wide band of metallic green extending to sides of neck and narrowly bordered behind by blue; the wings and remaining upper parts have a dull green gloss; with the bird held away from the light the green changes to purple and this metallic color shows also on throat, breast, and sides of neck. Length, 234; wing, 122; tail, 81; culmen from base, 16; tarsus, 17.

Female.--Similar to the male. In this species the terminal half of bill is black; basal half of bill, skin around eyes, and feet dull crimson; iris brown; nails gray.

Egg.--A hard-shelled egg was taken from a female killed on June 7, 1906; another egg, obtained in the same manner four days later, measures 27 by 21 and is pure white in color.

This species is most closely related to P. brevirostris but it differs in having a white forehead and brown subocular line.

Subfamily PTILOPODINÆ.

Forest inhabiting pigeons of medium size; upper surface rich green; no band across lower back.

Genera.

a1. First primary abruptly attenuated.

b1. Tail rather long; pectoral feathers not bifurcated. ... Leucotreron (p. 37) b2. Tail moderate; pectoral feathers bifurcated. ... Lamprotreron (p. 40)

a2. First primary not so abruptly attenuated; slightly narrowed at tip. ... Spilotreron (p. 41)

Genus LEUCOTRERON Bonaparte, 1854.

First primary with both webs greatly reduced in width near the tip; tail square; tarsus feathered for more than half its length. Forest inhabiting pigeons of medium size.

Species.

a1. Larger, length, 330 mm. or more; under tail-coverts green or gray, broadly edged with buff.

b1. Secondaries uniform green. ... occipitalis (p. 37) b2. Secondaries with a conspicuous red patch. ... marchei (p. 38)

a2. Smaller, length, 300 mm. or less; under tail-coverts uniform, dark cinnamon. ... leclancheri (p. 39)

26. LEUCOTRERON OCCIPITALIS (Bonaparte).

YELLOW-BREASTED FRUIT PIGEON.

Ramphiculus occipitalis Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 17. Xenotreron incognita Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 832. Ptilopus occipitalis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 72. Leucotreron occipitalis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1907), 10.

Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Meyer, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Whitehead); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor).

Adult (sexes alike).--Forehead pale gray with a yellow wash, blending into light slate-gray mixed with green on center of crown; on back of head a wide band of dark purple or deep cherry-red, extending over ear-coverts and sides of face below the eyes; remainder of upper parts, including wings and tail, nearly uniform, rich green; rectrices and quills partly blue when held toward the light; whole upper parts slightly bronze away from the light; feathers of chin and upper throat white with a yellow wash on tips; lower throat and sides of neck and breast light gray; breast covered by a large oval patch of old-gold-yellow, just behind this a broad band of deep purple; middle of abdomen pearl-gray and white; sides and flanks green; under tail-coverts light buff, the inner webs largely green; rectrices gray below with light gray tips, above very narrowly edged with light ocherous; some of the primaries and secondaries narrowly edged with buff; tips of the green tarsal feathers reaching toes. A male from Sibuyan measures: Length, 340; wing, 160; tail, 115; culmen from base, 18; middle toe with claw, 35. A male from Basilan: Wing, 148; tail, 115; culmen from base, 18; middle toe with claw, 33. A female from Mindoro: Length, 320; wing, 153; tail, 113; culmen from base, 19; middle toe with claw, 34.

Young.--The immature bird differs from the adult in having top of head, neck, and sides of face uniform green (or with a few purple feathers) and the yellow and purple areas of breast indicated by a few scattered feathers of these colors. The first primary is attenuated but not so abruptly cut on inner web as it is in the adult. In a young female from Sibuyan the bill was dull red at base; tip brown; feet pink; nails black.

27. LEUCOTRERON MARCHEI (Oustalet).

MARCHE'S FRUIT PIGEON.

Ptilopus (Rhamphiculus) marchei Oustalet, Le Naturaliste (1880), 324. Ptilopus marchei Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 75; Grant, Ibis (1895), 1, 468; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 486. Leucotreron marchii Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Leucotreron marchei McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Luzon (Marche, Whitehead, Worcester).

"Adult male.--Entire top of head dull crimson-red, the same color being continued down the sides of the cheeks, on either side of the throat; feathers surrounding the eye light red; hind cheek and ear-coverts dusky black; back and sides of the neck and upper part of the breast pearl-gray, forming a collar which completely separates the dull crimson crown from the dusky black mantle and back; wings like the back, but with green reflections; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts bronze-brown with green reflections; primary quills black, finely edged with pale yellow; the two outer secondaries are similarly margined, the remainder edged with crimson along the middle of the outer web, the crimson barbs being loose and free and forming a large patch on the wing; tail bronze-brown, broadly edged with brownish gray, beneath dark gray tipped with whitish; chin and middle of throat brownish buff; in the center of the gray breast a large patch of bright orange-vermilion washed with lake, shading into deep red-lake below; this is followed by a patch of creamy white; rest of under parts dull pearly gray, most of the feathers finely edged with creamy yellow; under tail-coverts buff, with brownish gray centers. 'Eye: inner ring yellow, outer lake-red; bill at base brick-red, tipped with yellow; feet deep coral-red.' (Whitehead.) Length, 400; wing, 180; tail, 129; tarsus, 32.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but crown of a less crimson tinge; lower part of the back, rump, and tail bronze-green, distinctly greener than in the male; upper part of the breast-patch orange-red without the crimson wash. Length, 373; wing, 173; tail, 114; tarsus, 29.

"Young male.--The whole of the upper parts is brownish bronze shot with green; the dull crimson of the top of the head and the free crimson webs of the secondaries are just beginning to make their appearance; the whole of the feathers of the chest and upper breast are gray, widely tipped with bronze-green, the only patches of pure gray feathers being visible on each side of the neck. The orange-red breast-patch is represented by a deep orange feather in the middle of the chest and some dark carmine feathers. Otherwise the rest of the plumage is much like that of the adult." (Grant.)

Marche's fruit pigeon was described in 1880 from a single specimen which remained unique for fifteen years when Whitehead rediscovered the species in Lepanto. So far as we at present know, this species is confined to this subprovince and the neighboring subprovince of Bontoc. The Igorots say that at certain seasons of the year these birds become very fat and heavy and that they are then taken by pursuing them until they are exhausted. This account is probably correct as the specimens seen in the possession of the Igorots are not injured, while birds taken in snares or with bird-lime are seldom fit for specimens. This species may be recognized at once by the large red patch on the secondaries. In 1903 a pigeon, probably of this species, was killed in Bontoc by the Hon. Dean C. Worcester but the skin was lost.

28. LEUCOTRERON LECLANCHERI (Bonaparte).

BLACK-CHINNED FRUIT PIGEON.

Treroloema leclancheri Bonaparte, Compt. Rend. (1855), 41, 247. Leucotreron gironieri Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. (1875), 9, 213, pl. 34, fig. 1. Ptilopus leclancheri Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 79. Leucotreron leclancheri Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 56; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Ca-pil'-la, Manila.

Bantayan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Burger); Guimaras (Meyer); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Negros (Everett, Steere Exp.); Palawan (Everett, Platen, White); Panay (Meyer); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.--Chin black; head, neck, throat, and breast pearl-gray, washed with dull green on occiput and hind neck, washed with ocherous yellow on throat and crop; remainder of upper parts green, brightest on wings and tail, the latter tipped with dull yellowish brown; primaries edged with white near their tips; some of the secondaries edged with ocherous-yellow; behind the gray of breast a dark chestnut band, blackish on its anterior border; middle of abdomen white, washed with cinnamon or in some specimens with yellowish buff; under tail-coverts cinnamon; rectrices below, brown with gray tips; remainder of under parts dull green. Iris bright red; bill bright yellow; base of lower mandible, and feet dark crimson; nails dark brown. Length, 280 to 305; measurements of three specimens give: Wing, 144 to 145; tail, 104 to 105; culmen from base, 19 to 20; tarsus, 18 to 20.

Adult female.--Forehead blue-gray; chin black; throat and breast green; dark chestnut pectoral-band, and other parts, as in the male. A female from Sibuyan has the wing, 145, and tail, 104; a female from Calayan is larger; wing, 157; tail, 114.

Young.--Green, chin cinnamon; pectoral-band wanting or indicated by a few chestnut feathers; abdomen white or washed with buff; under tail-coverts slightly paler than in the adult.

Leclancher's pigeon is generally found in forest and, although widely distributed, it does not occur in great numbers, except when feeding in fruit trees; it appears to be strictly arboreal in habits. Specimens from Camiguin, Calayan, and Batan are considerably larger than specimens from more southern islands. The nest as observed in Camiguin, north of Luzon, was a slight platform of twigs placed on a horizontal branch at from 1.5 to 4.5 meters from the ground. Four nests contained but one egg each. Three eggs are white in color and measure, respectively: 35 by 23, 35 by 25, and 31 by 24.

Genus LAMPROTRERON Bonaparte, 1854.

Lamprotreron is distinguished from all other Philippine genera by having the breast-feathers bifurcated, as if the tip of the shaft had been cut off of each feather.

29. LAMPROTRERON TEMMINCKI (Prevost and Des Murs).

TEMMINCK'S FRUIT PIGEON.

Kurukuru temminckii Prevost and Des Murs, Voy. Venus, Zool. (1849), 234. Ptilopus temmincki Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 115; Meyer and Wiglesworth, Bds. Celebes (1898), 2, 613. Lamprotreron temmincki Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 58; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11. Ptilopus formosus Guillemard, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1885), 269.

Sulu (Guillemard). Celebes.

"Adult male.--General color above parrot-green, the inner wing-coverts, scapulars, and inner quills with an oval black spot near the ends; entire head above aster-purple; hind neck and sides of neck dragon's-blood-red, shading off into the green of the mantle; sides of occiput and ear-coverts green, becoming gray on malar region, chin, throat, and jugulum; the upper breast rose-purple, the feathers on chest and jugulum forked at the tip (as if the middle part of the web had been cut out with scissors); passing on lower breast into a broad band of blackish plum-purple; on and near the carpal edge a large spot of this color; sides, thighs, and flanks green, thighs grayer, flanks tipped with naples-yellow; abdomen and under tail-coverts yellowish white, the inner webs of the latter partly green; center tail-feathers above green, grayish at tip, all the lateral tail-feathers blackish, tipped with gray, washed with green; tail below dusky grayish, terminal bar whitish; quills above black, washed externally with green, finely edged with yellowish; wings below slaty, the first primary much attenuated for about 2 cm. and incurved.

"Adult female.--Above all parrot-green, except for a patch of aster-purple on crown and occiput, and purplish black spots on the scapulars and inner-coverts; breast green, without rose-purple and the dark plum-purple band of the male.

"Immature male.--Closely resembling the female; forehead green with the purple feathers of the crown intermingled; dark purple breast-band commencing to form; breast grayer than in the female.

"Young in first plumage.--Bright parrot-green, the wing-coverts and secondaries broadly margined with light yellow, the back, rump, and scapulars, and breast more finely margined with yellow; remaining under parts much as in the female; tail tipped with yellowish white; no purple on head or elsewhere.

"Wing, 128 to 140; tail, 95; tarsus, 22; culmen from cranium suture, 17 to 19." (Meyer and Wiglesworth.)

Male.--"Iris sea-green; bill green, reddish at base; tarsus greenish olive. Length, 295; wing, 144." (Salvadori.)

Genus SPILOTRERON Salvadori, 1882.

First primary slightly attenuated on its distal third; tail square; tarsus feathered nearly to the toes.

30. SPILOTRERON BANGUEYENSIS (A. B. Meyer).

MEYER'S FRUIT PIGEON.

Ptilopus bangueyensis Meyer, Jour. für Orn. (1891), 70; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 143. Spilotreron bangueyensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 61; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11. Ptilopus purpureinucha Meyer, Jour. für Orn. (1891), 71.

Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cagayan Sulu (Mearns); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp.); Palawan (Lempriere, Whitehead); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Burbidge, Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Banguey.

Adult male.--Bright leaf-green, mantle slightly yellowish; head, neck, and throat pearly gray; chin and upper throat yellow; a large patch on occiput and hind neck black; lower abdomen and short tail-coverts bright yellow; longer tail-coverts bright carmine, narrowly tipped with yellow; secondaries and greater coverts very narrowly edged with yellow. Eyelids, iris, and bill greenish yellow; feet rose-pink; nails brown. Length, 240. Two males from Basilan, wing, 123, 116; tail, 85; exposed culmen, 16, 15; middle toe with claw, 26.

Adult female.--Entirely green, except the under tail-coverts which are green, washed with carmine, and narrowly tipped with yellow. Two females from Basilan measure: Wing, 121, 118; tail, 79, 80; exposed culmen, 16, 14; middle toe with claw, 26, 25.

Young.--Similar to the adult female but with little or no carmine on under tail-coverts.

"This, the most northern form of the Spilotreron group, is very nearly related to the most southern one, from which it is not easily distinguished. The slight purple tinge of the black occipital spot, on which Dr. Meyer relies to separate the Basilan bird, appears only in certain individuals, but is absent in the majority of specimens. As to the collar of the bird from Banguey, which is described as whitish gray, I do not find that it is different from that of the specimens from other localities." (Salvadori.)

"The blue spot on the nape on which Meyer relies to separate the Basilan birds is a minus quantity in our five specimens from that island, though they are in breeding plumage. This species is quite common in Sulu and Tawi Tawi, and is sometimes found feeding in isolated trees in open fields.

"Iris yellow; legs dark pink; feet same color; nails nearly black; bill and eye-wattle light greenish yellow. Length, 230; wing, 121; tail, 81; culmen, 33; middle toe with claw, 29." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily MUSCADIVORINÆ.

This group includes the largest species of forest pigeons.

Genera.

a1. Colors above, except head, metallic blue, green, purple, or bronze; or the tail at least metallic green above.

b1. First primary not scooped on inner web; lower parts uniform in color. ... Muscadivores (p. 42) b2. First primary deeply scooped on inner web.

c1. No light band on tail. ... Ptilocolpa (p. 45) c2. Tail crossed by a conspicuous gray band. ... Zonophaps (p. 48)

a2. Colors cream and slate; no metallic colors on any part of plumage. ... Myristicivora (p. 50)

Genus MUSCADIVORES Gray, 1855.

Inner web of first primary very slightly attenuated; gape deeply cleft; tarsus stout and feathered in front for half its length. Upper parts, except head and neck, metallic blue or green; tail nearly uniform with the back and wings, without a light band; head and lower parts pearl-gray or pale vinaceous-gray.

Species.

a1. Larger; back and scapulars glossy green or coppery bronze.

b1. Nape with a coppery chestnut patch. ... nuchalis (p. 43) b2. Nape without a coppery chestnut patch.

c1. Gray of mantle lighter and more sharply defined from the green back.

d1. Upper surface of tail lighter and greener. ... chalybura (p. 43) d2. Upper surface of tail darker and bluer. ... palawanensis (p. 44)

c2. Gray of mantle darker and less sharply defined. ... ænea (p. 44)

a2. Smaller; back and scapulars glossy brown with but little metallic color.

b1. Under parts lighter. ... pickeringi (p. 44) b2. Under parts darker. ... langhornei (p. 45)

31. MUSCADIVORES NUCHALIS (Cabanis).

CHESTNUT-NAPED IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Carpophaga nuchalis Cabanis, Jour. für Orn. (1882), 126; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 190; Grant, Ibis (1895), 116; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 487; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 64. Muscadivora nuchalis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11.

Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Fuga (Whitehead); Luzon (Whitehead); Mindoro (teste Hartert).

This species has been established on the character of a cupreous chestnut nape; otherwise it differs but slightly from M. chalybura with which it appears to intergrade. Its status is somewhat doubtful.

32. MUSCADIVORES CHALYBURA (Bonaparte).

BONAPARTE'S IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Carpophaga chalybura Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 32. Carpophaga ænea Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 190, 193 (part). Muscadivora ænea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11 (part).

Baud, Bohol; bá-lud, Ticao, Manila, and in general use.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).

Very closely related to M. ænea but gray of hind neck and upper mantle lighter and more sharply defined from the metallic green of the back; tail with less blue tinge. Iris bright red; bill gray; legs and feet dull red.

A male from Mindoro measures: Length, 420; wing, 240; tail, 156; exposed culmen, 25; tarsus, 28.

A female from Ticao: Length, 420; wing, 232; tail, 147; exposed culmen, 24; tarsus, 25.

This is the common balud, or fruit pigeon, inhabiting the Philippines.

33. MUSCADIVORES PALAWANENSIS (Blasius).

PALAWAN IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Carpophaga ænea palawanensis Blasius, Ornis (1888), 4, 316. Carpophaga ænea Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 190, 193 (part). Muscadivora ænea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11 (part).

Balabac (Steere); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan (Steere, Everett, Lempriere, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White).

Very much like M. chalybura but tail darker and generally bluer on its upper surface. Male: Length, 455; wing, 250; tail, 163. Female: Length, 445; wing, 250; tail, 163.

This bird is a very slightly differentiated race of the green imperial pigeon.

34. MUSCADIVORES ÆNEA (Linnæus).

GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Columba ænea Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 283. Carpophaga ænea Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 190, 193 (part); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 64; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 85. Muscadivora ænea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11 (part).

Bongao (Everett); Sulu (Burbidge, Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, Indo-Chinese countries, Malay Peninsula, Sunda Islands.

Adult (sexes alike).--Head, neck, and abdomen gray, tinged with vinaceous; breast gray; forehead and chin whitish; under tail-coverts dark chestnut; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings metallic green, mixed with metallic copper-color; primaries and secondaries blackish with mealy edges. "Iris red; bill gray; region of nostrils dull red; edges of eyelids, legs, and feet purplish red." (Oates.) Length, about 450; wing, 240; tail, 150; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 27. Female slightly smaller than male.

35. MUSCADIVORES PICKERINGI (Cassin).

PICKERING'S IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Carpophaga pickeringii Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. (1854), 7, 228; Ornith. Wilkes Exped. (1858), 267, pl. 27. Carpophaga pickeringi Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 201; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 65. Muscadivora pickeringi McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11.

A-bu-un, Cagayancillo.

Cagayancillo [6] (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Guillemard). Mantanani Islands, Lawas River, northwest Borneo.

"Adult male.--Head and under parts grayish vinous, changing into pure gray on lower hind neck and upper mantle; frontal edge, a ring of feathers round eyes, and chin whitish; back, rump, and wings grayish green (in some specimens with a slight brown tinge), with a metallic luster in some lights; longer upper tail-coverts and tail above metallic bottle-green; primaries mealy green, especially on outer webs; under surface of wings and tail gray; under tail-coverts gray with a reddish tinge. 'Iris crimson; bill light lead-gray; feet dull crimson.' (Everett.) Length, about 400; wing, 240; tail, 173; bill, 20; tarsus, 28.

"Female.--Similar to the male." (Salvadori.)

This species was very abundant on Cagayancillo where it fed entirely on young leaves of trees.

36. MUSCADIVORES LANGHORNEI (Mearns).

LANGHORNE'S IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Muscadivora langhornei Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 18, 84; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11.

East Bolod (Mearns); West Bolod (Mearns).

"This large fruit pigeon is closely related to Muscadivora pickeringi (Cassin) from Mangsee Island north of Borneo, on the west side of the Sulu Sea, of which the type (No. 15732) is in United States National Museum. The size is practically the same; but the colors differ as follows: General coloration paler; the vinous-gray of the head and under parts is darker, the gray of lower hind neck extends farther down on the mantle, the white around the base of the bill and surrounding the eye is more extensive, the back and rump are paler and less brownish gray, the wings are paler, grayer and less greenish, and the under tail-coverts less reddish. Iris purplish red; region of the nostrils dark plumbeous; bill light plumbeous; naked eyelid deep vinaceous; bare space around eye plumbeous; feet vinaceous, flesh-color on under side of toes; claws plumbeous. Three adult males: Length, 456, 456, 460; alar expanse, 770, 760, 770; wing, 242, 242, 243; tail, 180, 180, 178; culmen, 19, 21, 19; tarsus, 30, 31, 32; middle toe with claw, 48, 49, 45." (Mearns.)

Genus PTILOCOLPA Bonaparte, 1854.

Sexes unlike in plumage; bill and gape rather small compared with Muscadivores; nostril opening elongate; first primary attenuated and scooped on inner web; second primary slightly scooped; inner primaries obliquely cut at tip; the outline sinuous and outer web extending beyond shaft and inner web; tarsus partly feathered.

Species.

a1. Chin, throat, and upper part of chest gray or black.

b1. Band on fore breast light slate-gray. ... carola (p. 46) b2. Band on fore breast black. ... nigrorum (p. 47)

a2. Chin, throat, and upper part of chest nearly pure white. ... mindanensis (p. 47)

37. PTILOCOLPA CAROLA (Bonaparte).

GRAY-BREASTED FRUIT PIGEON.

Carpophaga carola Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 34; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 206. Ptilocolpa carola Grant, Ibis (1895), 117; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 489; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 65; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 12. Ptilocolpa griseipectus Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 34.

Luzon (Gevers, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor, Porter); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg); [7] Sibuyan (McGregor).

Adult male.--All of head, neck all around, back and interscapulars light gray; chin white; lower throat delicate light gray, bordered behind by a narrow white band and this followed by a wide, dark gray band on fore breast; lower breast, abdomen, and flanks dark chestnut, darker and slightly purplish on breast; sides gray; alula, primaries, and their coverts, dark, glossy blue-green; secondaries blue-green, mealy along outer edges; wing-coverts and inner secondaries canescent, the smaller feathers each with a dark spot at tip; rump-feathers canescent with glossy green centers and light purple edges; rectrices and upper coverts glossy blue-green, shafts black; rectrices black below, except outermost pair which are brown with white shafts. Iris white mottled with pink; bill rose-pink, the "nail" white; legs rose-pink, nails brown. Two males from Benguet, Luzon, average: Length, 356; wing, 216; tail, 131; culmen from base, 22; tarsus, 22.

Adult female.--Somewhat similar to the male but without a white band across the crop; fore breast light purple dulled by its slightly mealy look; held toward the light, it becomes green and away from the light, slightly metallic copper-red washed with vinous; rest of under parts much lighter chestnut than in male; wing-coverts glossy green, lesser and median coverts with blue spots at tips; interscapulars vinous and slightly mealy; lower back and rump green with touches of deep blue. The following notes are from an adult female taken in Benguet, Luzon: Iris with an inner white ring and outer pinkish ring; eyelids dirty white; bare skin about eyes blue-gray; bill deep rose-red, tip white; legs and feet rose-red, soles yellowish; nails brown.

Young.--Immature birds have the fore breast chestnut, uniform with the abdomen, thus not resembling the adult plumage of either sex; wings rich metallic green, or copper-red, without canescence and the primaries neither scooped nor cut as are those of the adult.

The plumage of the male and female in the gray-breasted fruit pigeon is so different that the sexes were long considered to represent distinct species. Grant, working on the material gathered by Whitehead, has shown that these differences are sexual and not specific and more recently collected material sustains his conclusions.

In habits these birds are quite similar to the slightly larger imperial pigeons or baluds. They feed on large seeds or nuts and are often found in considerable numbers in fruiting trees.

38. PTILOCOLPA NIGRORUM Whitehead.

BLACK-BREASTED FRUIT PIGEON.

Ptilocolpa nigrorum Whitehead, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. (1897), 6, 34; Ibis (1899), 490; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 12.

Negros (Whitehead).

Adult male.--Similar to P. carola but band on fore breast black not ash-gray. Total length, 330; wing, 211; tail, 122; tarsus, 22. [8] "Base of bill coral-pink, tipped with dull white; iris pale straw-yellow; feet coral-pink." (Whitehead.)

Adult female.--Said to be similar to the female of griseipectus.

This species is known from Whitehead's specimens only, taken "when camped just below the bare cone of Canloon."

39. PTILOCOLPA MINDANENSIS Grant.

MINDANAO FRUIT PIGEON.

Ptilocolpa mindanensis Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. (1905), 16, 16; Ibis (1906), 503.

Mindanao (Goodfellow, Celestino).

Adult male.--"Very similar to the male of P. nigrorum Whitehead, but with the chin, throat, and upper part of the chest nearly pure white, instead of gray, and the breast deep grayish black. 'Iris creamy white; eyelids pale gray; bill scarlet at base, pinkish white toward the tip; feet dull purple.' (Goodfellow.) Length, about 330; wing, 205; tail, 114." (Grant.)

Collected on Mount Apo, Mindanao, at 2,440 meters.

Genus ZONOPHAPS Salvadori, 1893.

Very large; a conspicuous bare area about eye; first primary slender, scooped near middle of inner web; second primary attenuated by a double cut; tail crossed by a gray band some distance from tip.

Species.

a1. Breast green; abdomen pale vinous. ... poliocephala (p. 48) a2. Breast and abdomen uniform blue-gray. ... mindorensis (p. 49)

40. ZONOPHAPS POLIOCEPHALA (Hartlaub).

PHILIPPINE ZONE-TAILED PIGEON.

Carpophaga poliocephala Hartlaub, Jour. für Orn. (1855), 97; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 209; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 487. Zonophaps poliocephala Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 65; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 12.

Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Gevers, Whitehead); Masbate (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Steere, Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult (sexes alike).--Head and a narrow band across throat pale gray, vinous on crown and occiput; a large patch of light chestnut on chin; lower breast and abdomen pale vinous; abdomen freckled with chestnut, the color becoming rich chestnut-brown on flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts; tail black below, crossed at about 40 mm. from tip by a pale gray band which shows both above and below; when the specimen is held toward the light, the crop, breast, sides of neck, and upper parts, except head, are rich green; held away from the light, tail and its coverts, rump, distal wing-coverts, secondaries, and breast become largely coppery or bronze-color; hind neck vinaceous gray, proximal wing-coverts, tertials, and interscapular region deep vinous-purple. Bill black; "iris indian-yellow, passing into red on outer ring;" legs, feet, and skin about eye crimson; nails gray. Length, 400 to 430; a male from Sibuyan measures: Wing, 235; tail, 156; culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 32; a female from Sibuyan, wing, 235; tail, 154; culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 27.

"Comparatively rare and usually frequents the loftiest trees. For a long time we mistook its deep booming note for the hoot of some great owl. Occasionally it comes down into low second-growth where it is easily shot, being very stupid about making its escape.

"Iris with outer red and inner yellow or brown ring; legs and feet red; nails dark brown; bill black; eyelids red. Length 400." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

41. ZONOPHAPS MINDORENSIS (Whitehead).

MINDORO ZONE-TAILED PIGEON.

Carpophaga mindorensis Whitehead, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1896), ser. 6, 18, 189; Ibis (1899), 488; Grant, Ibis (1896), 476, pl. 11. Zonophaps mindorensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 65; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 12.

Mindoro (Whitehead).

"Adult male.--Most nearly allied to Carpophaga radiata (Quoy and Gaimard) but much larger. Top of head, neck, breast, and rest of under parts bluish slate-gray, darkest on belly and under tail-coverts, the latter indistinctly edged with rufous; forehead, cheeks, and throat pale whitish pink; feathers surrounding eye and forming a patch above ear-coverts, blackish gray; hind neck gradually shading into sooty black on the mantle and interscapulary region; scapulars and inner wing-coverts bronze-lake, changing to bronze-green on the rest of the wings, rump, and upper tail-coverts; primary quills blackish gray, the inner ones glossed on the outer web and toward the extremity with metallic green; tail-feathers black, glossed with purple and green, and with a wide gray band across the middle; under wing-coverts and axillars slightly glossed with bronze. Length, 482; exposed culmen, 23; wing, 234; tail, 178; tarsus, 35; middle toe with claw, 51.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male but rather smaller, and the under tail-coverts distinctly margined with chestnut. Length, 445; exposed culmen, 23; wing, 223; tail, 159; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 46." (Whitehead.)

This species is much larger than Zonophaps poliocephala from which it differs also in the following points: A large black patch on ear-coverts and surrounding eye; forehead, cheeks, and chin fawn-color; occiput, neck, crop, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts gray.

"Male.--Iris bright yellow, with an outer ring of red; orbital skin lake-red, with a grayish yellow space between the rings; bill black; feet coral-pink. Female: Iris straw-yellow, with an outer ring of golden brown; orbital skin orange-yellow, bill olive-brown, black at tip; feet salmon-red; nails black.

"This species is more often met with singly or in pairs, but sometimes as many as four birds were seen together; they were feeding on some large purple colored fruits as big as a pigeon's egg. C. mindorensis, like the last species (Zonophaps poliocephala), has a conspicuous fleshy ring outside the eyelid. * * * During dull misty weather, especially just after daybreak, the penetrating booming note is more often heard than on clear days." (Whitehead.)

So far as known the species is confined to the highlands of Mindoro at an elevation of between 1,200 and 1,800 meters.

Genus MYRISTICIVORA Reichenbach, 1852.

Inner webs of first and second primaries very slightly attenuated; tarsus feathered in front for half its length. This genus is remarkable for its coloration; parts of the wings and tail, slate or black, the rest of the plumage pale creamy white.

42. MYRISTICIVORA BICOLOR (Scopoli).

NUTMEG PIGEON.

Columba bicolor Scopoli, Del Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 94. Carpophaga bicolor Cassin, Ornith. Wilkes Exped. (1858), 265, pl. 28. Myristicivora bicolor Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 227; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 67; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 86; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 12.

Ca-má-su, bá-lud blan'-co, in general use.

Balabac (Steere, Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Malanipa (Murray); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Nipa (Everett); Palawan (Bourns & Worcester, White); Sakuijok (Everett); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); West Bolod (Mearns). Siam, Cochin-China, Malay Peninsula, Tenimber and Indo-Malayan Islands, Andamans, Nicobars, and Moluccas.

Adult (sexes alike).--General color pale creamy white; head and sides of head more or less ochraceous-yellow; wing-coverts and edge of wing white; alula, primary-coverts, primaries, and most of the secondaries black; outer web of longer primaries mealy; basal half, or more, of rectrices and under tail-coverts light yellow, the coverts in some specimens spotted with black; end of tail marked with a wide black band which is widest on middle rectrices. Iris dark brown; bill dull blue with a black tip; eyelids, legs, and feet dark blue; nails black. Length, about 380; a male from Ticao measures: Wing, 229; tail, 127; culmen from base, 25; tarsus, 27; a female from Cresta de Gallo, wing, 229; tail, 127; culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 29.

The camaso, or balud blanco, being a very conspicuous bird, is well known to both natives and Spaniards and can not be mistaken for any other species of Philippine pigeon. The species is irregular in distribution; it is often abundant on a small island and rare, or entirely wanting, on a larger neighboring island. Worcester and Bourns found it especially abundant in Siquijor. No specimens were taken by Whitehead and it is unrecorded from Luzon, although there seems to be no reason why it should be absent from that island.

Family COLUMBIDÆ.

Tarsus slender, feathered at base; bill slender, gape small, and nostril covering conspicuously swollen; tail nearly square or greatly graduated; colors blackish or reddish brown.

Subfamilies.

a1. Tail moderate, nearly square; plumage mostly blackish with purple and green metallic reflections. ... Columbinæ (p. 51) a2. Tail greatly elongated and graduated; plumage mostly chestnut or rufous-brown with little metallic color. ... Macropyginæ (p. 52)

Subfamily COLUMBINÆ.

Genus COLUMBA Linnæus, 1758.

Bill comparatively slender; membrane behind nostril greatly swollen and bulging out on the side; first primary very slightly scooped on inner web; tarsus feathered at the base. The only Philippine species is almost entirely black, glossed with green and purple.

43. COLUMBA GRISEOGULARIS (Walden and Layard).

GRAY-THROATED PIGEON.

Ianthoenas griseogularis Walden and Layard, Ibis (1872), 104, pl. 6. Columba griseigularis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 313; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 72; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13.

Bá-lud mai-tim, Manila; bá-duc, Batan.

Basilan (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Batan (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Guimaras (Layard, Meyer); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Gevers, Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Platen, Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Everett, Whitehead); Romblon (McGregor); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (McGregor); Sulu (Burbidge); West Bolod (Mearns). Northern Borneo.

Adult (sexes alike).--General color slate-black with metallic purple or green tips to the feathers; chin, upper throat, and sides of face below eyes pale gray; head, neck, back, breast, abdomen, and tips of wing-coverts, and upper and under tail-coverts glossed with metallic purple changing to green; remiges and rectrices black without metallic reflections, their coverts largely black with only the tips metallic; colors change greatly with the angle at which the specimen is held. Iris bright yellow; base of bill dark red, tip light yellow; feet and bare space about eye red. Length, 380 to 430; two males, wing, 248; tail, 161; exposed culmen, 22; tarsus, 28.

Young.--Differs from the adult in having metallic edges of feathers narrower on body, and wanting on wing-coverts; throat and breast blackish brown, each feather tipped with cinnamon.

Although of wide distribution, this species does not occur in great numbers except on the Island of Batan in the Batanes group where many individuals are caught with bird-lime and sold to visiting ships.

Subfamily MACROPYGINÆ.

Genus MACROPYGIA Swainson, 1837.

Bill small and rather slender; upper part of tarsus slightly feathered; tail long and greatly graduated; longest and shortest rectrices differing in length by about half the wing.

Species.

a1. Smaller and lighter, without a vinous wash on breast and abdomen; dark rufous-brown above. ... tenuirostris (p. 52) a2. Larger and darker, a faint vinous wash on breast and abdomen; blackish brown above. ... phæa (p. 53)

44. MACROPYGIA TENUIROSTRIS Bonaparte.

SLENDER-BILLED CUCKOO DOVE.

Macropygia tenuirostris Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 57; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 346; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 491; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 74; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13. Macropygia eurycerca Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 288 (young).

Ba-tic'-la-uin', Manila; i-bu-oo, Benguet Igorot.

Balabac (Everett); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Steere, Everett, Keay); Palawan (Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (McGregor); Sulu (Burbidge); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.--Head, sides of neck and breast, and lower parts bright cinnamon-rufous, much lighter on throat and chin, darker on flanks, under tail-coverts, and rectrices; above including wings and tail dark brown; most of the feathers except remiges and rectrices, edged with fine rufous dots; feathers of neck covered with irregular vermiculations of rufous and blackish brown; sides of neck and of body and crop marked with a few black cross-lines; neck and its sides glossed with amethystine changing to green; metallic colors extending faintly onto back and rump; rectrices from above dark brown, except two outermost pairs which are cinnamon-rufous, each crossed by a diagonal black bar; next pair similar but more obscurely colored; inner webs of primaries edged with cinnamon. Iris of three rings, outermost reddish or crimson, middle ring black, innermost pale straw; skin around eye dirty brown; eyelids and basal half of bill crimson; distal end of bill brown; legs and feet bright crimson; nails brown. Length, about 394; three males average, wing, 189; tail, 200; exposed culmen, 16; tarsus, 23.

Adult female.--Nearly like the male but with very little if any metallic gloss; neck and its sides black, barred with light cinnamon; crop and lower throat more or less barred and vermiculated with black.

Young.--A young bird from Sibuyan with tail less than half grown differs from the adult female in the throat- and breast-feathers being blackish brown, edged with rufous, and in having bars of upper parts more sharply cut, being produced by solid colors rather than by dots; the rectrices seen from above have narrow rufous tips and from below, each is crossed by a narrow, subterminal gray line.

The adult plumage is here described from a pair of birds taken at Irisan, Benguet Province, on May 1, 1903. That these were breeding birds was shown by dissection and was noted on the tags. If the rusty edges are absent from the wing-coverts of fully adult birds then it must require two or possibly three years for them to attain that plumage.

"Exceedingly common in some localities. Frequents open ground surrounded by patches of second growth. When flushed it frequently alights in trees. Eyes yellow; legs and feet red. Length, 370; culmen, 19; wing, 165; tail, 184; tarsus, 22; middle toe with claw, 33." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

"Common among the mountains of north Luzon, and found nesting on the summit of Monte Data, where the large tracts of dead bracken ferns afford it good protection. I saw a young one nearly ready to fly on 28th of January on this mountain. This dove is also plentiful in the lowland forests, and is distributed throughout the Archipelago." (Whitehead.)

45. MACROPYGIA PHÆA McGregor.

DARK CUCKOO DOVE.

Macropygia phæa McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 9; Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 338; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13.

A-la-gá-dang, Calayan.

Batan (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor).

Adult.--Similar to Macropygia tenuirostris but larger and darker; cinnamon edgings on inner primary webs and rufous edging of wing-coverts narrower or obsolete. The sexes differ as in the preceding species.

Male (type).--Bill brown with reddish base; legs dark reddish brown; nails brown; iris of three rings, outer crimson, middle black, inner straw. Length, 413; wing, 198; tail, 198; exposed culmen, 18; tarsus, 24.

Female (type).--Colors of bill, legs, and eyes as in the male. Length, 406; wing, 196; tail, 195; exposed culmen, 18; tarsus, 22.

This species is rather abundant in Calayan; in habits it does not differ from Macropygia tenuirostris. The species is rare in Batan, Batanes, where a nest containing one egg was taken, June 12. The egg is pure white and measures 37 by 27.

Family PERISTERIDÆ.

Tarsus slender and unfeathered; bill slender and weak, gape small, nostril covering swollen; tail slightly graduated; colors plain or brilliant; size moderate.

Subfamilies.

a1. Plumage mostly brown, gray, and vinous; very little if any metallic color.

b1. First primary not greatly attenuated; no narrow cross-bars on neck and back; tail square or slightly graduated. ... Turturinæ (p. 54) b2. First primary abruptly attenuated; neck and back barred with narrow lines; tail graduated, longest rectrix exceeding shortest by more than twice the tarsus. ... Geopeliinæ (p. 57)

a2. Plumage largely metallic green or purple.

b1. Feathers of hind neck not elongated; tail not white.

c1. A gray band across rump and another across back; breast uniform. ... Phabinæ (p. 58) c2. No band across back nor rump; a large smear of orange or blood-red on middle of breast. ... Geotrygoninæ (p. 60)

b2. Feathers of neck long, narrow, and soft; tail pure white. ... Caloenadinæ (p. 64)

Subfamily TURTURINÆ.

Genera.

a1. Feathers of neck normal, not bifurcated; wing-coverts without shaft-stripes.

b1. Larger, length, 300 mm. or more; outermost rectrices with narrow white tips. ... Streptopelia (p. 54) b2. Smaller, length, 240 mm. or less; outermost rectrices with wide white ends. ... Oenopopelia (p. 56)

a2. Feathers of neck bifurcated; wing-coverts with dark shaft-stripes; edge of wing pale pearl-gray. ... Spilopelia (p. 56)

Genus STREPTOPELIA Bonaparte, 1854.

This genus is characterized by having a long, nearly square tail, but the outermost rectrix on each side is about 10 mm. shorter than the next feather.

46. STREPTOPELIA DUSSUMIERI (Temminck).

DUSSUMIER'S TURTLE DOVE.

Columba dussumieri Temminck, Pl. Col. (1823), 188. Turtur dussumieri Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 423. Streptopelia dussumieri Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 79; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 96; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13.

Bá-to ba-tó de col-lar, Manila; pa-gao, Calayan; tuc-mó, Ticao, Bohol, Cagayancillo.

Agutaya (McGregor); Bantayan (McGregor); Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Caluya (Porter); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Libagao (Porter); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Whitehead, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Keay); Palawan (Platen, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Siasi (Guillemard); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). North Borneo, Marianne Islands.

Adult (sexes alike).--Forehead and face pearl-gray; top and sides of head and nape darker, washed with vinous, nuchal collar blackish, each feather touched with gray, the tips faint metallic green; behind collar a band of light rusty brown; rest of upper parts, including tail-coverts, tertiaries, and proximal wing-coverts, earthy brown; chin white shading into light vinous on throat, breast, and sides of neck and abdomen; sides and flanks gray; middle of abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts white; alula, primary-coverts, and primaries blackish brown, the last with narrow whitish edges, secondaries similar to primaries; distal coverts in each series slate-gray; rectrices blackish brown below; outer webs of shortest pair white; three outer pairs with wide gray ends and narrow white tips; three middle pairs with brown ends. Iris light orange or reddish brown; bill dark horn-blue; angle of mouth dull red; legs light carmine; nails brown. Length, 300 to 330; three males average: Wing, 161; tail, 134; exposed culmen, 15; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 31. Two females: Wing, 158; tail, 129; culmen, 18; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 31.

"Enormously abundant in many localities, especially about the rice-fields after harvest. Everywhere common in open country. It is a favorite cage bird with the natives, who call it took-moo from its note. The nest, which is a mere platform of sticks and twigs, is placed on the branch of some low tree or bush. The eggs are pure white in color, and oval in form, with both ends rather sharply pointed. They measure 28.4 to 30.5 in length by 20.8 to 21.3 in breadth.

"Eyes golden brown; feet purple; length, 305; wing 155; tail, 123; culmen, 20; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 32." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Dussumier's dove occurs in nearly every island of the group; it is partial to open, lowland country. After harvest it feeds in the rice-fields, being found in pairs or small companies.

Genus OENOPOPELIA Blanford, 1898.

Tail short and square, its feathers subequal; first primary nearly or quite as long as the second.

47. OENOPOPELIA HUMILIS (Temminck).

RED TURTLE DOVE.

Columba humilis Temminck, Pl. Col. (1824), 259. Turtur humilis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 434. Onopopelia humilis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 79. Onopopelia humulis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 14 (error).

Bá-to ba-tó de col-lar, Manila.

Calayan (McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Möllendorff, Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). China, Japan, Indo-Chinese countries, eastern Bengal, Andamans.

Adult male.--Back, wings, and under parts nearly uniform vinaceous-red; upper parts darker, more reddish brown; head and sides of face light slate-gray sharply separated from color of back by a narrow, black, nuchal band; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish slate; chin white or nearly so; vent and under tail-coverts white; alula, primary-coverts, primaries, and secondaries blackish brown; rectrices black below; three outer pairs with the terminal third white; three inner pairs with terminal third pearl-gray; outermost pair with outer web all white; middle pair brown above. Iris dark; bill, legs, and nails black. Length, 215 to 240. Three males average: Wing, 138; tail, 90; exposed culmen, 14; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 25.

Adult female.--Color pattern as in the male but the vinaceous-red replaced by earthy brown; under parts paler with a faint vinaceous wash; head brown like the back. Three females average: Wing, 128; tail, 77; exposed culmen, 14; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 24.

Young.--The young male is like the adult female but lacks the nuchal band and under parts have no vinaceous wash; wing-coverts and feathers of breast tipped with yellowish brown.

The eastern ruddy dove is one of the common doves in Luzon; it is very abundant in open lowland country where it feeds upon the ground. Like the barred and Dussumier's doves this species is common in the vicinity of Manila; many are sold in the markets throughout the year. In the other islands it is very scarce.

Genus SPILOPELIA Sundevall, 1873.

Tail graduated; its outermost feather 40 mm. shorter than the central pair; a wide band of feathers on neck with bifurcated tips.

48. SPILOPELIA TIGRINA (Temminck and Knip).

MALAY SPOTTED DOVE.

Columba tigrina Temminck and Knip, Hist. Nat. des Pig. (1808-11), 1, pl. 43. Turtur tigrinus Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 440. Spilopelia tigrina Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 80; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 98; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 14.

Balabac (Everett); Palawan (Whitehead, McGregor, Celestino, White). Burma, Malay Peninsula, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Celebes, Moluccas.

Adult (sexes alike).--Head dark gray with a vinaceous wash; forehead and face lighter; lores with a small black spot; bifurcated feathers of neck black with white tips; feathers of upper parts brown with paler, dull, rusty edges and dark shaft-stripes, the stripes widest on tertials and wing-coverts; distal coverts in each series pearl-gray, outer webs white; quills brown with narrow pale edges; lower parts vinous; paler, nearly white on chin; abdomen white washed with buff; under tail-coverts white; three outer tail-feathers black broadly tipped with white; next pair black, tipped with gray; two central feathers uniform brown, next pair black with a broad, terminal, brown band. "Iris reddish pearl; bill black; feet pinkish." (Wallace.) Length, about 300; wing, 145; tail, 150; exposed culmen, 17; tarsus, 22.

Young.--"More rufescent above and beneath; feathers of the hind neck of a pale brown with grayish edges." (Salvadori.)

The Malay spotted dove occurs in small numbers as a winter visitant to Balabac and Palawan. Whitehead says it is "scarce and very local" in Palawan; Celestino took several specimens at Puerto Princesa.

Subfamily GEOPELIINÆ.

Genus GEOPELIA Swainson, 1837.

Tip of first primary very slender; tail long and greatly graduated, and its feathers very slender. This genus contains the smallest Philippine doves.

49. GEOPELIA STRIATA (Linnæus).

BARRED GROUND DOVE.

Columba striata Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed 12 (1766), 1, 282. Geopelia striata Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 458; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 80; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 101; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 14.

Ba-to ba-tó ca-tic'-bi, Manila.

Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Everett, McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Siam, Southern Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Celebes, Amboina.

Adult male.--Anterior half of head, sides of face, chin, and upper throat pearl-gray; a little lighter on chin and forehead; hind crown and nape uniform dull reddish brown; rest of upper parts, including wing-coverts, earthy brown; neck and sides of neck decorated with sharply cut black and white bars (on hind neck washed with brown); above, the bars become obliterated posteriorly leaving the feathers uniform brown with black tips which persist to longest upper tail-coverts; below, along sides and flanks the black bars are reduced in width; middle of breast vinaceous-pink; middle of abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts white and unbarred, primaries and secondaries brown, narrowly edged with brown or gray; lining of wing cinnamon with narrow black bars; rectrices brown, all but middle pair with wide white tips. Iris pale blue; bill and bare skin about eyes blue; legs and feet dull red; nails light horn. Length, 216 to 229. Five males yield the following measurements: Wing, 94 to 100 (98); tail, 91 to 104 (96); exposed culmen, 14 to 15 (14.5); tarsus, 19 to 20 (19.5); middle toe with claw, 22 to 24 (23).

Adult female.--Like the male; said to be less reddish on the occiput but this difference is not very obvious except where fully adult birds are compared.

Young.--Above like the adult but bars continued from nape onto top of head; wing-coverts barred with brown, buff, and rusty brown; secondaries edged with rusty buff; inner webs of primary-coverts rusty brown; no vinaceous-pink on breast which is barred like the sides.

In the full-plumaged bird the bars encroach upon the pink area of breast and are more strongly developed on sides and flanks than in less mature individuals. In most specimens the primary-coverts are tipped with cinnamon but in fine plumage these coverts are uniform brown and the primaries from third to eighth inclusive, are narrowly edged with red near their bases.

The nest of this species is a frail mass of twigs with scarcely any hollow; it is placed on the branch of a bush, in a small tree, or according to Whitehead, among hanging creepers. Near Mariveles, Bataan, a nest with fresh eggs was found February 27, 1902. The two oval eggs are pure white.

The barred dove, while one of the commonest species in Luzon, occurs but rarely in other islands of the Archipelago. It is often found feeding in rice-fields after the grain has been harvested and is brought into the Manila markets from neighboring towns.

Subfamily PHABINÆ.

Genus CHALCOPHAPS Gould, 1843.

Bill slender; wing short; tail short and slightly rounded, its feathers wide; tarsal envelope entire, with no division into plates or scales; wings and mantle largely bronze-green.

50. CHALCOPHAPS INDICA (Linnæus).

INDIAN BRONZE-WINGED DOVE.

Columba indica Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 164. Chalcophaps indica Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 514; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 84; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 103, pl. 8 figs. 2 & 3; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 14.

Ba-to ba-tó si-li, Manila; ma-ná-tad, Bohol; ac-bá-on, Ticao; ba-na-tá, Cagayancillo; li-mú-kin, Calayan.

Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Meyer, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Steere Exp., McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Steere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere, Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Platen); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Indian and Malay Peninsulas, Indo-Chinese countries, Sunda Islands, Nicobars, Andamans, Moluccas, Ceylon, Celebes, New Guinea.

Adult male.--Forehead and superciliary stripe white, shading into slate-blue on crown and nape; upper back and neck washed with slate-blue; primaries, primary-coverts, and alula dull brown; small lesser coverts on shoulder tipped with white; rest of wings and back rich metallic green, changing to rich bronze when specimen is held away from the light; back metallic copper-color crossed near middle by a band of blue-gray; another blue-gray band between back and rump; upper tail-coverts dark slate with black tips; sides of neck and face and lower parts vinaceous-purple, paler on chin and on abdomen, the former sometimes washed with brown; basal under tail-coverts blue-gray, the longest ones blackish; rectrices mostly blackish, outermost pair mostly pearl-gray above, clearest on outer web, with a subterminal black band; next two pairs similar but variable. Iris brown; bill coral-red, dark at base; legs dark carmine; feet bluish; nails horn. A specimen from Mindoro measures: Length, 255; wing, 152; tail, 92; culmen from base, 23; tarsus, 27; middle toe with claw, 30.

Adult female.--In color pattern like the male from which it differs chiefly in having the vinaceous-purple replaced by brown, more or less faintly glossed with purple; whole head brown, superciliary stripe much reduced; small lesser wing-coverts brown; rump and upper tail-coverts cinnamon-brown with blackish tips and slight purple gloss; rectrices much as in male but second, third, and fourth outer pairs more or less rufous basally. A specimen from Masbate measures: Length, 241; wing, 139; tail, 85; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 26; middle toe with claw, 28.

Young.--A young male has top and sides of head brown, the tips of many feathers cinnamon or rusty, especially those about the eyes; metallic colors of back and wings largely replaced by dusky brown and many of the wing-coverts, as well as some primaries and secondaries, tipped and mottled with rusty cinnamon; sides of neck, breast, and abdomen barred with cinnamon and blackish brown. Iris dark brown; bill dull reddish brown; legs dull pink; nails slate.

"Exceedingly common throughout the group. Invariably found on the ground and usually in deep woods. Usually alights on the ground again when flushed. Eyes dark brown; bill dark red; legs and feet light to dark red; nails light brown. Seven specimens average, 243 in length; wing, 141; tail, 88; culmen, 22; tarsus, 24; middle toe and claw, 29." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

The bronze-winged dove, because of its wide distribution, is a species little valued by the collector but its solitary and unobtrusive habits usually lead the novice to mistake it for a rarity. In no place abundant, the species may be found in nearly every island where forest, or even a small growth of trees, exists to afford protected feeding grounds. Oates records two eggs of this species which were collected in Mindoro by the Steere Expedition.

Subfamily GEOTRYGONINÆ.

Genus PHLEGOENAS Reichenbach, 1852.

Terrestrial and solitary; wings moderate; first primary normal; tail moderate and rounded; tarsi unfeathered; wing-coverts banded; chin and throat white; a conspicuous spot, or patch, of orange or red on crop region, where the feathers are decomposed and harsh.

Species.

a1. Breast-spot blood-red.

b1. Forehead gray; lower breast pink. ... luzonica (p. 60) b2. Forehead green like crown; lower breast buff or fawn.

c1. A broad chestnut band on wing-coverts. ... criniger (p. 61) c2. A broad white band on lesser wing-coverts. ... keayi (p. 62)

a2. Breast-spot orange.

b1. Hind breast and upper abdomen pearly ash. ... menagei (p. 63) b2. Chest and abdomen white. ... platenæ (p. 64)

51. PHLEGOENAS LUZONICA (Scopoli).

LUZON PUÑALADA.

Columba luzonica Scopoli, Del Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 94. Phlogoenas luzonica Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 585; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Pu-ña-lá-da, Manila and generally.

Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Heriot, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor, Celestino).

Adult (sexes similar).--Top of head, from base of bill to hind border of eye, gray; rest of upper parts dark brown, each feather, except rectrices and their coverts, edged with metallic green or purple, according to the light; the edging wider on interscapulars; sides of neck similar to back; chin, throat, and sides of face below eyes pure white; a patch of blood-red on the stiffish feathers of crop, shading into pale salmon on lower breast and abdomen; sides gray; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts light buff; primaries and secondaries brown, edges reddish brown, basal half of inner web of primaries cinnamon; greater and median coverts reddish brown with wide gray tips forming two gray bands across each wing; lesser coverts gray; two middle pairs of rectrices brown on upper surface; the other rectrices gray, each with a subterminal black bar.

Length, about 280. A male from Bataan Province, Luzon, measures: Wing, 148; tail, 112; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 35. A female from the same province measures: Wing, 145; tail, 102; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 32.

This beautiful dove is often found in the Manila markets; it is a well-known favorite of the Spaniards. The species is commonly known as puñalada which means "stabbed with a dagger." The Calamianes record of this species is doubtless an error.

52. PHLEGOENAS CRINIGER (Jacquinot and Pucheran).

HAIR-BREASTED PUÑALADA.

Pampusana criniger Jacquinot and Pucheran, Voy. Pôle Sud. (1853), 3, 118. Phlogoenas bartletti Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863), 377, pl. 34. Phlogoenas crinigera Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 587; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Whitehead); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp.); Samar (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male and female.--Head, cheeks, neck, and mantle dark metallic green changing to metallic purple; back, rump, and tail-coverts chestnut, some of the feathers with amethystine edges; white of chin and throat extending backward on each side of a large dark red crop-patch; rest of under parts rich buffy brown, lighter on tail-coverts, nearly white on abdomen; alula, primaries, and primary-coverts dark brown; secondaries chestnut; upper lesser coverts brown, edged with metallic green changing to amethystine; remainder of lesser coverts broadly tipped with gray; median and greater coverts chestnut, tipped with gray forming wing-bands; middle tail-feathers chestnut, the others blackish with wide gray tips. A male from Basilan: Length, 280; wing, 153; tail, 110; exposed culmen, 19; tarsus, 36. A female from Basilan: Wing, 145; tail, 95; exposed culmen, 19; tarsus, 34.

"Eyes lilac; legs light pink; feet dark pink; nails nearly white; upper mandible black, lower gray. Seven specimens average as follows: Length, 355; culmen, 21; wing, 146; tail, 95; tarsus, 32; middle toe with claw, 9.

"We consider the Sulu record of this species extremely doubtful. We saw a Phlegoenas there which we failed to obtain. It seems to us more probable, however, from the close relationship of the known birds of Sulu to those of Tawi Tawi that the species in question is P. menagei.

"The habits of the Philippine representatives of this genus are the same. The birds are invariably found on the ground in the forest. They run very rapidly, and in close cover frequently escape in this way without taking wing. When flushed they invariably alight on the ground again, and run rapidly after alighting, so that they are very difficult to kill. P. criniger is fairly abundant in Basilan, but much rarer in Samar." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

53. PHLEGOENAS KEAYI Clarke.

NEGROS PUÑALADA.

Phlogoenas keayi Clarke, Ibis (1900), 359, pl. 8; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Pe-nes, Negros.

Negros (Keay).

Adult.--"Feathers of the head, upper part of cheeks, hind neck, sides of breast, mantle, and lesser wing-coverts (except the distal series) gray, broadly edged with dark metallic green, changing to amethystine; back and rump purplish chestnut with amethystine margins to feathers; upper tail-coverts purplish chestnut; primaries dusky, with margins of outer webs and basal two-thirds of inner webs chestnut; secondaries chestnut, dusky toward tips of inner webs; greater and median coverts purplish chestnut; lesser coverts with two or three of their distal rows subterminally gray, broadly margined with white, the latter color forming a conspicuous band across wing; lining of wing and under wing-coverts chestnut; central pair of tail-feathers dark chestnut, the remainder gray with a broad subapical band of black; lower part of cheeks, throat, fore neck, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white (abdomen washed with fawn in some specimens); flanks and thighs fawn, almost white in some examples; patch on crop-region small and blood-red; pectoral band narrow and incomplete, formed by the metallic green margins to some of the breast feathers. Feet red. Wing, 159; tail, 104; culmen, 18; tarsus, 37." (Clarke.)

Keay's blood-breasted pigeon is easily recognized by the conspicuous white band across the wing.

54. PHLEGOENAS MENAGEI Bourns and Worcester.

TAWI TAWI PUÑALADA.

Phlogoenas menagei Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 10; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).

"Adult male.--Entire upper surface of head, nape, hind neck, upper back, sides of neck, and sides of breast rich metallic green; scapulars and interscapulars dark brown, broadly edged with elegant violet when specimen is held between observer and the light, this color changing to deep green when specimen is held away from source of light; rump and upper tail-coverts ruddy brown narrowly edged with metallic colors of back; a few of the longest coverts nearly black, washed with rufous-brown at tips; basal portion of tail-feathers dark ashy gray, the two central feathers darkest; a distinct subterminal band of black on all but central pair of feathers; all the feathers with a terminal gray band, least distinct on central pair; wing-coverts dark brown, broadly tipped with metallic green except outer series, which are broadly tipped with ashy gray; primary- and secondary-coverts and secondaries fulvous-brown, the outer half of outer webs of feathers rich rufous-brown, the inner secondaries having the entire outer web, and tip of inner web, of this color; primaries fulvous-brown faintly washed with rufous-brown on basal half of outer webs; lores, a narrow line under eye, and ear-coverts nearly black with a faint wash of metallic green; metallic green of back and sides of neck continued in a distinct band across the breast, only slightly interrupted at center of breast and inclosing a beautiful orange plastron formed by the bristle-like tips of the feathers of the fore breast; basal portion of these feathers as well as chin, throat, sides of face, and sides of throat pure white; an indistinct white band behind the green pectoral band; hind breast and upper abdomen pearly ash, a few of the feathers tipped with creamy white; belly creamy white; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts buff; under surface of tail like upper, the terminal band being rather more pronounced; under wing-coverts, axillars, and basal portion of inner webs of all the quills chestnut-brown; rest of quills dark brown. Iris light silver-gray; bill slaty gray at tip, black at base; legs and feet light red; nails light brown. Length, 286; wing, 153; tail, 103; culmen, 21; tarsus, 36.

"Extremely rare and difficult to obtain. We secured two fine males but failed to get a female." (Bourns and Worcester.)

55. PHLEGOENAS PLATENÆ Blasius.

MINDORO PUÑALADA.

Phlogoenas platenæ "Blasius," Hartert, Jour. für Ornith. (1891) 302; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 588; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Mindoro (Platen, Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).

Adult (sexes similar).--Head and neck dark metallic green changing to amethystine; scapulars, back, and rump chestnut, many of the feathers edged with metallic green; below white becoming faint buff or ochraceous on abdomen, flanks, and tail-coverts; finely speckled with gray on sides of breast; red crop-patch very small; alula, primaries, and primary-coverts brown; secondaries and coverts chestnut, except some of the lesser series which are blackish with broad light gray tips forming a conspicuous patch; upper tail-coverts and middle pair of tail-feathers gray, remainder of rectrices blackish with gray tips. Iris purple; bill black; legs dark rose-color; nails gray. Length, 275 to 285. A male measures: Wing, 150; tail, 106; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 34. A female: Wing, 141; tail, 100; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 34.

Two nests with eggs were collected on the Baco River in 1905. The first was taken April 28, and was placed 1.5 meters from the ground on a horizontal limb of a small tree. The two eggs were advanced in incubation. They measure 30 by 22 and 29 by 22. The second nest was similarly placed in a shrub. The nest measures 200 by 280 mm. across the top and is very shallow, the outside depth being about 50 mm. On the bottom are a number of rather large leaves and sticks, topped by fine rootlets and spiral plant-tendrils. The materials were poorly put together so that a large part of the bottom fell off when the nest was removed from its site. The two eggs were well incubated. They measure 29 by 22 and 30 by 21. Their color is light cream.

"Common in the old forests in the interior of Mindoro, but very difficult to shoot. We found its nest in a tangle of vines about two meters above the ground. The female flew from the nest to the ground and pretended to be lame. The nest, which contained two young birds, was found in the month of May." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily CALOENADINÆ.

Genus CALOENAS Gray, 1840.

The genus Caloenas is distinguished by having the feathers of the neck long, narrow, and pointed; bill deep, with a knob on the base of culmen; legs and feet large, covered with large transverse plates; tail short and square.

56. CALOENAS NICOBARICA (Linnæus).

NICOBAR PIGEON.

Columba nicobarica Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 164. Caloenas nicobarica Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 615; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 24, fig. 5 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 91; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 106; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Dun-dú-nai, native name.

Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen); Sibutu (Everett); Siquijor (Celestino); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Talaran, off Basilan (Freer); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Nicobar and Greater Sunda Islands, Mergui and Bismark Archipelagos, Moluccas to New Guinea.

Adult male.--Head, neck, throat, and breast dark slate or blue-black; long neck-plumes, mantle, back, wing-coverts, and some of the inner secondaries bright metallic green, blue, or bronze-red changing with the light; primaries and outer secondaries black, more or less edged with blue; tail and its coverts pure white; abdomen, flanks, and thighs blue-black with more or less metallic green. Wing, 250; tail, 82; culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 40.

"Female.--Similar to the male but smaller, narrow feathers of the neck shorter, and also frontal knob smaller.

"Young.--Like the female, but the tail greenish black." (Salvadori.)

"Rare in all the islands visited by us except Tawi Tawi, where it is very common. Invariably found on the ground in deep woods. It rises very heavily and with much noise, always alighting in low trees, and then flying from tree to tree if disturbed. Iris dark brown; legs dark purple; upper surface of feet dark purple; lower surface yellow; nails yellow; bill black. Seven specimens average as follows: Length, 346; culmen, 23; wing, 241; tail, 86; tarsus, 38; middle toe and claw, 48." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Order RALLIFORMES.

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS.

Size medium to small; body compressed; thighs very muscular; legs rather long; toes long; wing short and rounded; tail short and soft, composed of ten or twelve feathers; bill strong but variable in form; long and slightly curved in typical rails, short and thick in the crakes, subconical and heavy in Porphyrio; nostrils pervious and variable in shape; wing usually bearing a short spine or a flattened knob. Most of the species inhabit marsh-land, rice-fields, or thick beds of reeds bordering ponds and streams; Rallina, Amaurornis, and Gallicrex are often found in dry fields or underbrush at considerable distances from water. The nest is placed on the ground and well concealed among reeds or bunches of grass; usually situated near water or marshy ground. The eggs vary in number from four to ten, and are usually much spotted and streaked. The downy young are coal-black.

Family RALLIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Subfamilies.

a1. Toes without webs or lobes. ... Rallinæ (p. 66) a2. Toes lobate. ... Fulicinæ (p. 81)

Subfamily RALLINÆ.

Genera.

a1. No frontal shield.

b1. Bill more slender; exposed culmen equal to middle toe without claw. ... Hypotænidia (p. 66) b2. Bill stouter; exposed culmen much less than middle toe without claw.

c1. Culmen not swollen at base; wing less than 140 mm.

d1. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw. ... Rallina (p. 69) d2. Tarsus about equal to middle toe with claw or shorter.

e1. Culmen decidedly longer than hind toe with claw; under tail-coverts banded with white.

f1. Smaller; wing, 90 mm. or less; forehead, throat, and breast slate-gray. ... Porzana (p. 71) f2. Larger; wing, 100 mm. or more; forehead, throat, and breast chestnut. ... Limnobænus (p. 73)

e2. Culmen but little longer than hind toe with claw; under tail-coverts unbanded. ... Poliolimnas (p. 73)

c2. Culmen slightly swollen at base but not forming a frontal shield; wing more than 150 mm. ... Amaurornis (p. 75)

a2. Frontal shield present; legs and feet long and heavy.

b1. Nostrils elongate; frontal shield narrower; terminal half of bill green or yellowish green.

c1. Under tail-coverts pure white; tarsus less than 65 mm. ... Gallinula (p. 77) c2. Under tail-coverts not white; tarsus more than 75 mm. ... Gallicrex (p. 78)

b2. Nostrils small and circular; frontal shield wider; bill all red. ... Porphyrio (p. 80)

Genus HYPOTÆNIDIA Reichenbach, 1852.

Bill slender; abdomen and flanks black or brown, banded with white.

Species.

a1. Chin white; upper parts more or less spotted with white.

b1. Smaller; wing less than 125 mm.; breast uniform; no white eyebrow. ... striata (p. 67) b2. Larger; wing more than 140 mm.; breast barred with black and white; a white eyebrow. ... philippensis (p. 67)

a2. Chin black; upper parts uniform. ... torquata (p. 68)

57. HYPOTÆNIDIA STRIATA (Linnæus).

BLUE-BREASTED RAIL.

Rallus striatus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 262. Hypotænidia striata Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 33; Hand-List (1899), 1, 95; Oates, Cat. Bird's Eggs (1901), 1, 111; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Tic-líng, general name for rails.

Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, McGregor, Gevers); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Negros (Steere Exp., Keay); Palawan (Celestino, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp.); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard). Burmese countries to China, Malay Peninsula, Indo-Malay Islands, Southern India, Ceylon, Formosa, Celebes.

Adult male.--Above olive-brown, feathers centered with black and barred with broken white lines; crown, neck, and sides of neck dull chestnut, brighter on the last; center of crown blackish; chin and upper throat; lores, sides of face, and ear-coverts, lower throat, fore neck, and breast slate-gray; posterior lower part of body, under wing-coverts, and axillars blackish barred with white; alula blackish brown; primary-coverts and primaries blackish brown spotted and barred with white; tail and its coverts similar to the back. "Basal half of bill rose-pink, the anterior half horn-color; legs and toes deep olive-brown; claws pale brown; iris red." (Oates.) Length, 246; culmen, 38; wing, 120; tail, 47; tarsus, 37.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but paler and decidedly more olive, head not so bright chestnut; white bars on lower parts much tinged with fulvous. Length, 240; culmen, 35; wing, 110; tail, 41; tarsus, 35.

"In winter the plumage is entirely overshaded with olive-brown and there is a distinct fulvescent tinge on abdomen and under tail-coverts, almost hiding the black bars on the latter.

"Young.--Differs from the adults in having the bill black, and the upper surface much darker and without any white spots and bars on the back; head blackish, and back darker olive-brown with broad black centers to the feathers; no rufous on the head or sides of crown and sides of neck." (Sharpe.)

58. HYPOTÆNIDIA PHILIPPENSIS (Linnæus).

PECTORAL RAIL.

Rallus philippensis Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 263. Hypotænidia philippinensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 39; Hand-List (1899), 1, 96; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 113; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Batan (Edmonds); Luzon (Everett, Whitehead, McGregor). Pacific Islands, Malay Archipelago, Australia, New Zealand.

"Adult male.--General color above ochraceous-brown, all the feathers black, with ochraceous edgings, and spangled with white spots on the mantle and back; lower back and rump ochraceous-brown, with white centers to the feathers, but no white spots; wing-coverts like the back, but more uniform, and with scarcely any spots on the lesser and median series, the greater series, however, having large white spots and intermediate bars of black; alula black, checkered with white spots and bars; primary-coverts rufous, olive-brown at tip and banded with black; quills rufous, banded with black, and black at tips, the first two primaries checkered on the outer web and barred on the inner web with white; secondaries blackish, externally and at the tips ochraceous-brown, with numerous ovate spots or bars, the innermost secondaries ochraceous-brown, with broad black centers resembling the back; tail-feathers ochraceous-brown centered with black; crown of head olive-brown, with black longitudinal spots to the feathers; hinder neck ferrugineous, mottled with blackish centers to the feathers, which are edged with olive-brown, obscuring the rufous; lores and broad band through the eye dusky brown, becoming rufous on the ear-coverts and extending to the sides of the neck, where it is a little brighter rufous; over the lores a white band extending above the eye, and continued in a broad band of light ashy gray above the ear-coverts, and extending to the sides of the nape; cheeks light ashy gray, extending over the fore neck, which is washed with brown; fore part of the cheeks and throat white, remainder of under surface white, with black bars, very distinct, but narrow on the sides of fore neck, broader and more regular on the sides of body, where the feathers have olive-brown tips; flank feathers distinctly barred with black and white, the black bands being the broader; feathers at the sides of the vent tawny-buff, black at the base, and barred with white; long under tail-coverts black, with white bars, tawny-buff at the ends, the lower coverts tawny-buff, with black bases; thighs tawny-buff, dusky brown behind, under wing-coverts black, broadly edged with white; axillars black, barred with white. 'Bill warm brown; feet and claws light grayish brown; iris indian-red.' (Everett.) Length, 292; culmen, 32; wing, 145; tail, 67; tarsus, 39; middle toe with claw, 47." (Sharpe.)

Female.--An immature female agrees with the description of the male but the lower throat and fore breast are obscured with slate-gray and a slight olive wash. Bill dull brick-red, the terminal third brown; iris red; legs and nails light brown. Length, 305; wing, 136; tail, 73; culmen, 30; tarsus, 39; middle toe with claw, 43. This species is rare in Luzon.

59. HYPOTÆNIDIA TORQUATA (Linnæus).

PHILIPPINE RAIL.

Rallus torquatus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 262. Hypotænidia torquata Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 43; Hand-List (1899), 1, 96; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Keay); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).

Adult (sexes alike).--Above olive-brown with a few, obscure, black lines on forehead; lores and circumocular area black, continued as a wide black band behind eye to side of nape; below this a wide white band from gape to neck, slightly washed with chestnut at its end; chin gray; throat and lower part of face black; lower throat and rest of lower parts black profusely banded with white; vent and under tail-coverts washed with clay-brown; a wide band of chestnut across breast; under wing-coverts and axillars barred with black and white like the breast. Iris red; bill, legs, and nails brown. Three males: Length, 317 to 330; wing, 151 to 155; tail, 54 to 65; exposed culmen, 41 to 43; tarsus, 52 to 53; middle toe with claw, 52 to 55. Two females: Length, 305, 317; wing, 142, 144; tail, 51, 60; exposed culmen, 39, 41; tarsus, 51, 52; middle toe with claw, 51, 52.

Young.--Resembles the adult but has more white on the chin; band across breast wider and olive-brown; vent and under tail-coverts barred with reddish brown.

"H. torquata usually deposits four eggs, more rarely three. The ground-color of the egg is creamy white, sparingly marked with spots and a few blotches of brown varying from dark chocolate to reddish, and with more numerous spots and blotches of pale lilac; all the markings more numerous at the larger end. Ten eggs average 38 by 28.4." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

The Philippine rail is the most abundant species of its family with the possible exception of Poliolimnas cinereus; both species are often taken in snares.

Genus RALLINA Reichenbach, 1849.

The species of this genus are of small size with short stout bills; middle toe with claw shorter than tarsus; head, neck, and chest chestnut; sides and abdomen barred with white.

Species.

a1. Wing-coverts broadly barred with white or buffy-white. ... fasciata (p. 70) a2. Wing-coverts uniform or with few irregular white bars. ... eurizonoides (p. 70)

60. RALLINA FASCIATA (Raffles).

MALAY BANDED CRAKE.

Rallus fasciatus Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1822), 13, pt. 2, 328. Rallina fasciata Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 75; Hand-List (1899), 1, 99; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Balabac (Everett); Mindoro (Porter); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen). Burmese provinces, Malay Peninsula, Indo-Malayan Islands, Halmhéra, Pelew Islands.

"Adult male.--General color above ruddy brown, scapulars like the back; rump a little more olive-brown; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers reddish brown; lesser and median coverts ruddy brown, with buffy white bars, each of which is margined with black; greater coverts black, rather broadly barred with white, as well as the alula and primary-coverts; quills blackish brown, checkered with white spots on outer web, and barred with white on the inner one; secondaries broadly barred and tipped with white, these white markings obsolete on the innermost, rufous-brown secondaries; crown, neck, sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, and chest chestnut, a little lighter on the throat; breast and sides white, broadly banded with black, the abdomen white; thighs white externally, ashy brown internally; under tail-coverts barred with black and white or rufous-white; under wing-coverts and axillars white, barred with black like the inner lining of quills. 'Bill dark horny; orbital skin and gape vermilion; feet and exposed portion of tibia bright coral-red; iris dull cinnabar-red.' (Davidson.) Length, 216; culmen, 24; wing, 132; tail, 48; tarsus, 46.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in color, but a little browner, and with narrower black bars on the under surface, the abdomen being, therefore, whiter. 'Bill plumbeous; feet coral-red; iris reddish brown.' (Davidson.) Length, 230; culmen, 23; wing, 124; tail, 48; tarsus, 38.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being browner, the bands on the wing being buffy white; sides of face, fore neck, and chest ashy brown, with a rufous tinge; throat whitish, as also the breast and abdomen, which have a few bars of dusky blackish on the sides of the body." (Sharpe.)

61. RALLINA EURIZONOIDES (Lafresnaye).

PHILIPPINE BANDED CRAKE.

Gallinula eurizonoides Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool. (1845), 368. Rallina euryzonoides Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 78, pl. 8, fig. 1; Hand-List (1899), 1, 100; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Basilan (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (Everett); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Dussumier, Möllendorff, Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Negros (Everett); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard).

Adult male.--Back, wings, rump, tail, and tail-coverts dark brown with a slight olive tinge; head, neck, throat, and breast bright chestnut; posterior half of breast, abdomen, flanks, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts and axillars black with wide white cross-bars, most conspicuous on the breast; thighs brown with but little white; primaries and secondaries blackish with wide white bars on inner webs. "Bill blackish, the base tinged light green, tip grayish; legs dull greenish leaden; feet dark lead-gray; nails gray; iris brilliant red." (Everett.) Length of a male from Basilan, 254; wing, 128; tail, 65; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 46; middle toe with claw, 37.

Adult female.--Differs little if any from the male. A specimen from Cagayancillo had upper mandible black; lower mandible pea-green, tip bluish; legs very dark green; nails dark brown. Length, 215; wing, 128; tail, 69; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 40; middle toe with claw, 35.

"So far as our observation goes R. eurizonoides is a woods form, all of our specimens having been killed in deep forest. Eyes orange-red; legs and feet dark olive; upper mandible nearly black; lower olive-green." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus PORZANA Vieillot, 1816.

Smallest of the Philippine rails; bill slender; middle toe with claw longer than tarsus.

Species.

a1. Upper surface freckled with white. ... auricularis (p. 71) a2. Upper surface uniform. ... plumbea (p. 72)

62. PORZANA AURICULARIS Reichenbach.

PALLAS'S CRAKE.

Porzana auricularis Reichenbach, Jour. für Orn. (1898), 139; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 102; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 118. Porzana pusilla (not of Pallas) Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 106; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Luzon (Heriot). Eastern Siberia, Japan, China, Burmah, India, Ceylon, Borneo.

Adult male.--General color above dark ochraceous-brown with black centers to nearly all the feathers which are marked with white spots freckled with black; lower back black, freckled with white but only slightly washed with ochraceous-brown; upper tail-coverts ochraceous-brown with black centers; center of crown and hind neck dark ochraceous or reddish brown, only faintly streaked with black centers to the feathers; forehead and broad eyebrow as well as entire side of face, throat, and breast clear slaty gray; a distinct band of reddish brown along ear-coverts to sides of neck; abdomen, flanks, and thighs blackish, mottled with white bars; under tail-coverts deep black, barred with white; lesser and median wing-coverts uniform ochraceous-brown like the back, greater series with blackish centers and white frecklings; innermost secondaries like the back with broad black centers, the inner webs paler ochraceous-brown thereby forming a broad longitudinal band on each side of the back; alula, primary-coverts, and quills sepia-brown; edges of alula and first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars dusky brown with a few white spots and bars; tail-feathers blackish, edged with dark ochraceous-brown. (Compiled from Sharpe, Catalogue of Birds). "Bill green, dusky on the culmen and at the tips; legs and feet green, with a yellowish tinge, sometimes brownish olive, sometimes pale green or pale olive-green; claws pale brown; iris normally red, sometimes briar-red, crimson, or carmine." (Hume.) Length, 178; culmen, 19; wing, 89; tail, 42; tarsus, 28; middle toe and claw, 38.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in color. Length, 178; culmen, 16; wing, 94; tail, 43; tarsus, 28.

"Young.--Is like the adult on the upper surface and is similarly marked with black and white, but the general tone of the plumage is rather more rufous; the head like the back; sides of face rufous-brown, as also eyebrow; lores whitish; throat, breast, and abdomen dull white; fore neck and chest rufescent, barred across with dusky; lower flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts black, barred with white. 'Iris orange-red or reddish brown.' (Hume.)" (Sharpe.)

63. PORZANA PLUMBEA (Gray).

LEAD-COLORED CRAKE.

Crex plumbea Gray, in Griffith ed. Cuvier (1829), 3, 410. Porzana tabuensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 111 (part). Porzana plumbea Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 102; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Luzon (Meyer, McGregor). New Hebrides, Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Chatham, Samoa, and Fiji Islands.

Adult (sexes alike).--Above including wings reddish chocolate-brown; rump slightly darker; head and neck blackish; sides of face and under parts dark slate-gray; chin and throat more or less whitish; under tail-coverts black with white bars; edge of wing, first alula quill, and first primary white; under wing-coverts mottled with ashy brown and white. Bill black; iris and eyelids brick-red; legs and feet light salmon; nails dark brown. Ten specimens from the vicinity of Manila measure: Length, 165 to 178; wing, 69 to 78 (average 75); tail, 36 to 44 (average 40); exposed culmen, 15 to 19 (average 16); tarsus, 23 to 26 (average 25); middle toe with claw, 29 to 32 (average 31).

"Young.--Differs from the adult in having the throat white and the center of chest and abdomen for the most part white." (Sharpe.)

At times great numbers of this little rail are sold in the Manila markets, but I have never taken a specimen in the field.

Genus POLIOLIMNAS Sharpe, 1893.

Tarsus less than middle toe with claw and less than twice the culmen; plumage of under parts mostly white.

64. POLIOLIMNAS CINEREUS (Vieillot).

ASHY CRAKE.

Porphyrio cinereus Vieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1819), 28, 29. Poliolimnas cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 130; Hand-List (1899), 1, 104; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 17.

Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Steere, Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp.); Luzon (Bourns & Worcester, Cuming, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Oceania, Malayan Peninsula, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Buru, Australia.

Adult (sexes alike).--General color above wood-brown; scapulars, inner secondaries, lower back, rump, and tail seal-brown; scapulars and inner secondaries with wide sandy brown edges; top of head black or dark slate-gray; a white line from bill over eye; a large loral space black, below this a white band separating black post-ocular space from ashy ear-coverts; lower throat, sides of neck, and sides of body ashy gray; chin, upper throat, thighs, and middle of breast and abdomen white; flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts sandy buff or clay-color; wings and tail dark brown; first primary edged with white. Iris bright red; bill yellowish brown; legs brown with greenish and yellowish tints; nails brown. Length, 190 to 203. Three males from Bohol measure: Wing, 91 to 98 (average 95); tail, 45 to 51 (average 48); exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 36 to 39 (average 37.8); middle toe with claw, 46 to 52 (average 46).

Young.--The fully feathered young resembles the adult in color pattern but top of head and blackish loral band are brown and the ashy gray of ear-coverts, lower throat, and sides is replaced by yellowish buff. The downy young is coal-black.

A downy young bird was collected in Calayan, October 8, 1903, and a half-grown bird was collected in Ticao, April 22, 1902.

"Very common about lakes and fresh-water pools. Breeds abundantly in the tall grass and rushes. Called by the natives 'y-a-gut-yút.'" (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus LIMNOBÆNUS Sundevall, 1873.

In colors this genus resembles Rallina but has the middle toe with claw longer than the tarsus.

Species.

a1. Flanks olive-brown with narrow whitish bars, the bars sometimes wanting. ... fuscus (p. 74) a2. Flanks white, barred with dusky blackish. ... paykulli (p. 74)

65. LIMNOBÆNUS FUSCUS (Linnæus).

RUDDY CRAKE.

Rallus fuscus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 262. Limnobænus fuscus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 146; Hand-List (1899), 1, 105; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 120; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 17.

Cagayancillo (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Heriot, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp.); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Keay). Ceylon, Indian and Malay Peninsulas, Burmese countries to China and Japan, Christmas Island, Java, Borneo.

Adult male.--Above including wing-coverts dark olive; forehead, sides of head, chin, throat, and breast vinous-chestnut, chin more or less whitish; abdomen and flanks olive-brown with narrow white bars; vent and under tail-coverts blackish with wider white bars; wings and tail brown; axillars and under wing-coverts fringed with white. Iris brick-red, a narrow inner circle brown; bill dark brown, lighter at tips; legs red; nails brown. A male from Manila market, September 2, 1904, measures: Length, 190; wing, 93; tail, 42; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 30; middle toe with claw, 35.

Adult female.--Similar to the male. A female from Cagayancillo, February 23, 1903, measures: Length, 210; wing, 96; tail, 47; exposed culmen, 18.5; tarsus, 32; middle toe with claw, 37. A breeding female from Manila market, August 20, 1902, measures: Length, 210; wing, 98; tail, 47; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 32; middle toe with claw, 37.

Young.--Manila market, August 14, 1902. Above olive and blackish brown, chin and throat white; remainder of under parts sooty brown mixed with white. Iris light green; upper mandible black; lower dark flesh; legs brown; nails black. Length, 200.

This little crake is either very shy or very scarce as few specimens are seen. It is usually found in dry brush-land or on forest paths and is extremely quick in making its escape.

66. LIMNOBÆNUS PAYKULLI (Ljungh).

PAYKULL'S CRAKE.

Rallus paykulli Ljungh, Sver. Vet. Akad. Handl. (1813), 258. Porzana paykulli Steere, List Birds & Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 82. Limnobænus paykulli Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 149; Hand-List (1899), 1, 105; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 17.

Basilan (Steere Exp.). China, Eastern Siberia, Malay Peninsula, Java, Borneo.

"Adult male.--Similar to L. fuscus, and having red legs like the latter species; upper surface ashy brown, as also the wings and tail; head ashy brown, with a rufous tinge on the forehead; lores, sides of face, throat, and breast pale vinous-chestnut; chin whitish; sides of breast ashy brown; flanks and thighs white, barred with dusky blackish; under tail-coverts black, barred and tipped with white; axillars and under wing-coverts white, with dusky blackish bars. 'Bill bluish gray, blackish on the culmen and about the tip, pea-green about the base; inside of mouth flesh-color; iris crimson; eyelid red; legs and toes salmon-color, brownish on the under surface of the tarsi, on the toes, and on their soles.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 215; culmen, 28; wing, 119; tail, 55; tarsus, 38.

"Young (type of Rallina rufigenis).--Similar to the adult, but duller above, paler rufous below, the abdomen white with a vinous tinge; throat white; wing-coverts much more numerously banded with white." (Sharpe.)

Steere is the only author who has recorded this species from the Philippines.

Genus AMAURORNIS Reichenbach, 1852.

Bill rather stout; base of upper mandible slightly swollen; legs and feet large; middle toe with claw longer than tarsus; plumage with neither spots nor bars.

Species.

a1. Chin, throat, and breast slate-gray. ... olivacea (p. 75) a2. Chin, throat, and breast pure white. ... phoenicura (p. 76)

67. AMAURORNIS OLIVACEA (Meyen).

PHILIPPINE WATERHEN.

Gallinula olivacea Meyen, Nova Acta C. L-C. Acad. Nat. Cur. (1834), 16, Suppl. 1, 109, pl. 20. Amaurornis olivacea Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. (1875), 9, 231, pl. 33, fig. 1; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 153; Hand-List (1899), 1, 106; Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 247 (eggs); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 120. Amauronis olivacea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1907), 17 (error).

Tin-gaó, Ticao; ba-na-tí-ran, Calayan; ba-hu-goc', Batan.

Batan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Meyen, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Masbate (McGregor); Mindanao (Platen, Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).

Adult (sexes alike).--Above olive-brown; below bluish slate-gray, most intense on breast, lighter on chin, throat, and middle of abdomen; flanks and thighs dull olive-brown; under tail-coverts ruddy brown. Iris red; bill sea-green; legs dirty yellow; nails brown. Length of a male from Bohol, 330; wing, 175; tail, 63; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 65; middle toe with claw, 70. Length of a male from Calayan, 305; wing, 178; tail, 57; culmen from base, 41; tarsus, 69; middle toe with claw, 73. A female from Mindoro, May 6, 1905, measures: Length, 290; wing, 165; tail, 53; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 57; middle toe with claw, 64.

"A common bird, snared in abundance by the natives. Two sets of eggs were obtained by us in Siquijor. The nest was in each case placed on a slight elevation, and was a mere heap of dried leaves and grasses. The ground-color of the eggs is rather a rich creamy buff. They are heavily blotched and spotted with a rich light chocolate-brown, the blotches being more numerous at the larger end, where they are often confluent. A few inconspicuous lilac markings are also present. The eggs measure from 40.6 to 43 in length, and from 29 to 32 in greatest breadth." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Oates describes two eggs collected in Siquijor in February by the Steere Expedition. "The eggs of the Philippine crake are of a broad oval form, and they have but little gloss. The ground is creamy white, and this is spotted, streaked, and blotched, more thickly at the larger end than elsewhere, with reddish brown and underlying pale purple. Two examples measure respectively 41.9 by 30.9; 39.3 by 28.7."

A nest of this species found at Balete, Mindoro, was well hidden in a clump of saw-grass. It was very weakly made of dry grass and had a deep cup. The single egg was heavily incubated when taken on May 20. It measures 41.6 by 30.9 mm. The ground-color is pale creamy white. Small spots and fine dots of reddish brown are scattered over the whole shell, but more numerously on the larger end where there are also two large blotches of lavender. A few small lavender dots are scattered over the entire surface.

68. AMAURORNIS PHOENICURA (Pennant).

WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN.

Gallinula phoenicurus Pennant, Ind. Zool. (1769), 10, pl. 9. Amaurornis phoenicura Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 156; Hand-List (1899), 1, 106; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 121, pl. 9, fig. 5. Amaurornis phoenicura Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Birds (1898), 4, 173, fig. 36 (head). Amauronis phoenicura McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18 (error).

Sally-quawk, in general use.

Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Martens, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan (Platen, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Indian and Malay Peninsulas, Ceylon, Indo-Burmese Provinces, China, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Celebes.

Adult (sexes alike).--Above including wings dark slate-gray; middle of neck, back, and inner secondaries washed with olive; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dull brown; forehead, eyebrow, face, sides of neck, chin, throat, and breast white; from behind eye a black streak separating the gray above from the white below, abdomen and thighs washed with light chestnut; flanks and under tail-coverts chestnut; some of the upper tail-coverts slightly chestnut; alula and primaries blackish, first feather of each edged with white; edge of wing white; under wing-coverts blackish, fringed with white; tail blackish. Iris dark brown; upper mandible red behind nostril, remainder dark green; lower mandible pea-green; legs yellowish brown or light brown.

Length, 292 to 305. A male from Danao, Cebu, August 2, 1906, measures: Wing, 147; tail, 63; culmen from base, 38; tarsus, 56; middle toe with claw, 65. A male from Palawan, January 17, 1906, measures: Wing, 156; tail, 69; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 56; middle toe with claw, 64. A female from Basilan, December 21, 1906, measures: Wing, 147; tail, 58; culmen from base, 35; tarsus, 53; middle toe with claw, 63.

"A very common bird in marshy regions and along fresh-water streams. Called 'sally-quawk' by the natives from its notes." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus GALLINULA Brisson, 1760.

Bill moderate, the culmen extending backward on the forehead to opposite center of eye and forming a tumid shield with rounded posterior margin; toes with a narrow fold on each side; middle toe without claw longer than tarsus; plumage black with white on flanks and under tail-coverts.

69. GALLINULA CHLOROPUS (Linnæus).

MOORHEN.

Fulica chloropus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 152. Gallinula chloropus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 169; Hand-List (1899), 1, 107; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 175, fig. 37 (head); Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 246 (eggs); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 123; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Ca-rab' i-tu-mon', Bohol.

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett); Guimaras (Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead). Europe, Asia, Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius.

Adult male.--General color dark slaty gray; head, neck, chin, and throat black shaded into slate-gray posteriorly; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and inner wing-feathers dark olive-brown; feathers on middle of abdomen more or less fringed with white; several long flank feathers with long white stripes on outer webs; crissum black; under tail-coverts pure white; wings blackish; edge of wing and of first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars blackish with white tips; tail blackish. "Frontal shield and two-thirds of the bill deep lake-red, and tip of the latter greenish yellow for about one-third; legs olive-green, the broad scaling on the fore part of the tarsus, and the scales of the upper part of the toes, lemon-yellow; joint of heel dusky olive-green, with a shade of lemon-yellow immediately below the garter, which is dark lake-red; iris reddish." (Sharpe.) Two males from Bohol measure: Wing, 157, 162; tail, 70, 73; bill from posterior margin of frontal shield, 43, 45; bill from nostril, 15, 16; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 76, 77.

Adult female.--Similar to the male but smaller. A female from Basilan measures: 292 in length; wing, 138; tail, 63; culmen from posterior margin of frontal shield, 37; bill from nostril, 14; bill from gape, 27; tarsus, 49; middle toe with claw, 74.

Young.--Above richer brown, top of head washed with brown; below lighter than adult; chin, upper throat, and sides of face white mixed more or less with brown and dark gray; feathers on rest of under parts more or less fringed with brown and white; middle of abdomen pure white.

"The eggs of the moorhen are normally of a broad oval form and have a small amount of gloss. The ground-color varies much, being creamy white, pale greenish white, pale buff or pinkish buff. The markings consist of specks, spots, and bold blotches of deep reddish brown, and a few underlying pale purple spots. The combinations in which these markings occur are numerous. In some, the markings are all small and densely set over the shell; in others, spots are combined with huge blotches which are often confluent. As a rule the larger end of the egg is more thickly marked than the other parts. A few specimens are devoid of all markings except some pale purple blotches. Examples vary from 39.3 to 55 in length and from 27.9 to 36 in breadth." (Oates.)

Four eggs collected by Whitehead in Samar, August 25, 1896, are thus described: "The eggs are perfectly similar to those laid by European moorhens, but the number of eggs in the clutch, as well as their relatively smaller size, is noteworthy. Measurements 42 by 39." (Grant and Whitehead.)

Genus GALLICREX Blyth, 1849.

Bill stout and of moderate length; frontal shield pointed behind, much larger in males than in females, and in the breeding season terminating in a free horn-like process; legs and toes very long and heavy.

70. GALLICREX CINEREA (Gmelin).

WATERCOCK.

Fulica cinerea Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 702. Gallicrex cinerea Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 183; Hand-List (1899), 1, 108; Grant, Ibis (1895), 265; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 176, fig. 38 (head); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 125; pl. 10, fig. 6; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Can-nu-toc', Manila; tub-tub, Ticao; tu-yud', Bohol; tug-tug, Masbate.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Luzon (Dussumier, Cuming, Heriot, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Sulu (Guillemard); Tablas (Celestino); Ticao (McGregor). Ceylon, Burmese provinces to China and Japan, Malay and Indian Peninsulas, Greater Sunda Islands.

"Adult male.--General color above black, with a few remains of ashy gray margins to the feathers, or with brown edgings to the scapulars, lower back, and rump; upper wing-coverts blackish, broadly edged with ashy gray; bend of wing white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, slightly shaded with gray externally, first primary externally white; inner secondaries edged with light brown; tail-feathers blackish, edged with brown; head and neck all round and under surface of body deep black; a few whitish feathers on lower abdomen; under tail-coverts buffy white, with black bars; under wing-coverts black, barred and edged with white; axillars black like the sides of the breast. 'Frontal shield and base of upper mandible deep red; remainder of bill yellow, a spot on each side of lower mandible red; frontal process or horn pinkish; legs plumbeous green; claws horn-color; iris reddish brown; eyelids plumbeous.' (Oates.) Length, 419; culmen with frontal shield, 69; wing, 218; tail, 74; tarsus, 79.

"According to Oates, the male in winter has the fleshy process on the head reduced in size or nearly obsolete.

"Adult female.--General color above dark brown with a slight ashy shade, the feathers with sandy buff margins, so that the upper surface appears streaked; lower back and rump rather more uniform; wing-coverts ashy gray, the greater series browner, with fulvous margins like the inner secondaries, which have dusky frecklings also on the outer web; alula ashy brown, the outer feathers edged with white; primary-coverts and quills brown, externally shaded with ashy; first primary white along the outer web; tail-feathers dark brown, edged with lighter brown; crown uniform dark brown, forming a cap; hind neck like the back; lores, eyebrow, sides of face, and sides of neck dark sandy buff; throat and center of the abdomen white; remainder of under surface from the lower throat downwards pale isabelline buff, crossed with narrow wavy bars of dusky brown; lower flanks rather more uniform ashy brown; under tail-coverts more tawny, with dusky brown cross-bars; under wing-coverts and axillars uniform ashy brown, the edge of the wing white; quills uniform ashy brown below. Length, 305; culmen, 38; wing, 173; tail, 66; tarsus, 68; middle toe with claw, 91.

"Young.--Resembles the old female, but much more tawny everywhere, especially on the sides of face, neck, and under parts, the latter being much more narrowly and indistinctly barred with dusky brown than in the adult birds." (Sharpe.)

"A male and female adult from Catanduanes in the brownish buff plumage of autumn and winter. Neither Dr. Sharpe, in his Catalogue, nor any other author, so far as I am aware, makes the slightest reference to the autumn change of plumage which is so marked in the male, only the breeding dress being described, in which the whole of the hind neck and under parts, as well as the general color of the upper parts, are black. In the fully adult male before me the whole of the under parts from the throat downward are pale buff with rather fine, somewhat wavy, brownish black bars, except on the middle of the belly, which is paler and nearly devoid of markings; the under tail-coverts have the ground-color more rufous-buff; the rest of the plumage also resembles that of the female. The latter does not appear to have any different breeding plumage, or, if she changes, the feathers are very similar to those of the autumn dress." (Grant.)

"Abundant about paddy-fields in some localities. It nests on the ground in these fields, and the natives found a number of nests for us while cutting rice. They call the bird tug-túg from its note." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

In an adult male from Sibuyan, June 7, 1904, the head and mantle are light slate-gray with dark centers to the feathers and the lower parts are pale slate-gray with numerous light colored cross-lines. Frontal shield and bill to proximal edge of nostril scarlet; base of lower mandible scarlet; rest of bill pea-green; legs dull green; nails dark gray. Length, 432; wing, 241; tail, 86; bill from gape, 37; bill from nostril, 21; tarsus, 81; middle toe with claw, 94.

In an adult male from Guindulman, Bohol, June 3, 1906, the head, face, and lower parts are largely black and except on top of head, the greater number of the feathers are fringed with pale buff or white. Length, 419; wing, 235; tail, 87; bill from gape, 36; bill from nostril, 19; tarsus, 77; middle toe with claw, 94.

Genus PORPHYRIO Brisson, 1760.

Bill stout and very deep; nostrils circular; frontal shield broad, covering the entire forehead, its posterior border square; legs and toes very long and heavy.

71. PORPHYRIO PULVERULENTUS Temminck.

PHILIPPINE BLUE GALLINULE.

Porphyrio pulverulentus Temminck, Pl. Col. (1826), 5, pl. 405; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 207; Hand-List (1899), 1, 109; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Ac-bag', Manila; ca-rab' a-bu-hon', Bohol.

Bohol (McGregor); Luzon (Steere Exp., McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.--General color hoary blue, lighter on head, neck, and fore breast; much darker, nearly navy blue on abdomen; crissum white; scapulars and upper back rich olive-brown or russet-brown, the feathers edged more or less with blue; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts duller brown; primaries black, their outer webs verditer-blue; short under wing-coverts blue, the longer ones black; tail blackish edged with verditer-blue.

In a male from the Manila market, March 24, 1903, the bill and shield were dusky cardinal; a space back of nostril and at base of lower mandible whitish; iris reddish brown; legs and feet reddish brown, joints dusky; nails brown. Length, 432; tail, 88; culmen from posterior margin of shield, 74; bill from gape, 41; bill from nostril, 32; tarsus, 93; middle toe with claw, 108.

Adult female.--Similar to the male. A female from Guindulman, Bohol, June 20, 1906, measures: Length, 394; wing, 236; tail, 88; culmen from posterior margin of shield, 67; bill from gape, 35; bill from nostril, 28; tarsus, 83; middle toe with claw, 99.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being slightly duller in color, in having the quills externally washed with olive, and the breast and abdomen obscured by hoary whitish edgings to the feathers." (Sharpe.)

"Enormously abundant in the reeds about Lake Naujan in Mindoro, but a shy bird, and one not easily obtained except by snaring." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily FULICINÆ.

Genus FULICA Linnæus, 1758.

Anterior toes with a number of rounded lobes on each side; frontal shield rounded.

72. FULICA ATRA Linnæus.

BLACK COOT.

Fulica atra Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 152; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 210; Hand-List (1899), 1, 109; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 129; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

U-luc' di-á-blo, Manila.

Luzon (Heriot, McGregor). Europe, Indian Peninsula, Mediterranean countries, northern and central Asia, China, Java, Sumatra, Celebes.

Adult male.--General color above slate-gray, lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail blackish; head, neck, chin, and throat black; under side of body pale slate or smoke-gray; crissum black; edge of wing and of first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars smoke-gray. "'Bill very pale lavender, with a pinkish tinge; frontal shield ivory-white; tarsi and feet pearly gray, with a greenish tinge on the sides of the tarsus; garter orange-yellow; iris dark brown' (R. B. S., MS). Length, 368; culmen from base of shield, 34; wing, 218; tail, 56; tarsus, 33; middle toe and claw, 78." (Sharpe.)

Adult female.--Similar to the male. In a specimen from Laguna de Bay, Luzon, December 29, 1901, the following colors were noted: Iris dull red; frontal shield and bill white, tip pale horn-brown; feet slate; legs slate with a wash of pale green on middle of tarsi; garter-ring next to feathers dull orange. Wing, 209; tail, 61; culmen including frontal shield, 47; bill from nostril, 15; bill from gape, 32; tarsus, 59; middle toe with claw, 87.

"Young.--Much browner than the adult, feathers of head dusky blackish edged with white; lores, eyebrows, and sides of face white; under surface of body ashy whitish, browner on the flanks." (Sharpe.)

The black coot is fairly abundant on the Laguna de Bay, Luzon, and doubtless occurs in Mindanao. This bird frequents lakes and ponds and is seldom seen on land.

Order COLYMBIFORMES.

GREBES.

Water birds with tarsus extremely flattened and legs set far back on body; neck long; plumage dense; tail-feathers very short and soft; toes lobed; toes and nails very broad and flat; hind toe small and elevated. Eggs with a white chalky surface; nest a mass of reeds near the water often floating on the water.

Family COLYMBIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Genus TACHYBAPTUS Reichenbach, 1849. [9]

Characters same as those given for the Family.

73. TACHYBAPTUS PHILIPPENSIS (Bonnaterre).

PHILIPPINE GREBE.

Colymbus philippensis Bonnaterre, Tabl. Encycl. Meth. (1790), 1, 58, pl. 46, fig. 3. Podicipes philippensis Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 511. Podicipes philippinensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 113; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 133; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

Su-li-a'-sit, Manila; ga-mao', Bohol.

Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Jagor, Heriot, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Stafford); Mindanao (Mearns); Panay (Clarke). [10] Borneo, southern China, Burmese provinces, Formosa, Hainan.

Adult in breeding plumage.--Above dark, glossy seal-brown; chin, fore throat, and cheeks blackish; throat, sides of neck, and ear-coverts chestnut; breast and abdomen silvery white, mixed with a little blackish brown and gradually shading into blackish brown on fore breast, sides, flanks, and lower belly; thighs blackish mixed with a little light chestnut; wings black; under wing-coverts, axillars, and tips of short secondaries white. "Iris straw-yellow; bill black, whitish at the tip; naked skin at base of bill and between rami of the mandible pale greenish yellow; legs blackish gray, with a slight tinge of green." (Swinhoe.) A male from Calayan, November 15, 1903, measures: Length, 280; wing, 107; culmen broken; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 48.

The following data are from a female taken at Jala Jala, Laguna de Bay, Luzon, January 5, 1902. Feet bluish black; angle of mouth and base of lower mandible clear, pale pea-green; bill black with a light spot at tip. Wing, 100; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 49. A female from Sevilla, Bohol, March 24, 1906, measures: Length, 254; wing, 102; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 49.

The non-breeding bird has the chin and throat white and the chestnut reduced in extent and lighter in shade.

Young.--A half-grown downy young was obtained at Laguna de Bay, August 24, 1904. Above seal-brown with white tips to much of the down; middle of crown mottled with chestnut; a white line over eye; two diagonal white lines on each side of occiput, the anterior line continued along side of neck; chin, throat, and face mottled with white, black, and dark gray; fore breast, sides, and lower belly gray; middle of breast and belly white. Bill pale yellow mottled with blackish brown, tip gray; legs black. Length, 203.

A full-grown young bird has upper parts light brown; sides of head and neck buffy brown, mottled and streaked with white; chin and upper throat white; a wide dull buffy brown band around neck; breast and abdomen pure white; thighs buff-brown.

"Comparatively rare. Several specimens were secured by the Steere Expedition in a little pond in Guimaras. Fairly common in the Laguna de Bay, Luzon, but we failed entirely to find it in the Laguna de Naujan, Mindoro." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Order PROCELLARIIFORMES.

PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS.

Bill strong and moderately long, terminating in a strong, sharp, overhanging hook or nail; nostrils impervious and tubular, opening forward or upward; feet moderate; toes webbed; hind toe small and elevated, rarely absent. Oceanic birds of strong flight and wandering habits; colors black, brown, and white. Eggs white, deposited in burrows or among piles of loose stone; young covered with down and fed for some time before leaving the nest.

Families.

a1. Smaller; wing less than 150 mm. ... Procellariidæ (p. 84) a2. Larger; wing more than 300 mm. ... Puffinidæ (p. 84)

Family PROCELLARIIDÆ.

Nasal tube prominent, vertically truncated and with a thin partition.

Subfamily PROCELLARIINÆ.

Genus Oceanodroma Reichenbach, 1852.

Wing less than 180 mm.; tarsus not longer than middle toe with claw; tail emarginate or slightly forked; tarsus less than twice as long as culmen.

74. OCEANODROMA species McGregor.

PETREL.

Oceanodroma sp. McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 12; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

Luzon (McGregor).

The only specimen representing this genus and known to have been taken in the Philippines is in very poor condition and can not be determined specifically. It came aboard ship near Mariveles, Luzon, during a storm on July 28, 1903.

Family Puffinidæ.

Nasal case low and broad; end of lower mandible hooked like the upper.

Subfamily PUFFININÆ.

Genus PUFFINUS Brisson, 1760.

Nasal tube obliquely truncate, its partition thick.

75. PUFFINUS LEUCOMELAS Temminck.

SIEBOLD'S SHEARWATER.

Puffinus leucomelas Temminck, Pl. Col. (1836), pl. 587; Ridgway, Man. North Am. Bds. (1887), 62; Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 370; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 123; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

Luzon (Cuming). Japan and Korea south to Australia.

"Adult male.--Upper surface brown, feathers of body and wings with paler dusky edges; anterior portion of crown, forehead, sides of head, and neck white, each feather with a dark disk, which is narrow on the forehead and sides of the head and neck, giving a streaked appearance; entire under surface white; under wing-coverts white, interior ones with dark shafts, those near the edge of wing with dark disks; axillars pure white; tail brown, the inner webs of the lateral rectrices near the base white; primaries black throughout. Bill horn-color; feet flesh-color, the outer toe a little darker. Length, about 480; wing, 330; outer rectrices, 102; central rectrices, 142.

"Female.--Similar to the male." (Salvin.)

"Lower parts white; top and sides of head white, spotted and streaked with blackish. Wing, 286 to 318; tail, 149 (graduated for about 46); culmen, 47; tarsus, 47; middle toe with claw, 33." (Ridgway.)

The only record of this species for the Philippine Islands is based on the specimen collected by Cuming.

Order LARIFORMES.

TERNS AND GULLS.

Nostrils pervious, the opening linear or oval; wings long, strong, and pointed; first primary longest; legs and feet moderate; hind toe small and elevated; anterior toes fully webbed. Plumage of the adult simple in color, being white, black, and pearl-gray, rarely brown, usually in large areas. Young gray or mottled, very different in color from the adult. Usually found in flocks and never far from water. Eggs two to four, highly colored; nests usually on the ground or on cliffs; young downy at birth and fed in the nest for some time. [11]

Family LARIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Subfamilies.

a1. Tail more or less forked (except in Anous); bill slender; terminal portion of culmen straight or but slightly curved; angle of lower mandible not prominent. ... Sterninæ (p. 86) a2. Tail even; bill stouter; terminal portion of culmen decidedly curved; angle of lower mandible distinct. ... Larinæ (p. 95)

Subfamily STERNINÆ.

The members of this subfamily afford no very tangible characters to distinguish them from the gulls other than those already mentioned. However, the terns are, as a rule, of more slender form and more airy and graceful flight. The wings, bill, and tail are proportionately longer and the body smaller than these parts in the gulls.

Genera.

a1. Tail more or less forked.

b1. Tail but little more than one-third of wing, its outer feathers broad and rounded. ... Hydrochelidon (p. 86) b2. Tail much more than one-third of wing, its outer feathers narrow and pointed. ... Sterna (p. 88)

a2. Tail graduated; plumage sooty brown. ... Anous (p. 94)

Genus HYDROCHELIDON Boie, 1822.

Bill short and slender; legs and feet small; webs between the toes deeply emarginate; wings long, when closed, exceeding the tail; tail short, nearly square.

Species.

a1. Black or dark gray below (adults in summer).

b1. Upper tail-coverts and tail white; under wing-coverts black. ... leucoptera (p. 86) b2. Upper tail-coverts and tail gray; under wing-coverts white. ... hybrida (p. 87)

a2. White below (adults in winter and young).

b1. Tail white. ... leucoptera (p. 86) b2. Tail gray.

c1. Rump gray like back. ... hybrida (p. 87) c2. Rump white (young). ... leucoptera (p. 86)

76. HYDROCHELIDON LEUCOPTERA (Meisner and Schinz.)

WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN.

Sterna leucoptera Meisner and Schinz, Vog. Schweiz (1815), 264. Hydrochelidon leucoptera Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 6; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 133; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 174; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Mindanao (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Central and southern Europe to central Asia and China; Australia, New Zealand, Africa in winter.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Head, neck, and upper back dark, glossy black; coverts on the carpal joint pure white; greater wing-coverts pearl-gray; secondaries darker, passing into slate-gray; primaries frosted with pearl-gray, which soon wears off the outer quills, leaving the webs sooty black, with a well-defined narrow whitish streak down the middle of the inner webs of the four outer primaries; shafts white; back and rump grayish black; upper tail-coverts and tail pure white; under parts deep black; vent white; flanks, under wing-coverts, and axillars black. Bill livid red; feet orange-red; webs of toes much indented. Length, 236; culmen, 28; wing, 208; tail, 79; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 25.

"Adult in autumn and winter plumage.--In the latter part of July, when the molt begins (in Europe), the bird is curiously parti-colored, the new feathers of the head, neck, and under parts being white and those of the back gray (paler than in Hydrochelidon nigra). Later, the under parts, including the under wing-coverts and axillars, become white, the crown and nape being merely mottled with black; but by the following April the black color has reappeared to a considerable extent, especially in the axillars.

"Immature.--In birds which are not mature, though capable of breeding, the black of the under parts has a brownish tinge and the tail-feathers are pearl-gray, especially toward the tips. In winter like the adult.

"Young.--Similar to the winter plumage of the somewhat immature bird, but much mottled with dark brown on the upper parts, and the tail-feathers slightly darker gray with a brownish tinge toward the tips; upper tail-coverts always white.

"Nestling.--Ruddy fawn-color, mottled with black above, unspotted pale cinnamon-brown below." (Saunders.)

"Observed and shot by us in Mindanao, where it was flying over the rice-fields." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

77. HYDROCHELIDON HYBRIDA (Pallas).

WHISKERED TERN.

Sterna hybrida Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. (1811), 2, 338. Hydrochelidon hybrida Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 10; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 307, fig. 70 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 33; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 175; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Luzon (Meyer, Murray, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Mearns); Palawan (Whitehead, Steere Exp.); Negros (Whitehead). Southwestern, central, and southern Europe to China, Malay Archipelago, Australia, Africa.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Forehead, crown, and nape deep black; from the gape to the nape a conspicuous white streak; upper parts slate-gray, darker on the primaries, except when these are new and frosted; shafts white; inner webs of outer pairs of primaries white on the upper and greater part of the inner webs; upper tail-coverts gray; tail-feathers gray, with white outer webs to the outside pair; chin white or very pale gray; throat gray, darkening on the lower part; breast dark slate-gray, which deepens into black on abdomen and flanks; vent and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts white; axillars white with a faint tinge of gray. Bill blood-red; feet vermilion, drying to orange-color; webs deeply indented, but less so than in H. leucoptera. Length, 280; culmen, 35; wing, 235 to 241; tail, 96; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 29.

"Indian birds, which are probably almost sedentary, are slightly smaller in size. Some of the birds resident in South Africa are of a distinctly darker hue both above and below than northern examples; Australian specimens, on the other hand, are inclined to be paler.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, or a trifle paler in general tint.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Upper parts of a paler gray than in the breeding season; forehead white; crown and nape streaked and mottled with black; under parts entirely white; bill and feet reddish brown.

"Young in first plumage.--Crown and nape blackish brown, mantle mottled with brown and with warm cinnamon-brown edges to inner secondaries; tail slightly mottled and edged with ash-brown; the rest like the adult in winter. By December the brown markings are considerably diminished.

"Nestling.--Down at the base of bill black, forehead ruddy fawn-color; upper parts paler fawn, mottled and streaked with black; under parts white, except the throat, which is sooty black for a few days." (Saunders.)

"Common about the Pasig River and Laguna de Bay. Several flocks were observed in Mindanao feeding over the paddy-fields." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus STERNA Linnæus, 1758.

Bill much as in Hydrochelidon but somewhat longer; toes completely webbed; tail always distinctly forked; outer rectrices usually much longer than the others.

Species.

a1. Crown black.

b1. Larger; wing, 240 mm. or more.

c1. Forehead black to base of culmen.

d1. Larger; tarsus yellow or red; bill red in summer. ... hirundo (p. 89) d2. Smaller; tarsus blackish, bill black at all seasons. ... longipennis (p. 89)

c2. Forehead white.

d1. Lores white. ... boreotis (p. 90) d2. Lores black.

e1. Wing, 265 mm.; mantle umber-brown. ... anæstheta (p. 91) e2. Wing, 300 mm.; mantle deep black. ... fuscata (p. 92)

b2. Smaller; wing less than 200 mm. ... sinensis (p. 92)

a2. Crown white. ... melanauchen (p. 93)

78. STERNA HIRUNDO Linnæus.

COMMON TERN.

Sterna hirundo Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 137. Sterna fluviatilis Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 54; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 135; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 182; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Calayan (McGregor). Countries on both sides of Atlantic Ocean, Indian and African coasts in winter, Brazilian coasts in winter.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Forehead, upper lores, crown, and nape black; mantle rather dark pearl-gray; secondaries narrowly margined with white; outer primary with a black outer web, and a broad streak (10 mm.) of very dark gray next the white shaft on inner web, rest of inner web white, except toward tip, where it is dark ash-gray; inner primaries paler gray, with white 'wedges' and dark gray margins to inner webs; rump whitish; tail-feathers white, with gray outer webs, those of the streamers darkest; chin and cheeks white; breast and belly pale, vinaceous-gray; under wing- and under tail-coverts white. Bill coral-red, the extreme tip horn-color; iris dark brown; tarsi and toes coral-red. Length, 362; culmen, 43; wing, 267; tail, 165; depth of fork, 82; tarsus, 22; middle toe with claw, 24.

"Female.--Similar to the male.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Like the above, but forehead and crown streaked and mottled with white; colors of bill and feet much duller from September onwards, under parts paler.

"Immature.--Like the above, but the forehead white; a dark gray band along upper wing-coverts; under parts distinctly white.

"Young (in August).--Mantle barred and mottled with ash-brown; outer webs of tail-feathers dark gray; band on wing-coverts more extended than in the immature bird; otherwise similar. In fledglings the upper parts are much marked with warm buff.

"Up to about the end of September the colors of bill and feet become lighter, but afterwards they rapidly go back and become more or less horn-colored.

"Nestling.--Forehead and throat brown; upper parts stone-buff, spotted and streaked with black; under parts white; feet yellow." (Saunders.)

79. STERNA LONGIPENNIS Nordmann.

NORDMANN'S TERN.

Sterna longipennis Nordmann, in Erman's Reise (1835), 17; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 67; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 319; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 135; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 185, pl. 14, fig. 4.

Basilan Straits (Mearns). Eastern Siberia, Kamtchatka, and Japan; in winter China to New Guinea.

"Coloration.--Similar to that of S. fluviatilis [= hirundo], except that the bill is always black and the feet are blackish. Adults are darker in color, both above and below, but the difference is not great. All the measurements appear identical, or nearly so, except those of the bill, which is altogether smaller, and measures about 45 mm. from the gape." (Blanford.)

"Adult in winter.--Forehead flecked with white otherwise similar.

"Immature.--Like that of fluviatilis [= hirundo] from which it can hardly be distinguished except by the color of the bill and feet and the somewhat smaller size and more delicate shape of the latter." (Saunders.)

80. STERNA BOREOTIS (Bangs).

NORTHERN BERGIUS TERN.

Sterna bergii Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 89 (part); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 136 (part). Sterna bergii boreotis Bangs, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. (1901), 36, 256. Sterna boreotis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Ga-bi-o'-ta, general name for gulls and terns.

Agutaya (McGregor); Balabac (Steere); Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Caluya (Porter); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Bourns & Worcester); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Murray, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Pata (Mearns); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Liu Kiu Islands and Northern China Sea.

"Adult male in full breeding plumage (type).--Forehead, cheeks, lores, ear-coverts, neck all round, and whole under parts, including lining of wing and bend of wing, pure white; crown and long occipital crest glossy black; mantle, wings, rump, upper tail-coverts, and upper surface of middle rectrices dark smoke-gray, darkest on wings and middle of back, where the color is almost mouse-gray; primary quills white; first primary with outer web, a band along quill on inner web and tip blackish, with a silvery suffusion which is most marked toward center of feather; broad outer margin of inner web, below the black tip, white; second primary similar but black tip deeper in color and extending a short distance down outer margin of inner web, thus inclosing the white of inner web for a short distance; third, fourth, and fifth primaries like second, but black tip gradually growing deeper in color; outer rectrices above pale smoke-gray at tips and along shafts, pale grayish white toward base; second and third rectrices darker on the outer webs and at tip and whitish toward base of inner webs. Bill in dried specimen, dull yellow clouded with olive toward base; feet and tarsi blackish. Wing, 344; tail, 178; tarsus, 28; culmen, 62." (Bangs.)

"Very common throughout the group, especially abundant about the native fish-pens." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

This is much the largest tern found in the Philippines. Rather local in its distribution but usually found not far from fish-corrals or where schools of small fishes appear near the surface of the water.

Philippine records of this species are usually recorded under Sterna bergii, but the specimens probably belong to the variety S. bergii boreotis. The question can not be cleared up at present.

81. STERNA ANÆSTHETA Scopoli.

PANAYAN TERN.

Sterna anæstheta Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 1, 92; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 101; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 136; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 190; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20. Worcester, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 275, pl. 1 (nesting place).

Didicas Rocks (Worcester); Panay (Sonnerat). African and Indian seas to China, Japan, Moluccas, northern Australian, Pacific Islands; Gulf of Mexico, Western Indies.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Loral stripe black; upper forehead, crown, and nape black; shoulders slate-gray, passing into dark grayish brown on mantle; no visible white on secondaries; primaries umber-brown, shafts black, the 'wedges' on inner webs very narrow and not sharply defined; rump and principal tail-feathers grayish brown like the mantle, but the streamers white on outer and upper portions of inner webs, and the next pair of rectrices whitish at their bases; abdomen and breast grayish white; under wing-coverts and throat pure white. Bill, tarsi, and toes black, the inner webs of the latter considerably excised. Length, 355 to 380; culmen, 45; wing, 262; tail, 190; depth of fork, 102; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 30. The sexes are alike in plumage.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Similar to the above, but the lores and crown mottled with white for a short time.

"Immature.--Generally similar, but with more white on the head; whitish tips to the feathers of the back, which, when fresh, are somewhat gray; a dark line along upper wing-coverts, and less white on outer rectrices. Full plumage is not attained until the bird is at least two years old.

"Young.--Head streaked and mottled with brownish black; feathers of upper parts dark brown with rufous tips, which subsequently become paler, approaching white, and finally wear away; under parts grayish white. Bill and toes brownish." (Saunders.)

82. STERNA FUSCATA Linnæus.

SOOTY TERN.

Sterna fuscata Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 228. [12] Sterna fuliginosa Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 106; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 136; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 191; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Tropical and juxtatropical seas of the world.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Similar to S. anæstheta; but larger, white frontal-band and superciliary stripe broader, the latter oblique and not reaching beyond eye, from which it is separated by a narrow continuation of the black loral stripe; upper surface sooty black, the wedges on inner webs of primaries a trifle paler than the rest; streamers dull white on the outer webs, remaining tail-feathers sooty black; under tail-coverts, abdomen, and flanks grayish white; breast and throat white. Bill and feet black with a slightly reddish tinge, the web between middle and inner toe nearly full, and far less excised than in S. anæstheta. Length, about 430; culmen, 53; wing, 298; tail, about 190; depth of fork, 102; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 28.

"Adult in winter.--Like the above, with white flecks on the lores and crown.

"Immature.--Brownish black above, darker on the upper wing-coverts; outer tail-feathers nearly as sooty black as the rest of the rectrices, except toward the tips; tarsi and toes reddish brown.

"Nestling and young.--The chick when about three days old is streaked with grayish brown and dull white on the upper surface, darkest on the forehead, and chiefly stone-white below; when half fledged, the feathers of the mantle are blackish, with broad white tips, which gradually wear down. When the bird is fully fledged these white tips are much narrower, the feathers of the upper parts are sooty brown, and the under parts are also somewhat paler brown, becoming lighter toward the vent. (In S. anæstheta the under parts are whitish). Bill and feet reddish brown." (Saunders.)

83. STERNA SINENSIS Gmelin.

WHITE-SHAFTED TERN.

Sterna sinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 608. Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 113; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 136; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 192; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Luzon (Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp.); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead). Chinese and Indian seas to Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Lores black from base of bill to eye; forehead as far as a little beyond the top of eye white; crown and nape black; mandible pearl-gray; secondaries bordered with grayish white; shafts of primaries pure white in the outer, and pale gray in the upper ones; outer web of the outer primary and a broad line next the shaft on its inner web dark gray; on the succeeding primaries paler gray; upper portions and edges of inner webs white; rump pearl-gray; tail and under parts white. Bill gamboge-yellow, tipped with black; tarsi and feet orange-yellow. Length, 280 when the streamers are fully developed; culmen, 35; wing, 188; tail, 145; depth of fork, 86; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 20.

"Adult female.--Slightly smaller than the male and with less developed tail-streamers.

"Adult in autumn.--Similar, with more white on the forehead, and shorter tail-streamers; primaries darker on their terminal portions, owing to the disappearance of the frosting, until the new quills appear.

"Immature.--Like the above, but dull white on crown and the front of the lores; primaries still darker, the outer shafts always white, the other shafts dusky; upper wing-coverts dark gray; tail-feathers grayish, and the streamers not much prolonged; bill dark brown, tarsi and toes ochraceous.

"Young.--Forehead buffish white, crown with black streaks which become confluent on nape; upper parts mottled and barred with buffish brown on a dull gray ground. Bill horn-color; feet ocher-yellow. When the bird is barely fledged the buff-color predominates on the upper surface." (Saunders.)

"Found by us in great abundance near the center of Mindoro, where it was flying about over the dried beds of streams and alighting among the pebbles, its color assimilating so closely with that of the sand and small stones that it was well nigh impossible to see it on the ground." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

84. STERNA MELANAUCHEN Temminck.

BLACK-NAPED TERN.

Sterna melanauchen Temminck, Pl. Col. (1827), pl. 427; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 126; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 137; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 195; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Palawan (Platen); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor). Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula, Nicobars, Andamans, northern Mascarene Islands, Pacific Islands, Liu Kiu Islands, northern Australia.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Forehead and crown pure white; in front of the eye a black triangular patch, the apex of which does not reach base of bill; behind the eye on each side and inclosing the nape a band of black, broad and prolonged in the center; neck white; mantle and rump delicate pearl-gray; shafts of all primaries white; outer primary with the outer web blackish, and the streak next shaft on inner web pale gray; the succeeding primaries palest gray next the shafts on the outer and the inner webs, the inner margins of all being pure white; tail long and forked, the middle tail-feathers pale pearl-gray, the rest white; under parts glossy white, with a beautiful roseate tint. Bill black; tarsi and toes dark brown to black. Length, 343; culmen, 41; wing, 216; tail, 152; depth of fork, 76; tarsus, 18; foot with middle toe, 23. The male appears to have somewhat longer streamers than the female; otherwise the sexes are alike externally.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs only in having less black in front of the eye and on the nape.

"Immature.--Similar to the above, but there is a brownish tinge to the black on the nape; wing-coverts ash-gray; a dark line along the carpal joint; webs of the four outer primaries on both sides of the white shafts dark ash-gray (outermost black), outer webs of the tail-streamers also ash-colored.

"Young.--Forehead and crown buffish white, with black streaks which become confluent on nape; feathers of mantle and tail gray, barred with ash-brown and tipped with buff; primaries with a good deal of gray, which throws into strong relief their broad, white, inner margins. Bill ocher-yellow, horn-colored near the tip; toes yellowish brown.

"Nestling.--Above pale buff, spotted and streaked with black and umber-brown; beneath dull drab." (Saunders.)

Genus ANOUS Stephens, 1826.

This genus is distinguished by its brown plumage and graduated tail-feathers.

85. ANOUS STOLIDUS (Linnæus).

NODDY TERN.

Sterna stolida Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 137. Anous stolidus Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 136; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 325, fig. 73; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 137; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 197; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, McGregor). Tropical and juxtatropical seas of the world.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Forehead nearly white at base of bill, passing on the crown into lavender-gray, which deepens on neck into lead-color; lores and orbital region black, with a faint whitish superciliary streak; upper parts chiefly dark brown; primaries, tail-feathers, and their shafts nearly black; under parts dark brown on abdomen and breast, passing into deep lead-color on the throat. Bill blackish; tarsi and toes reddish brown, fully webbed, webs ochraceous. Length, about 406; culmen, 53; wing, 260 to 280; tail, 152 to 178, the fourth feather from the outside the longest; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 39.

"Adult female.--Very similar but, as a rule, somewhat browner on the shoulders and with less lead-color on the throat, slightly smaller, and with a weaker bill.

"Immature.--Similar, but with even less lead-color, and a dark line along the upper wing-coverts.

"Young.--Browner generally and paler; forehead and crown grayish brown; below the forehead a narrow white superciliary line conspicuous by contrast against the blackish lores.

"Fledgling (Ascension I.).--Umber-brown above and below; the whitish streak above the lores very marked, and continuous round base of bill; a slight grayish tint on forehead.

"Downy nestling.--One about five days old (British Honduras: May 12, 1862) has the forehead and crown dull white, lores blackish, upper surface mouse-brown, nape and throat darkest, lower parts paler. Another, only just hatched, is nearly uniform, sooty brown." (Saunders.)

Subfamily LARINÆ.

Of larger size than the terns; body and bill heavier; tail square or nearly so.

Genus LARUS Linnæus, 1758.

Characters same as those given for the Subfamily.

Species.

a1. Smaller; length, 400 mm.; wing, 300. ... ridibundus (p. 95) a2. Larger; length, 600 mm.; wing, 450. ... vegæ (p. 97)

86. LARUS RIDIBUNDUS Linnæus.

LAUGHING GULL.

Larus ridibundus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 225; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 207; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 140; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 208; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Luzon (Jagor, Murray, McGregor); Mindanao (Murray, Goodfellow). Europe, northern Asia, Africa, and Indian Ocean; China to Malay Archipelago in winter.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Hood coffee-brown; gray mantle, white tail, and white under surface tinged with evanescent roseate; pattern of outer primaries chiefly white, with black tips, and black margins to inner webs; shafts of three outer quills white; outermost quill white, with a narrow black line along the greater part of outer web (touching the shaft in all except very old birds), a black tip, and a blackish edge to the inner margin; second quill similar, but with merely a short hairline of black on the outer web; third quill with a trifle more black running upward from the black tip along the outer web; fourth quill similar, but with a gray center to inner web; fifth quill white on both webs, and with a minute white tip; sixth similar, but the tip gray and broader, so that the black becomes a subterminal bar; seventh similar, but with less and fainter black; upper primaries gray; secondaries paler gray, without conspicuous margins. Bill, tarsi, and toes lake-red; iris hazel. Length, 394 to 406; culmen, 46; wing, 298 to 305; tail, 127; tarsus, 43; middle toe with claw, 39.

"The female is undoubtedly smaller as a rule, though there are exceptions.

"Adult in winter.--Similar, but without a hood; merely a little grayish on the occiput, and blackish on the auriculars. In vigorous birds the indications of a hood reappear in autumn, soon after the completion of the molt, which is in August; but cold weather, combined with a scarcity of nutritive food, arrests the development, and it is not usual to see birds with fully complete hoods till February, though there are many exceptions. A female (by dissection) obtained in the shore-nets at Wells, Norfolk, on November 10, has the under parts, and even the shafts and webs of the primaries, suffused with a beautiful salmon-pink, but this also must be considered unusual.

"Nestling.--Buffish to brown, darkest on the upper parts, spotted and streaked with umber and black on the back, head, and throat.

"Young.--Forehead white, rest of head chiefly grayish brown; upper surface warmer brown, with gray lower wing-coverts; secondaries with blackish centers and white borders; the three outer primaries black on outer webs and at the tips and margins of inner webs, but the centers white, except the outermost, in which there is for a time a dark line inside the shaft; in the succeeding primaries the dark color increases ascendingly on the inner webs, while from the fifth the outer webs are pale gray to brownish, with a little white at tips; tail-feathers white, with a band of blackish brown; under surface dull white. Bill dull yellow, passing into black at the angles; tarsi and toes dull reddish yellow. The brown color is soon lost on the back, which has become gray by December.

"Immature.--Like the adult, with a few brown markings left on the upper wing-coverts, and more black on the outer webs of the primaries. More or less of a brown hood is assumed when the bird is barely a year old, and the band on the tail is lost by the following autumn, when the new primaries appear, with, as has been said, a larger proportion of black than in the adult; in fact the duration of the immature phase is very short. The bird does not breed until the following, or second spring.

"Occasionally the black from the margins of the inner webs of the three outer quills runs in and reaches the shafts, much encroaching upon the usual white centers, though not to the same extent on both wings of the same bird. This is noticeable in two examples obtained at Dinapur in December." (Saunders.)

This small gull is often abundant about Manila Bay but does not remain throughout the year.

87. LARUS VEGÆ (Palmen).

VEGA GULL.

Larus argentatus var. vegæ Palmen, Vega Exped., Vetensk (1887), 5, 370. Larus vegæ Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 269; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 141; Hartlaub, Abhandl. Natur. Ver. Bremen (1899), 16, heft. 2, 270; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Luzon (Schmacker). Bering Sea and Arctic Siberia; Chinese coasts, Japan, Formosa, and Bonin Islands in winter.

Adult male in breeding plumage.--Head, neck, tail, and under parts white; mantle and wing surface french-gray, with broad white tips to the scapulars and secondaries, making a conspicuous alar bar; all the primaries tipped with white; outermost quill blackish from the base downward (save a narrow gray wedge on inner web), with a white tip 63 mm. in length in mature birds, and a narrow, black bar which divides the white into tip and "mirror" in the majority; second quill blackish for about 10 mm. on both sides of shaft, with a black subterminal bar, a white mirror, and, on the inner web, a broad, gray wedge which sometimes breaks through and joins the mirror; third quill grayish basally, blackish on the lower part of outer web and on the subterminal bar, gray on the inner web, passing into white at the apex of the wedge; fourth similar but gray on both webs above the bar; fifth quill similar but bar narrower; sixth gray, without a bar in mature birds and with a narrow bar in others; the remaining quills gray with white tips. In less mature birds there is no mirror on the second quill. Ring around eye and gape bright orange-red; tarsi and toes pale flesh-color. Length, about 610; wing, 457; tail, 197; culmen, 74; tarsus, 70; middle toe with claw, 66.

The female is smaller and less robust.

Adult in winter.--Similar but head and neck streaked with ash-brown.

Immature and young.--In the first autumn the upper parts are streaked and mottled with brown and grayish buff; quills dark umber, with paler inner webs and whitish tips to most; rectrices similar, but more or less mottled with whitish at bases of two or three outer pairs; feathers of upper tail-coverts brown, with buffish white tips; under parts nearly uniform brown at first, but afterwards brownish gray, mottled; bill blackish, paler at base of lower mandible. The second autumn the head is nearly white, streaked with grayish brown; the upper parts are barred with brown on a grayish ground, though no pure gray feathers have yet made their appearance on mantle; quills paler; tail more mottled with white at the bases of all the feathers. In the third autumn the feathers of the mantle are chiefly gray, with some brownish streaks down the shafts; a faint subapical spot begins to show on the outermost primary; the tail-coverts are partly white, and the dark portion of the rectrices is much broken up; under parts nearly white. In the fourth autumn the subapical patch on first primary is larger, and the quills from the fifth upward are banded with black and tipped with white; tail-feathers white, slightly vermiculated with brown; bill greenish yellow basally, reddish black at the angle. At the molt of the fifth autumn all brown markings are lost, the primaries have white tips, black bars, and gray wedges, though the proportion of dark coloring in quills is greater than it is in older birds. (Compiled from Saunders.)

The only notice of the occurrence of the Vega gull in the Philippine Islands, appears to be the record by Hartlaub.

Order CHARADRIIFORMES.

SHORE-BIRDS AND WADERS.

Wings long, flat, and pointed, with narrow, rapidly graduated primaries; inner secondaries long; tail usually quite short; rarely forked (Glareola) or greatly elongated (Parridæ); legs generally long and slender, sometimes extremely so; toes short except in Parridæ, either semipalmate or cleft to the base; lobate in Phalaropodinæ; bill slender, compressed, and covered with soft skin, rarely hard throughout (Arenaria). Members of this order live on the ground in open places, usually near water and many of the species assemble in flocks during the winter months. Eggs three or four, highly colored and much spotted, usually pyriform. The nest, with rare exceptions, is a slight hollow in the ground. The young are downy and able to run within a few hours after leaving the egg. This order includes the sandpipers, plovers, snipes, Acurlews, and their allies. [13]

Suborders.

a1. Tail nearly square, never forked; toes and claws not greatly lengthened.

b1. Smaller, wing less than 230 mm.; bill small and short or greatly lengthened but never heavy. ... Charadrii (p. 99) b2. Larger; wing more than 250 mm.; bill moderate in length but powerful; tarsus covered with hexagonal scales. ... Oedicnemi (p. 154)

a2. Tail forked, or else the claws very long.

b1. Tail forked; gape deeply cleft; claws normal in length. ... Cursorii (p. 152) b2. Tail not forked, but with two or more lengthened feathers; gape normal; claws extremely long and slender; a sharp spur at bend of wing. ... Parræ (p. 150)

Suborder CHARADRII.

Family CHARADRIIDÆ.

Bill slender, in some very long, straight, occasionally gently curved; tail short and nearly square; legs moderately long to very long; plumage (except in Rostratula) white, gray, and brown, occasionally black and reddish. This family includes all the stilts, curlews, godwits, snipes, sandpipers, and plovers.

Subfamilies.

a1. Toes not laterally scalloped; no serrated edge on back of tarsus.

b1. Tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe with claw; naked portion of thigh much longer than middle toe with claw. ... Himantopodinæ (p. 113) b2. Tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe with claw; naked portion of thigh much shorter than middle toe with claw.

c1. Culmen with a decided dertrum or arched swelling at tip; tarsus reticulate behind.

d1. A small fleshy wattle in front of eye; front of tarsus covered with large transverse scales. ... Lobivanellinæ (p. 101) d2. No eye wattle present; tarsus covered with small hexagonal scales. ... Charadriinæ (p. 102)

c2. Culmen without a dertrum at tip.

d1. Tarsus with transverse plates in front and hexagonal scales behind; bill short, less than head; culmen nearly straight. ... Arenariinæ (p. 99) d2. Tarsus with transverse plates both before and behind (except Numenius which has a long decurved bill); bill usually much longer than head, either straight or curved, the tip usually soft.

e1. Toes webbed at base. ... Totaninæ (p. 114) e2. Toes cleft to the base. ... Scolopacinæ (p. 132)

a2. Toes with lateral lobes; tarsus with the posterior edge serrated. ... Phalaropodinæ (p. 149)

Subfamily ARENARIINÆ.

Genus ARENARIA Brisson, 1760.

Bill pointed, culmen straight and flattened for basal half; nostril linear, situated in a groove which extends half the length of bill; wing long and pointed; first primary decidedly longest; tarsus short with transverse plates in front and hexagonal scales behind; toes without webs; hind toe present.

88. ARENARIA INTERPRES (Linnæus).

TURNSTONE.

Tringa interpres Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 148. Arenaria interpres Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 92; Hand-List (1899), 1, 146; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 3; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 22. Strepsilas interpres Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 223, fig. 50 (head).

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard); Cebu (McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere Exp.); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Everett); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Cosmopolitan, breeding in high northern latitudes.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above black, mixed with chestnut or partly chestnut feathers on center of mantle; scapulars for the most part chestnut, but outer ones black at the ends or irregularly marked with black; accessory scapular plumes white; back and rump pure white; upper tail-coverts black, longer ones pure white; lesser wing-coverts blackish; innermost rather broadly edged with white, as also those near edge of wing; median coverts for the most part chestnut, slightly mottled with black; greater coverts blackish, narrowly margined and broadly tipped with white; alula and primary-coverts black, innermost of the latter with white tips; quills black with white shafts, and white bases to the inner primaries; secondaries for the most part white, blackish toward the ends of the feathers, these black markings decreasing gradually toward the inner secondaries, some of which are pure white, the innermost secondaries black, mottled with chestnut, like the scapulars; tail-feathers black with white bases, all but the center tail-feathers tipped with white, the black diminishing in size and forming a band toward the outer feathers, which are almost white; crown and hind neck white, the former streaked, the latter mottled with black; base of forehead and a narrow frontal line black, followed by a band of white, which unites with a broad eyebrow and is extended over ear-coverts; lores and fore part of cheeks white; feathers round eye and eyelid white, separated from the white loral patch by a narrow line of black, which unites the frontal band to a square, black patch beneath the eye, the latter joined to a malar line of black, which is connected with the sides of the neck and with the fore neck and sides of breast, all these parts being black, but nearly divided by a semi-lunar band of white, which reaches from the sides of the neck almost to the breast; throat and under surface of body from the center of chest downward, white; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white; quills below ashy whitish along the inner web. 'Bill black; feet deep orange-red, claws black; iris hazel.' (Audubon.) Length, 200; culmen, 23; wing, 157; tail, 58; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 28.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Much duller than the male, and having the same pattern of black and white about the face, but never developing the same amount of chestnut about the back, the head and hind neck being brown, mottled with blackish centers to the feathers. Length, 216; culmen, 23; wing, 160; tail, 62; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 25.

"Young.--Above dusky brown, all the feathers edged with sandy buff or rufous; wings and tail as in the adult; crown dark brown, streaked with sandy buff, the margins of the feathers being of this color; tail-feathers white, with a broad, subterminal band of black, decreasing in extent toward the outermost feathers, all the feathers tipped with sandy buff; throat and under surface white; lower throat, fore neck, sides of neck, and sides of breast, mottled with dusky blackish centers to the feathers, marking the black pattern of the adults, even the semi-lunar neck-band of the adults being indicated by a broad, crescentic band of sandy buff in the young.

"Winter plumage of the adult.--Above nearly uniform dusky brown, but not showing the tawny rufous margins to feathers of upper surface, the edges being ashy brown; head uniform brown like the back; hind neck and sides of neck ashy, mottled with dusky centers to the feathers; sides of face brown, with more or less white on ear-coverts; black markings on cheeks and throat as in the breeding bird, but the white semi-lunar band on the sides of the neck replaced by a patch of light brown.

"The difference between the winter plumage of the adult and the first full plumage of the young birds consists in the sandy buff margins to the feathers of the upper surface, which are very distinct in the latter at first. Afterwards they become abraded, and then there is scarcely any distinguishing mark between the winter plumages of the adult and young. In the spring the red plumage is very rapidly acquired, and I believe that it is gained quite as much by the change in the pattern of the feathers as by a direct molt." (Sharpe.)

"Often seen in small flocks during the winter months." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Not uncommon on tide-flats in the winter months; it is easily recognized by its bright red legs.

Subfamily LOBIVANELLINÆ.

Genus MICROSARCOPS Sharpe, 1896.

A hard round knob at bend of wing; a small fleshy wattle on each side of head at base of bill; bill plover-like with a decided swelling at the tip; nostril linear in a groove; wing pointed, first and second primaries equal and largest; tarsus long, covered with large hexagonal scales which appear as transverse plates in front; front toes webbed at base; hind toe small.

89. MICROSARCOPS CINEREUS (Blyth).

GRAY-HEADED LAPWING.

Pluvianus cinerea Blyth, Jour. As. Soc. Bengal (1842), 11, 587. Microsarcops cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 133; Hand-List (1899), 1, 149; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 9; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 295.

Luzon (Guerrero). Korea and southern Japanese islands to Mongolia and northern China; southern China, Indo-Burmese countries, and northeastern Bengal in winter.

"Adult male.--Above light brown, with a slight bronzy gloss; rump, upper tail-coverts, and base of tail white; terminal third of tail black, forming a broad band, tips white with a slight subterminal shade of brown, the black band vanishing toward the outer tail-feather, which is entirely white; wing-coverts brown like the back, but a little paler; median coverts with narrow white tips, except the outer ones, which are pure white; greater coverts nearly entirely white, with brown at the extreme base, increasing in extent on the inner ones; alula dark brown; primary-coverts and quills black; secondaries pure white; outer ones dusky near the ends, inner ones externally light brown, and innermost brown like the back; crown, nape, and hind neck, as well as side of face and neck, throat, fore neck, and chest light pearly gray, with a narrow black band across the upper breast; chin rather paler gray; remainder of under surface including under wing-coverts and axillars, pure white. 'Basal two-thirds of bill deep yellow, terminal third black; feet dull yellow, claws black; edges of eyelids and lappets deep yellow.' (Oates.) Length, 355; culmen, 35; wing, 239; tail, 102; tarsus, 67.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in plumage. Length, 368; culmen, 35; wing, 239; tail, 107; tarsus, 68.

"Adult in winter.--Differs from the summer plumage in having the gray of head and throat washed with brown, especially on the chest; the black band obscured by ashy or whitish tips to the feathers." (Sharpe.)

Young male in winter.--Upper parts brown with a slight gloss, the feathers with dusky shafts; forehead and neck a trifle lighter and grayer; upper tail-coverts and tail white, rectrices with a subterminal, blackish band which is widest on central pair and absent from outermost pair; chin whitish; throat, and sides of head and neck, light brown with whitish streaks; breast brown, rest of under parts white; wing-coverts brown like the back but a little paler, median coverts with narrow white tips, except the outer ones which are pure white; greater coverts nearly entirely white, with brown at extreme base, increasing in extent on inner ones; alula dark brown; primary-coverts and quills black; secondaries white, the inner ones externally light brown and the innermost brown like the back.

This lapwing resembles a large plover, but is distinguished by having a small hind toe, a short and blunt wing-spur, and a small, fleshy wattle or lappet between the eye and the base of bill. The only Philippine specimen known was taken near Manila in January, 1906.

Subfamily CHARADRIINÆ.

Bill moderate, not longer than head, culmen flat and straight from base to the terminal swollen dertrum; first primary slightly the longest; tarsus covered on all sides with small hexagonal scales; toes webbed at base; hind toe minute or absent.

Genera.

a1. Larger; wing more than 165 mm.; upper parts much spotted.

b1. A minute hind toe; axillars sooty black. ... Squatarola (p. 103) b2. No hind toe; axillars gray or white. ... Charadrius (p. 104)

a2. Smaller; wing less than 165 mm.; upper parts nearly uniform gray or brown.

b1. Larger; wing, 140 to 165 mm.; bill stouter. ... Ochthodromus (p. 105) b2. Smaller; wing, 100 to 115 mm.; bill more slender. ... Ægialitis (p. 109)

Genus SQUATAROLA Leach, 1816.

This genus is similar to Charadrius but differs in having a minute hind toe; the character is scarcely of generic value.

90. SQUATAROLA SQUATAROLA (Linnæus).

GRAY PLOVER.

Tringa squatarola Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 149. Squatarola helvetica Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 182; Hand-List (1899), 1, 152; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 17; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 22.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Cuyo (Meyer); Luzon (Sanches); Mindanao (Everett); Negros (Layard); Palawan (Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino). Subarctic regions, south in winter to Australia, Cape of Good Hope, and South America.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above mottled with bars of black and ashy white, the feathers being black, notched with white and broadly tipped with the latter; scapulars and wing-coverts like back, the greater series edged externally with white, inner ones distinctly notched with white; alula and primary-coverts black, the former slightly, the latter more plainly, tipped with white; quills black, the shaft white about the middle; first two primaries white for the greater portion of the inner web, decreasing in extent on the succeeding quills, which also have the median portion of the shaft white, but after the fourth this white shaft accompanied by an increasing amount of white on outer web; secondaries brown, with white edges and tips, bases of inner webs also white; innermost secondaries resembling the back, and notched with ashy brown and blackish; lower back and rump dusky brown, with white spots and fringes to the feathers; upper tail-coverts and tail white, barred with black or blackish brown, the bars decreasing toward the outer feathers, where they are broken up into spots on the outer web; crown like the back, but more minutely mottled and more hoary white; forehead and a broad eyebrow white, extending down sides of neck, and forming a large patch on sides of upper breast; lores, sides of face, ear-coverts, and under surface black, excepting abdomen and under tail-coverts, which are pure white; thighs white, streaked with black; under wing-coverts white; axillars black, with slightly indicated fringes of brown at tips; quills below dusky, with white on inner webs; lower primary-coverts pale ashy. 'Bill, legs, feet, and claws black; iris dark hazel.' (Seebohm.) Length, 267; culmen, 33; wing, 206; tail, 74; tarsus, 46.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Above, not so strongly mottled with black as the male, and consequently rather browner, especially on the head; black of face and under parts not so much developed, these parts being mottled with irregular black markings. Length, 279; culmen, 33; wing, 203; tail, 74; tarsus, 46.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs from the summer plumage chiefly in wanting the black on face and breast, but, from the absence of black mottling on the back, the whole upper surface appears more uniform, being ashy brown with narrow whitish edgings to the feathers, before which is a blackish subterminal shade; lores white, but base of forehead like crown; a line of white above and below eye, but the white eyebrow scarcely visible above the ear-coverts, which are dingy blackish; sides of face white, streaked with dusky; throat and under parts pure white, lower throat and fore neck pale ashy brown, slightly mottled with dusky markings; under wing-coverts white, except the lower primary-coverts, which are dusky ashy; axillars black.

"Young.--Like the winter plumage of the adults, and always to be distinguished from the golden plover by the black axillars, though it is spangled with golden buff on the upper surface, as is the latter species." (Sharpe.)

The gray plover, known as the black-bellied plover in the United States, is found along the seashore in small numbers during the winter months. As seen in the Philippines it is usually in the gray plumage but as with its very near relative, the golden plover, individuals having the breast mottled with black are not uncommon.

Genus CHARADRIUS Linnæus, 1758.

This genus differs from Squatarola in being smaller and in lacking the hind-toe.

91. CHARADRIUS FULVUS Gmelin.

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER.

Charadrius fulvus Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, 167; Oates, Bds. Brit. Burmah (1883), 2, 364; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 22. Charadrius dominicus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 195 (part); Hand-List (1899), 1, 152 (part); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 18 (part).

Ca-sa-huit', Calayan; ma-tang-vá-ca, Manila.

Balabac (Steere, Steere Exp.); Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Meyer, Everett, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Layard, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Mearns); Ticao (McGregor). Northern Asia and Alaskan coasts of Bering Sea, south in winter to Australia and Polynesia.

"Male and female in summer.--Forehead white, continued back over each eye as a broad supercilium and extending down the sides of neck; whole upper plumage black, each feather with large marginal yellow spots on both webs, the spots on the wing-coverts tending to white; primary-coverts and the greater series brown, tipped and margined with white; primaries brown, the central portion of the shaft whitish; secondaries brown tipped with whitish; tail blackish, irregularly barred with white; chin, throat, fore neck, breast, and abdomen black; vent and flanks black mottled with white; under tail-coverts white; axillars smoky brown with white tips.

"Male and female in winter.--Upper plumage black, the feathers margined with yellow; wing-coverts margined with dull white; quills and tail much as in summer; forehead and sides of head fulvous, the latter part streaked with brown; chin and upper throat fulvous-white; lower throat, fore neck, and feathers under cheeks and ear-coverts rather bright fulvous with minute streaks of brown; breast grayish, the feathers broadly margined with fulvous; remainder of lower plumage pale buffy white; sides of body more or less marked and fringed with fulvous; axillars smoky brown, tipped with white as in summer. Bill dark brown; iris dark hazel-brown; legs plumbeous; claws horn-color. Length, 254; tail, 63; wing, 160; tarsus, 46; bill from gape, 28. The sexes are of about the same size.

"The golden plover frequents waste ground, grassy plains, and wet paddy-fields, and also the edges of rivers, and is generally met with in flocks of considerable size. It breeds in China, and also it is said in some parts of India, laying four eggs in a hollow lined with a few blades of grass. The eggs are yellowish blotched with blackish sepia." (Oates.)

The Eastern golden plover is found in the Philippines on migration and is then usually in its gray winter dress but specimens have been taken with numbers of black feathers from the summer plumage.

Genus OCHTHODROMUS Reichenbach, 1852.

This genus should be united to Ægialitis from which its members differ only in being a little larger.

Species.

a1. Axillars and under wing-coverts white; wing about 140 mm.

b1. Larger; culmen more than 23 mm. ... geoffroyi (p. 106) b2. Smaller; culmen less than 20 mm. ... mongolus (p. 107)

a2. Axillars and under wing-coverts smoky brown; wing about 165 mm. ... veredus (p. 108)

92. OCHTHODROMUS GEOFFROYI (Wagler).

LARGER SAND PLOVER.

Charadrius geoffroyi Wagler, Syst. Av. (1827), 61. Ochthodromus geoffroyi Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 217; Hand-List (1899), 1, 153; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 20; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 23.

Ma-tang va-ca de collar, general name for small plovers.

Bantayan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (McGregor, Porter); Palawan (Everett, Lempriere, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp.); Pata (Mearns); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Japan, Formosa, and Hainan, south in winter to Africa, India, and Australia.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Above light brown, with a slight olive-greenish gloss, wing-coverts like the back, with obsolete indications of paler fringes to some of the feathers, greater series tipped with white, forming a narrow wing-bar; alula, primary-coverts, and quills brown, primaries darker brown along their outer webs and at tips, shafts white; inner primaries with a white mark toward the base of outer web; secondaries brown, with white fringes to the end of outer web and white tips, shafts white, with a little extension along the sides of the shaft in the inner secondaries; innermost long secondaries like back, outer ones white along their outer web; rump and upper tail-coverts a little lighter and more ashy brown than the back, with white fringes to most of the feathers; sides of rump white; tail ashy brown with a broad white tip, a subterminal shade of darker brown, forming an obsolete, subterminal band; outer feathers with more or less white near base of inner web, outermost one almost entirely white, except for a slight shade of smoky brown and a slightly indicated subterminal shade of darker brown; hinder crown light brown, entirely surrounded by pale cinnamon-rufous, which occupies fore part of crown and extends down sides of neck round hinder neck, where it forms a broad collar of pale cinnamon-rufous; base of forehead white, followed by a narrow black band; lores black; feathers in front of and below the eye black; which unite with a black band along top of ear-coverts; sides of face and under surface of body white; across fore neck and chest a broad band of cinnamon-rufous or light chestnut, which extends a little way down the sides of upper breast; under wing-coverts, axillars, and quill-lining white. Length, 215; culmen, 25; wing, 140; tail, 51; tarsus, 37.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs from the summer plumage in wanting the rufous chest and in the absence of all facial markings. Above uniform brown, head like the back, hind neck paler and more ashy brown; lores, forehead, eyelid, and a broad eyebrow white; feathers below eye brown extending in a streak along ear-coverts; cheeks and entire under surface white, with a patch of brown on each side of upper breast. 'Bill black; tarsus greenish gray or pale olive; toes dusky or blackish; iris brown.' (Hume.)

"Young.--Similar to the adults in winter plumage, but dark brown, with faint edges of sandy buff to the feathers of upper surface; eyebrow and sides of face washed with sandy rufous, a strong shade of which color pervades chest and sides of upper breast." (Sharpe.)

In winter plumage Ochthodromus geoffroyi and O. mongolus are very similar but the former may be recognized by its larger size and longer bill. In a male the wing measures 136; tail, 57; exposed culmen, 24; tarsus, 36; middle toe with claw, 24. Wing of a female, 140; tail, 55; exposed culmen, 24; tarsus, 37; middle toe with claw, 23.

93. OCHTHODROMUS MONGOLUS (Pallas).

LESSER SAND PLOVER.

Charadrius mongolus Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs (1776), 3, 700. Ochthodromus mongolus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 223; Hand-List (1899), 1, 153; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 23. Ægialitis mongolica Grant, Ibis (1896), 126.

Basilan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead); Ticao (McGregor). Northern Asia, south in winter to China, Malay Archipelago, and Australia.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Similar to O. geoffroyi, but smaller, bill and tarsus much shorter; a broader black line along sides of face; ear-coverts entirely black; the white throat separated from the rufous chest-band by a narrowly indicated line of black. 'Bill black; feet somewhat bluish black, toes darker; iris dark brown.' (Stejneger.) Length, 190; culmen, 19; wing, 127; tail, 53; tarsus, 30.

"Adult female in summer plumage.--Similar to the male, but less richly colored; rufous chest-band never so pronounced; facial markings less developed, the black bands on the forehead often obsolete. 'Bill black; feet dark gray, with an olive tinge; toes darker, blackish; iris dark hazel.' (Stejneger.) Length, 178; culmen, 20; wing, 140; tail; 47; tarsus, 30.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs from the summer plumage in wanting the facial markings and the rufous chest. Very similar to the winter plumage of O. geoffroyi, and distinguished chiefly by its smaller size, shorter bill, and shorter tarsus; there is also a little more brown on the ear-coverts.

"Young.--Similar to the adults in winter plumage, but darker brown, all the feathers edged with sandy brown; eyebrow, sides of face, and under surface of body with a strong tint of sandy buff. 'Bill, angle of mouth, and ring round eyes black; legs clear gray; tarsus tinged with yellowish, toes with blackish, and soles with reddish; iris dark brown.' (Stejneger.)

"The exact method by which the rufous chest of the summer plumage is gained is not easy to discover. In some specimens in winter dress there is a distinct narrow line of brown across the fore neck; in most of the series of skins in the Museum this is wanting, as it is also in young birds. It may therefore be a sign of very old birds only, as there are traces of brown feathers in an old bird which has not quite attained its full summer plumage. In the specimen in question it is also evident that the rufous breast is being acquired by a change of color in the feather, from brown to rufous, as well as by a molt. Probably only very old birds go through this double process, as in the majority of specimens the rufous breast appears to be gained by a molt only. When first developed all the rufous feathers are edged with white.

"A young bird is described by Dr. Stejneger as somewhat resembling the adult: 'The brownish gray of the back is paler, and each feather narrowly edged with isabella-color, with which also the lower parts are suffused. On the pectoral region a buffish tinge replaces the rufous collar, and the black markings are absent from the head, the cheeks and ear-coverts being slightly dusky; the forehead between the bill and the eyes whitish, suffused with isabella-color.'

"The winter plumage and young livery of the western and eastern forms of O. mongolus are, as might have been expected, very difficult to distinguish, but the western form seems always to have a longer tarsus (about 32 mm.), whereas the eastern form has the tarsus about 28 mm." (Sharpe.)

94. OCHTHODROMUS VEREDUS (Gould).

EASTERN DOTTEREL.

Charadrius veredus Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1848), 38. Ochthodromus veredus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 232; Hand-List (1899), 1, 153; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 23.

Palawan (Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White). Mongolia and China, in winter to the Moluccas and Australia.

"Adult in summer plumage.--Similar to O. geoffroyi, but with a longer and more slender bill, and distinguished by its smoky brown axillars, under wing-coverts, and quill-linings. Upper parts uniform brown, with slightly indicated rufous edgings to many of the feathers; alula, primary-coverts, and quills dark brown, first primary only having a white shaft, and no white present on inner webs of quills; secondaries uniform dark brown, with an obsolete white fringe to the tips; innermost secondaries like back; tail-feathers brown, with white tips and a subterminal shade of darker brown, outer feather white along outer web; crown brown like back, slightly washed with rufous, as also the hind neck, where, however, there is no distinct collar as in O. geoffroyi; forehead white to middle of eye; eyebrow, sides of face, and throat white; lower throat, fore neck, and chest bright chestnut, extending down the sides of the upper breast and followed by a horseshoe mark of black; breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts pure white; under wing-coverts and axillars dark smoky brown, with ashy whitish tips; quill-lining also dark smoky brown. 'Bill deep olive-brown, blacker on the terminal portion; feet light brownish flesh-color; toes washed with gray, blackish on joints; claws black; eyelids grayish black.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 215; culmen, 25; wing, 165; tail, 61; tarsus, 44.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs from the summer plumage in wanting the rufous chest-band. Above dark brown, including crown; forehead and eyebrow isabelline white, hinder part of the latter shaded with sandy buff, which color also pervades the sides of face and of neck, and forms a faint collar round hind neck; throat isabelline white; lower throat, fore neck, and chest pale brown; remainder of under surface white; under wing-coverts, axillars, and quill-lining smoky brown." (Sharpe.)

Genus ÆGIALITIS Boie, 1822.

This genus includes a number of small plovers not differing greatly from Charadrius except in size and colors; the plumage is never spotted and, with the exception of a more or less complete dusky band across the chest, the lower parts are pure white.

Species.

a1. A black or rusty band across fore breast.

b1. Shafts of primaries dark, excepting of the first which may be partly or entirely white. ... dubia (p. 109) b2. Shafts of all the primaries white. ... peroni (p. 111)

a2. A smoky brown band on sides of fore breast or faintly across breast. ... alexandrina (p. 112)

95. ÆGIALITIS DUBIA (Scopoli).

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER.

Charadrius dubius Scopoli, Del Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 93. Ægialitis dubia Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 263; Hand-List (1899), 1, 154; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 241, fig. 54 (head); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 25; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 23.

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., White); Panay (Steere Exp.); Sibuyan (McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester). Europe and northern Asia to Japan, in winter to India, Africa, and Malay Archipelago; accidental in California and Alaska.

"Adult male.--Above light brown, a little darker on rump and central tail-coverts; sides of rump and lateral upper tail-coverts pure white; wing-coverts like back; feathers round the bend of wing darker brown; alula blackish with white tips; primary-coverts blackish; primary quills blackish, internally lighter brown, with dark shafts to all the primaries except the first, where it is white; secondaries dusky, lighter and more ashy brown internally, inner secondaries smoky brown, with a good deal of white on both webs, the long inner secondaries like the back; tail ashy brown, tipped with white, and with a subterminal black bar, outer feathers more distinctly edged with white, the two outermost almost entirely white, with a black patch on inner web corresponding to the subterminal bar on the rest of the feathers; base of forehead, lores, feathers above and below eye, and ear-coverts black; a broad frontal band of white, followed by another broad band of black above the eye, which is again succeeded by another black line, which widens out above the eye and forms a distinct eyebrow; hinder crown as far as nape ashy brown; round the neck a broad white collar, continuous with the white throat, and followed by a broad band of black on lower hind neck, and continued across fore neck, widening out on the sides; cheeks, throat, and under surface pure white, including under wing-coverts and axillars. 'Bill dusky black; feet flesh-color; iris dusky brown; ring round eye bright yellow.' (Emin.) Length, 173; culmen, 15; wing, 117; tail, 60; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 20.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but with the markings not so well developed, especially the black markings of the face and the black bands on the hind neck and fore neck, the latter being much mixed with brown. 'Bill black; feet pale flesh-color; iris dark brown; ring round eye bright yellow.' (Hartert.) Length, 165; culmen, 16; wing, 117; tail, 60; tarsus, 25.

"Young.--Differs from the adults in wanting the black on the head, as well as the black collars on the mantle and fore neck; general tone of the plumage more rufescent than in the adults, and the whole of the upper surface varied with wavy lines of pale sandy buff, before which is a subterminal dusky bar; forehead pale sandy buff; ear-coverts dusky blackish; the collar on the fore neck composed of brown feathers, with generally a tinge of sandy buff on the throat. The black markings on the head and the black collars are gained by a molt in the following spring. There appears to me to be also a change of feathers especially on the neck collar." (Sharpe.)

This little plover was abundant along the Baco River in the vicinity of Balete, Mindoro, where it nested on the extensive gravel-flats exposed by low water. A nest found April 24, 1905, was a slight hollow, lined with a mosaic of small pebbles. The three eggs measure 30.4 by 21.8; 28.9 by 21.8; 30.9 by 21.8. Their ground-color is very pale gray, almost white, carrying a considerable number of small lilac-colored spots. Small spots and irregularly shaped markings of dark brown are scattered over the entire surface, but are more numerous on the larger end.

"A resident species, usually met with about small fresh-water streams in the interior." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

96. ÆGIALITIS PERONI (Bonaparte).

MALAY SAND PLOVER.

Charadrius peroni Bonaparte, Compt. Rend. (1856), 43, 417. Ægialitis peroni Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 273; Hand-List (1899), 1, 154; Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 247, pl. 6, fig. 8 (egg); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 25; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 23.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Everett); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen); Romblon (McGregor); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Greater Sunda Islands to Celebes.

"Adult male.--Above light ashy brown, darker on rump and central upper tail-coverts; sides of rump and lateral upper tail-coverts pure white; wing-coverts like the back, with a band of dark sepia-brown along marginal coverts; greater coverts broadly tipped with white; alula and primary-coverts dark brown, with white tips, the shafts conspicuously white; inner primaries white toward base of outer web; secondaries dark brown, white at ends of outer web, increasing in extent toward the innermost; long inner secondaries like the back; four center tail-feathers dark brown, next pair smoky brown, next pair white with a little smoky brown at the ends, remainder pure white; crown rufous, with a nuchal collar of pure white, this collar followed by a broad black band on hind neck overspreading mantle; forehead white, reaching to above eye and separated from rufous of crown by a tolerably broad band of black; a distinct loral streak of black; sides of face and ear-coverts with a black band along upper margin of the latter; cheeks and under surface pure white, with a large black patch on each side of fore neck; under wing-coverts and axillars white; quills below ashy gray. 'Bill black, orange at base; feet gray, claws black; iris warm chocolate-brown; orbital ring pure orange.' (Everett.) Length, about 150; culmen, 16; wing, 95; tail, 39; tarsus, 27; middle toe with claw, 20.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but without the black band across forehead; black on mantle and hind neck represented by dark brown mixed with rufous; black patch at the side of fore neck replaced by dark brown mixed with rufous, with a tinge of the latter color spreading across fore neck. 'Bill black, base yellowish; feet purplish gray; iris dark brown.' (Everett.) Length, 140; culmen, 16; wing, 102; tail, 38; tarsus, 27.

"In some specimens, apparently very old males, the black band is continued right across the fore neck.

"Young birds resemble the adults, but have no facial black markings or any black or rufous on the mantle or sides of the chest, the whole of the upper surface being uniform ashy brown, with broad sandy-buff margins." (Sharpe.)

This little plover differs from Ægialitis dubia and Æ. alexandrina in having a comparatively stout bill.

Whitehead took three eggs of the Malay sand-plover at Cape Engaño, Luzon, on May 26, 1895. They are described as follows: "Shape short ovate. Ground-color pale cream; the whole shell with small blotches, streaks, and zigzag pencillings of rich sepia and pale lavender. Measurements 30 mm. by 22 mm. The three eggs were deposited on the bare sand among sea-drift and only a few yards above high-water mark. The female was shot. On the same day young plovers nearly ready to fly were captured." (Grant and Whitehead.)

97. ÆGIALITIS ALEXANDRINA (Linnæus).

KENTISH PLOVER.

Charadrius alexandrinus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, (1758), 1, 150. Ægialitis alexandrina Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 275; Hand-List (1899), 1, 154; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 26; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 24.

Bohol (Everett, Steere Exp.); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Mindanao (Everett); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Everett, Steere Exp.); Panay (Steere Exp.); Siquijor (Steere Exp.); Ticao (McGregor). Europe and central Asia to China and Japan, in winter to Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above pale earthy brown, with faint remains of paler margins to the feathers; wing-coverts like back, marginal ones blackish brown, greater series darker brown with a narrow white edging to the tip; alula and primary-coverts dark sepia-brown, the latter fringed with white at the tip; quills sepia-brown, with white shafts to the primaries, which are pale brown on inner web; inner primaries for the most part white toward the base of outer web; secondaries dusky brown with white tips, inner ones also white along the margins of both webs, innermost long secondaries brown like back; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dark sepia-brown, lateral ones white, forming a patch on each side; the four center tail-feathers dark sepia-brown, paler toward the base, and having white shafts to the center ones, three outer feathers white, next ones smoky brown, with white shafts; crown ashy brown, washed with light tawny-rufous, especially distinct toward nape; hind neck and sides of neck white, forming a collar; forehead and a distinct eyebrow white, with a broad black band separating white of forehead from brown of crown; eyelid and loral streak black; feathers below the eye and sides of face white, with a black patch on hinder ear-coverts; cheeks and under surface pure white, with a patch of black on each side of chest; under wing-coverts and axillars white; quills below light ashy like the lower primary-coverts. 'Bill black, with the base of lower mandible of a dusky flesh-color; tarsi dusky, toes darker, claws black; iris brown.' (Macgillivray.) Length, 165; culmen, 18; wing, 105; tail, 43; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but with less rufous on the head, this being represented by a tinge over the eye and round the nape; black band on the fore part of crown absent; black patch on each side of the chest represented by a brown patch with a rufous tinge. Length, 165; culmen, 18; wing, 109; tail, 48; tarsus, 28.

"The Kentish plovers which attain their breeding plumage in the plains of India are certainly much brighter in color than any which are seen in Europe. The black forehead and patch at the side of the chest are also strongly developed. Occasionally a rufous tinge overshades the back.

"The adult bird in winter plumage differs from the summer plumage in the entire absence of bright rufous on the head, and the black markings on the face and sides of the breast are also not developed. The head is like the back, the forehead and eyebrow are white, the lores dusky, and there is always a more or less distinct white collar united to the two sides of the neck.

"Young birds in first winter plumage only differ from the adults in having the whole upper surface distinctly marked with pale edges to the feathers." (Sharpe.)

This plover appears to be a winter visitant to the Philippines and may be found in small flocks along the seashore wherever there are tide-flats. It differs from both Æ. dubia and peroni in being slightly larger and in having an incomplete band on the fore breast.

Subfamily HIMANTOPODINÆ.

Genus HIMANTOPUS Brisson, 1760.

Bill long, slender, straight, and pointed; wing long and slender, reaching well beyond tip of tail, first primary much the longest; tail short and square; legs extremely long and slender; bare portion of tibia equal to three-fourths of tarsus, the latter two and one-half times as long as middle toe with claw; toes webbed at base; hind toe wanting.

98. HIMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALUS Gould.

AUSTRALIAN STILT.

Himantopus leucocephalus Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1837), 26; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 317; Hand-List (1899), 1, 156; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 34; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 24.

Basilan (McGregor); Mindanao (Cuming, Everett, Steere Exp., Celestino). Greater Sunda Islands, Moluccas, Australia, New Guinea.

Male.--A narrow black collar on hind neck; entire wings, their coverts, and scapulars glossy black; rest of the plumage white. Bill and nails black; legs and feet bright red, said to be pink in life. Length, about 350; wing, 220; tail, 77; exposed culmen, 59; tarsus, 126.

Female.--Smaller and the scapulars dark brown. Wing, 210; tail, 75; exposed culmen, 58; tarsus, 110.

"Young.--Brown on the upper back and inner secondaries; the hind neck, from the nape to the mantle, ashy gray, mottled with dusky subterminal bars to the feathers; crown dull ashy gray; lores and fore part of face white like the under surface of the body." (Sharpe.)

The stilt, even at a considerable distance, is easily recognized by its very long, slender, red legs. I observed a solitary individual in Malamaui Island near Basilan and Celestino collected a number of specimens in northern Mindanao.

Subfamily TOTANINÆ.

Bill long, slender, usually straight, in some species gently curved; tarsus scutellate both in front and behind except in Numenius which has the back of tarsus reticulate and the bill very long and decurved; toes slightly webbed at base.

Genera.

a1. Tarsus transversely scaled in front, reticulated behind; culmen more than 65 mm.; bill decurved. ... Numenius (p. 114) a2. Tarsus transversely scaled both in front and behind.

b1. Bill decurved; culmen less than 50 mm. ... Mesoscolopax (p. 119) b2. Bill straight or slightly upturned.

c1. Much larger; culmen more than 70 mm.; bill recurved and slightly exceeding tail. ... Limosa (p. 119) c2. Much smaller; culmen less than 65 mm.

d1. Culmen equal to, and usually greater than, middle toe with claw.

e1. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw.

f1. Tarsus about one and one-half times the length of middle toe with claw.

g1. Culmen not recurved. ... Totanus (p. 122) g2. Culmen slightly recurved. ... Glottis (p. 129)

f2. Tarsus but little greater than middle toe with claw.

g1. Culmen slightly recurved. ... Terekia (p. 127) g2. Culmen not recurved.

h1. Axillars not uniform white.

i1. Axillars gray. ... Heteractitis (p. 124) i2. Axillars brown barred with white. ... Helodromas (p. 123)

h2. Axillars pure white. ... Actitis (p. 126)

d2. Culmen shorter than middle toe with claw, about equal to toe without claw. ... Rhyacophilus (p. 130)

Genus NUMENIUS Brisson, 1760.

Back of tarsus covered with small hexagonal scales. Large wading birds with long legs; bill very long and decurved, tip of upper mandible blunt and projecting beyond the lower mandible.

Species.

a1. Culmen, 115 mm. or more; crown uniform in color with the back.

b1. Lower back and rump white or with streaks and spots of black; axillars pure white or with traces of dusky lines. ... arquatus (p. 115) b2. Lower back and rump brown; axillars white, broadly barred with blackish. ... cyanopus (p. 116)

a2. Culmen, 90 mm. or less; crown blackish with a pale or whitish central vertical band. ... variegatus (p. 117)

99. NUMENIUS ARQUATUS (Linnæus).

COMMON CURLEW.

Scolopax arquata Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 145. Numenius arquatus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 341; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 36. Numenius arquata Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 157; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 252, fig. 58 (head); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 24.

Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead). India and Africa; Europe east to Lake Baikal, in winter to southern China and Malay Peninsula.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above brown, with longitudinal black centers to the feathers imparting a broadly striped appearance; feathers of upper surface notched with ashy or rufous, giving to many of the scapulars a somewhat barred appearance; wing-coverts dark brown, edged with whity brown, median and greater series also checkered with whity brown, imparting a somewhat barred appearance to this part of the wing; alula, primary-coverts, and primaries blackish, externally glossed with bottle-green; primary-coverts slightly tipped with white, shafts of outer primaries white, those of inner ones brown, primaries notched or barred, on inner web only, with sandy buff or whitish, inner primaries thus marked on both webs; secondaries distinctly barred with brown and white, both webs being deeply notched with ashy whitish; innermost secondaries ashy brown with dusky brown cross-bars, the center of the feathers being also dusky brown; lower back and rump pure white with black longitudinal spots or streaks, a little more distinct on the rump; upper tail-coverts barred with black and white or with sagittate subterminal spots, the longer ones tinged with sandy buff, giving a streaked appearance; neck more ashy, streaked with brown; over the eye a white streak, narrowly lined with black; sides of face and sides of neck, throat, and chest pale sandy buff streaked with blackish brown, more narrowly on the sides of face; chin and upper throat white; breast, abdomen, sides of body, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, streaked with dark brown on breast, and very narrowly on abdomen and under tail-coverts; thighs unstreaked; sides of body with distinct bars or sagittate markings of dark brown; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white, mottled with blackish centers to the feathers; axillars more or less regularly barred with blackish or with subterminal, heart-shaped spots; lower primary-coverts and quills below ashy gray with white notches to the inner webs. 'Bill fleshy brown, shading into dark brown toward the tip; feet dusky; iris brown.' (Shelley.) Length, 533; culmen, 121; wing, 279; tail, 108; tarsus, 74.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, but larger, and with a longer bill. Length, 610; culmen, 155; wing, 305; tail, 145; tarsus, 81.

"Adults in winter plumage.--Very similar to the breeding plumage, but paler, and much less heavily striped, especially on the under surface of the body; the black spots and streaks on the rump scarcely apparent, and concealed by the white plumage; upper tail-coverts white, with very few brown cross-bars; tail white, barred with brown. 'Feet pale leaden gray, claws blackish; bill blackish brown, flesh-color at the base of the lower mandible.' (Hume.)

"There is evidently a spring molt, but whether partial or entire I have not been able to determine. The breeding plumage is gained by a widening of the longitudinal centers to the feathers, of which the pattern changes on several portions of the body. Such parts as the rump and the abdomen and under tail-coverts have scarcely any visible streaks, but these appear with the summer plumage and are gained by a change of the feather. The sides of the body change from a streaked to a barred appearance, this being effected by a preliminary widening of the brown centers to the feathers which develop into bars without any direct molt. The innermost secondaries, at the autumn molt, seem to be entirely uniform, and the bars make their appearance gradually.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being much more tawny, and, as Seebohm has pointed out, young birds may always be distinguished from the old ones by the much lighter patterns of the notches and bars in the innermost secondaries, these markings being tawny buff, and the black centers to the feathers being much broader." (Sharpe.)

This large curlew is extremely wary and although individuals are occasionally seen on tide-flats, they are difficult to kill.

100. NUMENIUS CYANOPUS Vieillot.

ASIATIC CURLEW.

Numenius cyanopus Vieillot, N. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1817), 8, 306; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 350; Hand-List (1899), 1, 158; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 24.

Bohol (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Japan and eastern Siberia, in winter to Australia.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to N. arquatus and of the same size, but distinguished by the dark lower back and rump and the regular barring of axillars and under wing-coverts. General appearance more fulvous; under surface tinged with vinous-buff all over; lower back and rump sandy buff with blackish brown centers to the feathers, thus greatly resembling the rest of back; upper tail-coverts barred with blackish brown and sandy buff or white. 'Bill black, flesh-colored at base of lower mandible; feet bluish gray; iris dark brown.' (Taczanowski.) Length, 610; culmen, 183; wing, 318; tail, 117; tarsus, 88.

"Adult male.--In this species the difference in size between the sexes is not so apparent as in some of the allied ones. Length, 533; culmen, 173; wing, 302; tail, 109; tarsus, 81.

"Young.--Much more tawny than the adults and having tawny-buff bars or notches on the innermost secondaries; the streaks on the under surface very fine and narrow.

"Adults in winter plumage do not differ very much from the summer plumage, but the under surface is much less distinctly streaked; the upper surface is very similar at both times of the year." (Sharpe.)

This curlew like the next preceding is a large bird and usually, singly or in pairs, is found feeding on flats exposed at low tide.

101. NUMENIUS VARIEGATUS (Scopoli).

EASTERN WHIMBREL.

Tantalus variegatus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 92. Numenius variegatus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 361; Hand-List (1899), 1, 158; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 24.

Ta-ling'-ting, Cagayancillo.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (Meyer); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot); Malanipa (Murray); Mindanao (Platen, Goodfellow); Negros (Steere Exp., Keay); Palawan (Whitehead); Panay (Steere Exp.); Samar (Sanchez); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor) [14]. Japan and eastern Siberia, in winter southern China to Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above nearly uniform dark brown, excepting for the broad, ashy brown markings on mantle and upper back; wing-coverts like back, but margins paler and more whitish, greater series with whitish notches on both webs; alula and primary-coverts dark brown, fringed with white at the ends; primaries blackish brown, notched with white on inner webs, which have a barred appearance along the edge; inner primaries notched with white on both webs; secondaries brown, notched on outer webs and barred on inner; innermost secondaries nearly uniform with the back; shaft of outer primary white, of second whity brown, and of the rest pale brown; lower back and rump white, very thickly mottled with spots and bars of brown; upper tail-coverts barred with brown and whitish, the brown bars somewhat irregular and not coterminous; tail ashy brown, tipped with white, and crossed by regular bars of dark brown, about nine in number; center of crown whitish and streaked with brown, remainder of crown dark brown, forming two broad bands and followed by a broad eyebrow of dull white and narrowly streaked with small lines of blackish; lores and upper margins of ear-coverts dark brown; remainder of sides of face and neck pale brown, streaked with darker brown, cheeks somewhat whiter; chin and upper throat white, with scarcely any brown spots; lower throat, breast, and sides of body pale, rufescent buff, thickly clouded with longitudinal streaks of dark brown on throat and breast; dark brown bars of a more or less sagittate shape on sides of body and flanks; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the latter with streaks and bars of dark brown; under wing-coverts and axillars white with broad dusky brown bars, very distinct on the latter. 'Bill blackish, dark brown at base of lower mandible; feet dark lead-color; claws black; iris very dark brown.' (Taczanowski.) Length, 380; culmen, 76; wing, 223; tail, 96; tarsus, 55.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male.

"Young birds may always be distinguished by the more mottled appearance of upper surface, most of the feathers being spotted on both webs with whitish or pale, rufescent buff; lower back and rump plentifully mottled with spots of dusky brown, and innermost secondaries very distinctly notched with rufescent buff; streaks on throat and breast and bars on flanks almost as plentifully developed as in the adult; bars on axillars often very incomplete, and, in rare instances, absent.

"The differences between this race and the whimbrel (N. phæopus) of Europe are not so strongly pronounced in all cases as to render the determination of specimens always a matter of certainty. Some of the Philippine specimens, for instance, are very difficult to separate from European examples, and many others also appear to be intermediate between the two forms." (Sharpe.)

The above descriptions of the adult male and of the young are slightly modified from Sharpe's descriptions of Numenius phæopus of which the eastern whimbrel is but a subspecies.

The eastern whimbrel is much smaller than either of the two preceding species and usually it may be killed with little trouble. In the vicinity of tide-flats at high water it often congregates in flocks, but as the feeding grounds become exposed the individuals scatter to various parts following the receding tide. In length the male is about 420; wing, 205; tail, 100; exposed culmen, 82; tarsus, 53; middle toe with claw, 41. Wing of female, 240; tail, 110; exposed culmen, 79; tarsus, 60.

Genus MESOSCOLOPAX Sharpe, 1896.

In structure this genus is similar to Numenius but the tarsus is transversely scutellated both in front and behind.

102. MESOSCOLOPAX MINUTUS (Gould).

PYGMY CURLEW.

Numenius minutus Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1840), 176. Mesoscolopax minutus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 371; Hand-List (1899), 1, 159; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 25.

Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Mearns). China, eastern Siberia, Korea, and Mongolia; in winter Japan to Australia.

"Adult female.--Above blackish, mottled with sandy-buff spots and margins; wing-coverts blackish brown, with sandy-buff edges inclining to whitish on greater coverts, which show traces of dusky bars; lesser coverts, alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown; first primary with a white shaft, all the quills rather paler brown on inner web; long inner secondaries tawny on both webs, with dark brown centers and notches; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish, mottled with spots of ashy white, with which color also the feathers are tipped; upper tail-coverts regularly barred with ashy and blackish; tail-feathers ashy gray narrowly barred with blackish; bars six in number, but not always strictly continuous across the feathers; crown blackish, feathers slightly margined with sandy buff; along center of crown a pale streak of the latter color; lores, eyebrow, and sides of face uniform isabelline buff; upper margins of ear-coverts slightly streaked with dark brown; throat whitish; lower throat and fore neck sandy buff like the sides of body, the former streaked, and the latter barred with dusky brown; center of breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts isabelline whitish; under wing-coverts and axillars pale sandy buff, with bars of dusky brown, mostly triangular in shape, the axillars having a slight vinaceous tinge. 'Bill blackish brown, flesh-color at base of lower mandible; feet gray; iris dark brown.' (Dybowski.) Length, 330; culmen, 44; wing, 180; tail, 72; tarsus, 46. (Sharpe.)

"Obtained by Bourns in 1888, while with the Steere Expedition, and not mentioned by Steere." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus LIMOSA Brisson, 1760.

Legs and bill long and slender, the latter gently curved upward; culmen, 100 mm. or more.

Species.

a1. Tail barred with blackish brown and white. ... baueri (p. 120) a2. Tail with a white base and broad, black, terminal band; upper tail-coverts pure white. ... limosa (p. 121)

103. LIMOSA BAUERI Naumann.

PACIFIC GODWIT.

Limosa baueri Naumann, Vög. Deutschl. (1834), 8, 429. Limosa novæ-zealandiæ Gray, Gen. Birds (1847), 3, 570; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 377; Hand-List (1899), 1, 159; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 25.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Luzon (Celestino); Negros (Steere Exp.); Samar (Whitehead). Alaska and eastern Siberia; south in winter to Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above blackish mottled with pale chestnut-red; wing-coverts dark brown, with white edgings; many of the coverts tinged with chestnut, especially inner greater coverts; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish; secondaries brown, edged with white, a longitudinal, subterminal mark of white along inner web; innermost secondaries like the back; feathers of lower back and rump blackish with white edges; upper tail-coverts barred with black and white or chestnut and black; tail brown, tipped and barred with white, the bars sometimes tinged with chestnut; crown-feathers chestnut, streaked with blackish brown centers, narrower on hind neck; broad eyebrow chestnut; lores and sides of face chestnut with numerous blackish spots on lores; a whitish spot under eye; lower parts chestnut with blackish streaks on sides of upper breast; under wing-coverts white with indistinct, dusky brown spots; axillars white barred with dusky brown. 'Bill clear reddish for its basal half, blackish toward the terminal part, the base of the lower mandible paler; feet blackish brown; iris brown.' (Taczanowski.) Length, 395; wing, 220; tail, 77; culmen, 86; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 36.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, but not so entirely cinnamon-rufous below, and with remains of brown bars on the under surface, especially on the flanks. Length, 406; culmen, 109; wing, 240; tail, 82; tarsus, 58.

"Young.--The young birds may be told from the adults in winter plumage by their more tawny color, and by the ashy gray shade on the throat and chest, as well as by the fulvescent bars and notches to the feathers of the upper surface." (Sharpe.)

Winter plumage.--Above ashy brown with rusty shaft-lines; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white with more or less hidden black arrow marks of dark brown, these taking the form of bars on longest coverts; below nearly pure white; slightly dusky on breast and with a few narrow shaft-lines on breast; under tail-coverts with broken, dusky bars; primaries blackish brown; wing-coverts and secondaries with broken, dusky bars; primaries blackish brown; coverts and secondaries gray with blackish shaft-lines and hoary edges.

Birds taken in the Philippines in the spring are in the white and gray winter dress, but in the autumn (September) many individuals arrive in nearly perfect breeding plumage, while others are in mixed plumage, showing numerous light feathers among the dark and chestnut feathers of the summer dress.

104. LIMOSA LIMOSA (Linnæus).

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT.

Scolopax limosa Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 147. Limosa limosa Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 381; Hand-List (1899), 1, 159; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 40; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 25. Limosa belgica Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 254, fig. 59 (head).

Luzon (Celestino); Negros (Everett, Steere Exp.); Samar (Whitehead). Central and northern Europe to valley of Ob River; in winter Mediterranean countries and northeastern Africa.

"Adult male in winter plumage.--Above ashy brown, with slightly paler edges to the feathers; lower back and rump blackish brown; upper tail-coverts white, long ones tipped with black; lesser wing-coverts darker brown than back; median coverts dusky brown, lighter brown externally and fringed with white, forming a wing-band; alula blackish; primary-coverts blackish, the inner ones broadly tipped with white; primaries blackish, with white shafts, the greater part of the inner webs white, and then subterminally brown, the white extending to the base of the outer web on all but the first primary and increasing in extent on the inner primaries and secondaries, the latter being white with broad, blackish tips, which gradually diminish in size on the inner secondaries; the innermost secondaries brown like the back; tail white at the base, with a broad, black, terminal band, gradually decreasing in size toward the outer feathers, which are edged with white at the tip, the center feathers brownish at the tip; head ashy brown, the forehead more hoary; an indistinct whitish eyebrow extending from the base of the nostril to behind the eye; lores dusky gray; below the eye a whitish spot; sides of face, sides of neck, throat, and chest light ashy brown, a little darker on the sides of the body; fore part of cheeks and upper throat white, as well as the whole of the center of the breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillars; edge of wing mottled with dark brown bases to the feathers; quill-lining white. 'Bill pale fleshy, blackish brown at the tip; feet olivaceous-green, toes blackish brown; iris brown.' (Hume.) Length, 417; culmen, 112; wing, 223; tail, 76; tarsus, 81.

"Adult female in winter plumage.--Similar to the male in color, but rather larger. 'Bill livid pink, blackish horny at the tip; feet blackish plumbeous, toes brownish; iris brown.' (Hume.) Length, 444; culmen, 127; wing, 216; tail, 76; tarsus, 85.

"Adult male in summer plumage.--Differs in having the back more or less mottled with rufous and black, crown rufous with short, broad streaks of black, sides of face and entire neck all round rufous, fore neck and breast overshaded with rufous and barred with dusky blackish, these bars also developed on abdomen and on the sides of body.

"Adult female in summer plumage.--Similar to the male, but with less rufous, and distinguished by the larger size.

"Young.--Distinguished from the adults by being darker brown above, with broad, sandy-rufous edges to the feathers of the upper surface, the innermost secondaries banded with blackish brown and sandy rufous; the head rufous, streaked with dark brown, but indistinctly; sides of face buffy white, with very fine streaks of brown; throat white; lower throat, sides of neck, and chest reddish buff, slightly mottled with dusky bases to the feathers of the side of breast; remainder of under surface white, suffused with rufescent buff, and shaded with ashy brown on the sides of the body.

"It is evident from the molting specimens in the collection that the black markings are acquired first, and that the rufous-color overspreads the plumage afterwards. Great variation in the amount of the nuptial decoration is seen in the series, and sometimes very old individuals have the abdomen, and even the under tail-coverts, barred." (Sharpe.)

The black-tailed godwit is extremely rare in the Philippines, the only specimens examined by me being two killed near Manila, in February, 1908.

Genus TOTANUS Bechstein, 1803.

Culmen straight, equal to tarsus; secondaries and rump white.

105. TOTANUS EURHINUS (Oberholser).

ASIATIC REDSHANK.

Totanus calidris Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 414 (part); Hand-List (1899), 1, 160 (part); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 43 (part). Totanus totanus eurhinus Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. (1900), 22, 207. Totanus eurhinus McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 25.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Central and eastern Asia, south in winter to Malay Archipelago.

"Male.--Above rufescent broccoli-brown, the feathers everywhere with dark brown centers, the back more or less irregularly barred with the same; rump pure white, sparingly marked with brownish; tail and upper tail-coverts dull white, heavily barred with sepia-brown, the terminal portion of central tail-feathers buffy; wings fuscous, the innermost secondaries like the back and barred on exposed portions with dark brown; remainder of secondaries white, but pale brown on concealed bases; greater coverts white or grayish distally, brownish gray basally, and barred with sepia; median coverts brownish gray, barred with sepia; lesser coverts almost plain; lower surface white, more or less heavily marked throughout with sepia, these markings taking on throat and breast the form of broad streaks, on flanks, sides, and crissum of bars, and elsewhere of more or less irregular spots; lining of wing white, varied with brownish, except on axillars. 'Length of male, 292; of female, 298; bill black, orange-brown at base beneath; iris dark brown; feet orange-red; claws black.' (Abbott.)

"The form of Totanus totanus inhabiting Central and Eastern Asia, although seemingly identical with the European bird in color and markings, is yet so much larger, particularly in length of wing, tail, and culmen, that its separation as a subspecies appears to be warranted." (Oberholser.)

Taking the measurements of three males and two females from Central Asia as recorded by Oberholser gives the following average measurements: Wing, 163; tail, 66.8; exposed culmen, 46.6; tarsus, 47.2; middle toe, 30.2.

A male from Cuyo measures: Wing, 159; tail, 61; exposed culmen, 46; tarsus, 49; middle toe with claw, 34. A female from Cuyo, wing, 151; tail, 59; exposed culmen, 43; tarsus, 47; middle toe with claw, 35.

I refer Philippine specimens of the redshank to the Asiatic subspecies as being the one more likely to occur here if two races of Totanus totanus be recognized.

Genus HELODROMAS Kaup, 1829.

Bill straight, equal to tarsus, greater than middle toe with claw; rump and tail-coverts white.

106. HELODROMAS OCHROPUS (Linnæus).

GREEN SANDPIPER.

Tringa ocrophus [15] Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 149. Helodromas ochropus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 437; Hand-List (1899), 1, 160; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 44; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 25.

Bohol (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Steere, Whitehead); Negros (Whitehead); Samar (Steere). Africa, Europe, and northern Asia; in winter to Indian Peninsula and Malay Archipelago.

"Adult male in winter plumage.--Above uniform olive-brown with a slight gloss of bronzy olive; scapulars and wing-coverts like back, but having a few tiny white spots on the margins; lower back and rump darker, blackish brown with white edges to the feathers; upper tail-coverts pure white; lesser wing-coverts, outer median, and outer greater coverts uniform olive-brown; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, secondaries like the back and freckled with tiny white spots on the edges; tail-feathers white, the center ones with three black bars on the terminal half, these bars disappearing gradually on the lateral feathers, outer ones being entirely white; crown, hind neck, and mantle uniform ashy brown; a supra-loral streak of white; lores dusky, surmounted by an indistinct, white eyebrow, lined with blackish streaks; sides of face, ear-coverts, and cheeks white, rather broadly streaked with blackish brown; throat white, streaked with brown on the sides; lower throat, sides of neck, and fore neck also distinctly streaked with brown; remainder of under surface pure white; sides of upper breast brown, slightly mottled with white; under wing-coverts and axillars blackish, barred very plainly with white; lower primary-coverts and inner lining of quills uniform, with white dots along the inner edge of the secondaries. 'Bill dusky above, reddish beneath; feet grayish blue, tinged with green; iris dusky.' (Macgillivray.) Length, 228; culmen, 35; wing, 137; tail, 56; tarsus, 33.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Differs from the winter plumage in being much more variegated, the whole of the back being spotted with white, the spots being arranged in pairs on the edges of the feathers, which are also tipped with a bar or twin spots of white; the whole of the head and neck streaked with white, and the brown streaks on the side of the face, fore neck, and chest very broad and distinct, the sides of the upper breast being brown, very much mottled with bars of white. Length, 236; culmen, 35; wing, 137; tail, 55; tarsus, 30.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Does not differ in color from the male, but is not quite so strongly marked. Length, 229; culmen, 38; wing, 142; tail, 50; tarsus, 33.

"Young in autumn plumage.--Scarcely differs from the winter plumage of the adult, but, when freshly molted, it has indistinct margins of ashy bronze on the feathers of the upper surface; the tail-bands are narrower on the center feathers, while the subterminal band is broader than in the adults.

"The change to the summer plumage is apparently effected by a distinct molt, which takes place while the bird is in its winter quarters, and in many instances, especially in the case of the males, the summer plumage is completely assumed before the species leaves for its breeding place." (Sharpe.)

Genus HETERACTITIS Stejneger, 1884.

Bill straight, longer than tarsus; back, rump, and tail-coverts uniform in color.

107. HETERACTITIS BREVIPES (Vieillot).

POLYNESIAN TATTLER.

Totanus brevipes Vieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1816), 6, 410. Heteractitis brevipes Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 549; Hand-List (1899), 1, 161; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 26.

Bantayan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Malanipa (Murray); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, White); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Eastern Siberia; in winter China to Malay Archipelago and Australia.

"Adult male in winter plumage.--Above uniform ashy gray, with slightly indicated light ashy margins; scapulars like the back; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts purer gray than the back, with distinct whitish edges; the long upper tail-coverts with subterminal dusky bars; wing-coverts like back, with paler margins, greater series margined with white; primary-coverts and quills blackish, externally washed with ashy and fringed with white, inner secondaries ashy gray like the back, fringed with whitish; tail-feathers uniform ashy, with narrow whitish margins; head and neck like back; base of forehead and large supra-loral spot white, extending in a narrow streak above the eye; lores blackish; sides of face and ear-coverts white; the upper edge of the latter ashy gray; cheeks and under surface of body pure white, with a shade of ashy gray over the fore neck and chest; sides of breast and flanks also ashy gray, as well as the outer aspect of the thighs; under wing-coverts and axillars ashy gray, fringed with white at the ends; quills below ashy, lighter along the inner edges. 'Bill blackish gray, light brownish gray at base of lower mandible; feet light ocher-yellow, joints with a faint greenish tinge; iris dark brown.' (Stejneger.) Length, 223; wing, 162.

"Adult female in winter plumage.--Similar to the male. 'Bill black, grayish yellow at base; feet dirty chrome-yellow; claws black.' (Everett.) Length, 229; culmen, 37; wing, 157; tail, 71; tarsus, 32.

"Young in winter plumage.--Differs from the winter plumage of the adults in having the wing-coverts, scapulars, and back mottled with white dots on the outer webs of the feathers.

"The adult birds appear to molt into winter plumage after quitting their summer haunts for southern latitudes, arriving with worn and abraded feathers, but with the barred under surface of the breeding dress.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Resembles the winter plumage as regards the upper surface of the body being entirely ashy gray, but differs in the coloring of the lower surface, which is profusely spotted and barred. The throat is white, but the cheeks, lower throat, and fore neck are spotted and streaked with dusky blackish; the chest and breast, as well as the sides of the body and flanks, are also barred with dusky blackish, with a few bars on the under tail-coverts. 'Bill brown; feet yellow-ocher; iris dark brown.' (H. Whitely.) Length, 241; culmen, 38; wing, 155; tail, 66; tarsus, 29.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Does not differ from the male. Length, 241; culmen, 38; wing, 152; tail, 66; tarsus, 30." (Sharpe.)

This tattler occurs in great numbers during migration and may be found feeding on tide-flats.

Genus ACTITIS Illiger, 1811.

Bill straight; culmen, tarsus, and middle toe with claw subequal; back and rump uniform in color; secondaries nearly as long as primaries.

108. ACTITIS HYPOLEUCOS (Linnæus).

COMMON SANDPIPER.

Tringa hypoleucos Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 149. Tringoides hypoleucus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 456; Hand-List (1899), 1, 161; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 45. Actitis hypoleucus McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 26.

Agutaya (McGregor); Balabac (Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp.); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard, McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin S. (Murray); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Murray, Everett); Mindoro (Schmacker, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Everett, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Siquijor (Celestino); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Africa, Europe, and northern Asia; south in winter from Indian Peninsula to Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above bronzy brown, the feathers with arrow-shaped central markings of black, which take the form of bars on scapulars and inner secondaries, wing-coverts bronzy brown like the back, but regularly barred with blackish; median and greater coverts with ashy fringes, the latter rather broadly tipped with white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills brown with an olive gloss; secondaries tipped with white and having a broad white base; inner secondaries like the back; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts like the back; lateral coverts barred with blackish and with white on outer web; tail-feathers bronzy brown, with irregular cross-bars of blackish brown; middle feathers narrowly, outer feathers broadly, tipped with white, penultimate feather barred with white on outer web, outermost feather almost entirely white with a little brown on inner web, which is barred with blackish; crown and neck bronzy brown, with narrow mesial shaft-lines of blackish brown, a narrow superciliary line of whitish, extending from base of bill; sides of face bronzy brown, with blackish shaft-lines to the feathers; fore part of cheeks and under surface pure white, with dusky streaks on the throat, these being a little longer on chest, the sides of latter and sides of upper breast brown; under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases, especially distinct on edge of wing; axillars pure white; quills dusky below, white toward base of inner web. 'Bill dusky above, brownish gray beneath; feet grayish, tinged with green, claws black; iris brown.' (Macgillivray.) Length, 203; culmen, 28; wing, 104; tail, 51; tarsus, 24.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male in color, but not quite so heavily marked, and the streaks on the fore neck and chest less pronounced. Length, 178; culmen, 28; wing, 109; tail, 61; tarsus, 22.

"Adult in winter plumage.--A little more bronzy olive than in summer, and uniform above, without the black central streaks and black spear-shaped spots which are characteristic of the summer dress; the streaks on the throat are also much narrower and not so distinct.

"Young.--Easily distinguished by the cross-bars of sandy or reddish buff and dusky brown, which give the upper surface a freckled appearance; throat uniform, with scarcely any indications of streaks on the lower part." (Sharpe.)

The common sandpiper is widely distributed and is often found along fresh-water streams as well as near the sea.

Genus TEREKIA Bonaparte, 1838.

Bill curved upward; tarsus longer than middle toe with claw and less than two-thirds of culmen; wings long, when folded extending to or beyond the end of tail.

109. TEREKIA CINEREA (Güldenstädt).

AVOCET SANDPIPER.

Scolopax cinerea Güldenstädt, Novi Comm. Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. (1775), 19, 473, pl. 19. Terekia cinerea Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 474; Hand-List (1899), 1, 161; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 47; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 26.

Bohol (Everett); Cebu (McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead). Northern Siberia, northeastern Europe; in winter Africa and Indian Peninsula to Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Differs from the winter plumage in having black centers to feathers of upper surface; head streaked with blackish brown; a rufescent tint pervades the upper surface; lesser wing-coverts and scapulars almost entirely black, the latter forming a double band down the back; wing-coverts, secondaries, lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, mottled with dusky markings; below white; lower throat and fore neck streaked with blackish. 'Bill black, base of lower mandible yellowish green; feet olive-gray; iris dark brown.' (Taczanowski.) Length, 215; culmen, 51; wing, 136; tail, 56; tarsus, 29.

"The yellow base to the lower mandible appears to me to be a sign of immaturity and winter plumage, as it seems to disappear entirely in breeding birds.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, with less of the bronzy tint above; black streaks on upper surface and dusky streaks on throat less pronounced. Length, 241; culmen, 48; wing, 136; tail, 56; tarsus, 25.

"Young male of the year.--Similar to the adults, but with a much shorter bill, its base conspicuously yellow; mantle streaked with blackish; scapulars marked with black almost as much as in the adult bird; upper tail-coverts and tail barred with dusky and pale rufous; greater coverts black, forming a band across wing; head, neck, and under parts as in the adult winter plumage, the throat not being streaked with dusky. 'Bill blackish olive, yellowish olive at base of both mandibles; feet, including web, bright orange-yellow; iris blackish brown.' (Stejneger.)

"Adult in winter plumage.--General color above light ashy gray, with obsolete whitish edges to scapulars and wing-coverts, especially the greater series; lesser coverts distinctly black in the center; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, outer primaries with white shafts, inner primaries ashy toward the ends, with a white fringe; secondaries broadly tipped with white, and white along the inner web; inner secondaries ashy gray like the back, with blackish shaft-lines; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts like the back, the latter freckled and edged with ashy white; tail-feathers ashy gray, whitish at base, mottled with ashy; head and neck ashy gray; forehead and eyebrow white, becoming fulvescent above ear-coverts; lores dusky ashy; sides of face whitish, streaked with ashy gray, the upper edge of ear-coverts uniform ashy; cheeks, throat, and under surface pure white; sides of neck and sides of upper breast ashy gray, the latter with a distinct dusky patch; axillars and under wing-coverts white; feathers along edge of wing ashy gray; quills grayish below. 'Bill dark brown, yellowish at base of lower mandible; feet and toes yellow; iris brown.' (Oates.)" (Sharpe.)

This curious sandpiper was met with in considerable numbers on the tide-flats near Minglanilla, Cebu, in November, 1906. At or near high water the species was found, in company with Heteractitis, resting among the roots of mangrove trees and at such times it was no uncommon occurrence to kill several specimens of each species at one shot. As the rocky flats became exposed these birds scattered to feed and became more difficult to approach. The bill of the female is much longer than that of the male, but the plumage is similar in the two sexes. In a male taken November 20, the bill was black, except the yellow base, legs bright orange-chrome, and nails black.

Genus GLOTTIS Koch, 1816.

Bill slightly curved upward; culmen decidedly shorter than tarsus; the latter about twice the middle toe without claw; rump white.

110. GLOTTIS NEBULARIUS (Gunnerus).

GREENSHANK.

Scolopax nebularius Gunnerus, Leem. Lapp. Beschr. (1767), 251. Glottis nebularius Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 481; Hand-List (1899), 1, 161; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 47; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 26.

Bohol (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Platen); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp.). Africa, northern Europe and northern Asia; in winter Indian Peninsula to Australia.

"Adult in winter plumage.--General color above ashy brown, mottled with whitish edges to the feathers, which are freckled and subterminally lined with darker brown, the shafts being also well marked; scapulars clearer ashy gray, with an interrupted subterminal line of blackish brown; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white; exterior wing-coverts uniform blackish brown; median and greater covers lighter brown, fringed with white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, the latter fringed with white at the end of the inner webs; secondaries ashy brown, edged with white, innermost long secondaries spotted with black on the margins; tail white, center feathers crossed with regular but somewhat interrupted bars of brown, outer feathers with a few broken spots and bars of brown on outer webs; crown and hind neck grayish brown, the feathers edged with white, imparting a streaked appearance, more marked on the head; forehead, lores, and sides of face pure white; sides of neck and upper margin of ear-coverts narrowly streaked with ashy brown; entire under surface pure white; sides of upper breast irregularly freckled with brown; under wing-coverts white, with a subterminal bar of brown, or a central arrowhead line of the latter color; axillars white, with a few remains of brown spots; lower primary-coverts ashy, with whitish edgings; quills below ashy, the lateral markings of the secondaries indicated below. 'Bill and feet light slate-color; iris dark brown.' (Ayres.) Length, 330; culmen, 56; wing, 183; tail, 60; tarsus, 55.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Of a more ruddy brown than in the winter plumage and with black centers to feathers of upper surface; head and neck streaked with black; sides of face white, narrowly streaked with black; below white, lower throat, fore neck, and chest with numerous ovate spots of black; flanks with a few irregular bars of black; under wing-coverts and axillars white barred with black, bars on the latter somewhat interrupted; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, lateral coverts barred with black; two center tail-feathers ashy gray, slightly freckled with dusky, and notched with black on the margins; remainder of tail-feathers white barred with blackish, the bars becoming more irregular on the lateral feathers, which have distinct bars only on the outer webs. 'Bill blackish brown, lighter brownish gray toward base, especially on lower jaw; feet yellowish gray, joints bluish.' (Stejneger.) Length, 305; culmen, 53; wing, 190; tail, 76; tarsus, 56.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in color. 'Bill blackish brown, basal half lighter, on upper mandible with a bluish, on lower one with a reddish-gray tinge; feet dirty olive-gray, joints darker and more bluish gray.' (Stejneger.)

"Young after first molt.--Similar to the winter plumage of the adults but more tinged with rufous-brown and with the feathers spotted with whity brown on both webs; center tail-feathers white, distinctly barred across with black, chest also distinctly streaked with dusky; sides of breast spotted and mottled with dusky brown." (Sharpe.)

Genus RHYACOPHILUS Kaup, 1829.

Bill straight; culmen equal to middle toe without claw but much less than tarsus; rump white.

111. RHYACOPHILUS GLAREOLA (Linnæus).

WOOD SANDPIPER.

Tringa glareola Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 149. Rhyacophilus glareola Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 491; Hand-List (1899), 1, 162; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 48; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 27.

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayan Sulu (Mearns); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Meyer, Everett, Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Africa, Europe, and northern Asia; in winter Indian Peninsula to Australia.

"Adult male in winter plumage.--Above bronzy brown, with light ashy bronze margins to the feathers, which are slightly spotted with white on both edges; scapulars like back, but with somewhat larger white spots; lower back and rump uniform brown, feathers of the latter edged with white; upper tail-coverts pure white, lateral ones with blackish shaft-streaks and irregular longitudinal markings; lesser wing-coverts uniform brown; median and greater coverts spotted with white on both webs and resembling the scapulars; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, fringed with white at the ends; secondaries notched with white on both webs, with a barred appearance of blackish intermediary bands; center tail-feathers ashy brown, barred with blackish brown, and deeply notched with white; lateral feathers white, barred with blackish, these bars becoming irregular on lateral feathers and reduced to a few freckles on outermost ones; feathers of crown and hind neck almost uniform ashy brown, slightly mottled with darker brown centers; lores dusky, surmounted by a distinct white eyebrow; sides of face white, slightly streaked with dark brown; ear-coverts uniform dark brown along their upper edge; cheeks and throat white; sides of neck, lower throat, fore neck, and chest ashy, varied with shaft-lines of brown; remainder of under surface pure white; sides of upper breast ashy brown; lateral under tail-coverts with blackish shaft-streaks and a few frecklings of black; under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases; axillars white, with a few irregular bars and freckles; lower primary-coverts and quills below dusky brown, with whitish spots on the edges of the inner secondaries. 'Basal half of bill olive-brown, terminal half black; legs and feet pale greenish; claws dark horn-color; iris brown.' (Oates.) Length, 216; culmen, 29; wing, 12; tail, 47; tarsus, 35.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male. 'Bill blackish, olive at the base of lower mandible; feet olive; iris very dark brown.' (Butler.) Length, 203; wing, 124; tail, 48; culmen, 28; tarsus, 38.

"Adult male in summer plumage.--More variegated than in winter, the back being uniform dark brown, with large notches of white on both webs, and having very distinct white edges to scapulars and inner wing-coverts; long upper tail-coverts barred with dusky blackish and resembling the center tail-feathers; head and neck streaked with white; sides of face, lower throat, and fore neck very distinctly and broadly streaked with blackish brown centers to the feathers; sides of body and under tail-coverts mottled with cross-bars of blackish brown; the axillars narrowly barred with blackish brown. 'Bill blackish olive, below at base lighter brownish olive; feet light grayish olive; iris dark brown.' (Stejneger.) Length, 178; culmen, 33; wing, 124; tail, 47; tarsus, 35.

"Young after first molt.--Differs from the adults in being closely spotted on the upper surface, but the spots more or less rufescent; lower throat and chest ashy as in the winter plumage of the adults, but the dusky brown stripes very distinct and invading sides of body; axillars pure white, or with the merest trace of brown frecklings. 'Bill dusky brown, inclining to greenish olive toward base; feet greenish olive, iris blackish brown.' (Butler.)

"In the breeding season the white spots on the upper surface become much worn and abraded, so that the general appearance of the back is very uniform; the mottling on the fore neck and chest becomes very distinct by reason of the abrasion of the white margins of the feathers, and the axillars are completely barred across with brown." (Sharpe.)

Subfamily SCOLOPACINÆ.

This subfamily contains all of the snipes and a number of small sandpipers; the toes are without webs, otherwise many of the genera might easily fall in the subfamily Totaninæ.

Genera.

a1. Culmen equal to or less than tarsus.

b1. No hind toe. ... Calidris (p. 132) b2. Hind toe present.

c1. Tarsus about equal to middle toe with claw. ... Pisobia (p. 133) c2. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw. ... Heteropygia (p. 138)

a2. Culmen longer than tarsus.

b1. Eye not placed far back in the head; ear opening well behind posterior margin of eye.

c1. Larger; wing more than 150 mm.; culmen more than 40 mm. ... Tringa (p. 141) c2. Smaller; wing less than 130 mm.; culmen less than 40 mm.

d1. Bill slender, upper mandible narrow, its tip slightly expanded; upper tail-coverts white. ... Erolia (p. 139) d2. Bill broad and flat; end of upper mandible decidedly decurved, its tip pointed; upper tail-coverts not white. ... Limicola (p. 142)

b2. Eye placed well back in head; ear opening just below hinder margin of eye.

c1. Tarsus less than middle toe with claw; culmen nearly twice the length of tarsus; culmen straight. ... Gallinago (p. 143) c2. Tarsus more than middle toe with claw and but little less than culmen; culmen decidedly decurved at its tip. ... Rostratula (p. 147)

Genus CALIDRIS Illiger, 1811.

Bill straight, slightly expanded at tip, culmen about equal to tarsus and longer than middle toe with claw; hind toe wanting.

112. CALIDRIS LEUCOPHÆA (Pallas).

SANDERLING.

Tringa leucophæa Pallas, in Vroeg's Catal. (1764), 32. Trynga alba Pallas, Vroeg's Catal. Adumbr. (1764), 7; Sherborn, Smiths. Misc. Colls. (1905), 47, 341. Tringa arenaria Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 251. Calidris arenaria Oates, Bds. Brit. Burmah (1885), 2, 398; Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 52; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 526; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163. Calidris alba Richmond, Smiths. Misc. Colls. (1905), 47, 347. Calidris abba McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 27 (error). Calidris leucophæa A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1908), 25, 367.

Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor). Arctic regions; in winter to Africa, South America, Marshall Islands, Indian Peninsula to Australia.

"Winter plumage.--Forehead, face, and the whole lower plumage pure white; crown, nape, hind neck, back, and scapulars pale ashy, the crown with well-defined black shaft-streaks, the other parts with narrower and less distinct shaft-streaks; wing-coverts blackish, the median and greater coverts broadly edged with white; primaries dark brown, blacker on the tips and outer webs, the shafts white, a portion of the outer webs of the later ones white; secondaries black, whitish at base and tipped with white; tertiaries rather broadly edged with white; tail pale brown on the outer webs, more or less white on the inner. 'Iris dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and claws black.' (Armstrong.) Length, 190; tail, 51; wing, 122; tarsus, 25; bill from gape, 28." (Oates.)

"Male in summer plumage.--Differs from the winter plumage in being mottled and not uniform, the upper surface being cinnamon-rufous, mottled with black centers to the feathers, which have hoary whitish or ashy edges; the inner secondaries cinnamon-rufous like the scapulars and back; sides of lower back and lateral upper tail-coverts pure white; sides of face, throat, and sides of breast deep cinnamon-rufous, mottled with black centers to the feathers; rest of under surface white. Length, 165; culmen, 23; wing, 124; tail, 48; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 19.

"Female in summer plumage.--Similar to the male but has not quite so much bright rufous in the plumage, the fore neck being barred with blackish. Length, 203; culmen, 27; wing, 124; tail, 49; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 20.

"Young.--Somewhat similar to the winter plumage of the adult but not so uniform above; entire under surface pure white, as also the forehead and sides of face; center of forehead mottled with blackish to base of bill; a dusky streak between bill and eye, as well as along upper edge of ear-coverts; on sides of breast and on fore neck a tinge of vinous-buff or vinous; sides of upper breast and of neck distinctly spotted with black; upper surface black, mottled with spots of white or sandy whitish, these spots being mostly terminal on back and scapulars; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy with a sandy buff tip and a subterminal spot of black, and fringed at the tips with a narrow blackish line, giving the rump the appearance of being lined transversely with black; feathers of head blackish, varied with brown or whitish edges, and forming a more or less distinct cap, which is separated from mantle by the light color of hind neck; mantle ashy streaked with dusky brown; wings much as in the winter plumage of the adult but the greater and median coverts, and inner secondaries mottled like the back." (Sharpe.)

A male taken near Manila in March measures: Wing, 118; tail, 52; exposed culmen, 24; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 19.

Genus PISOBIA Billberg, 1828.

Bill slender and straight, a little longer than tarsus; hind toe small and elevated; small sandpipers about 127 mm. in length.

Species.

a1. Outer tail-feathers pale smoky or ashy brown.

b1. Feet blackish; middle toe with claw not over 19 mm.

c1. Tarsus slightly more than 20 mm.; sides of face and throat slightly rufescent in summer; rufous color predominating over the black above. ... minuta (p. 134) c2. Tarsus shorter, about 19 mm.; entire throat and chest bright rufous in summer. ... ruficollis (p. 135)

b2. Feet olive-brown; middle toe with claw about 23 mm. ... damacensis (p. 136)

a2. Outer tail-feathers pure white. ... temmincki (p. 137)

113. PISOBIA MINUTA (Leisler).

LITTLE STINT.

Tringa minuta Leisler, in Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. (1812), 1, 74; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 273, fig. 63 (head). Limonites minuta Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 538; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 52; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 27.

Mindanao (Mearns). Northern Europe and northern Asia to Lake Baikal; in winter Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Ceylon.

"Adult in winter plumage.--General color above ashy brown, slightly darker along the shafts; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish brown; sides of lower back and lateral upper tail-coverts pure white; tail-feathers light smoky brown, the long central ones dark brown, with a very narrow whitish fringe; wing-coverts rather darker brown than the back, with ashy fringes to the median series; greater coverts tipped with white, forming a wing-band; alula and primary-coverts blackish brown, edged with white at tips; quills dark brown, with white shafts, a few of the inner primaries also edged with white near the base; secondaries dark brown, fringed with white at the tips, bases of inner webs white, forming a continuous band with the one on greater coverts; long inner secondaries light brown like scapulars, the shafts blackish brown; crown brown like the back, the feathers with darker brown centers; forehead and supra-loral region pure white; lores dusky brown; ear-coverts and feathers below eye light brown, with narrow streaks of dark brown; above ear-coverts a streak of white lined with brown, forming an indistinct eyebrow; cheeks, throat, and under surface pure white slightly ashy on throat and fore neck; sides of neck and upper breast brown, with slightly darker centers or shaft-streaks; under wing-coverts and axillars white; coverts round edge of wing dark brown, with white margins; lower primary-coverts dull ashy brown, forming an inconspicuous wing-patch. 'Bill, feet, and claw black; iris hazel.' (Seebohm.) Length, 132; culmen, 18; wing, 96; tail, 41; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Adult male in summer plumage.--Much more rufous than in winter; feathers of upper surface sandy rufous; black centers and white margins to many of the scapulars and feathers of the back; feathers of head rufous, with black centers; neck rufous, streaked with dusky blackish, these streaks being smaller and less distinct on sides of face, which are also rufous; a slight indication of a whitish eyebrow; under surface white, throat tinged with rufous, chest pervaded with ashy, and throat, fore neck, and sides of breast mottled with dusky spots in the centers of the feathers. Length, 152; culmen, 19; wing, 96; tail, 36; tarsus, 20.

"Adult female in summer plumage.--Similar to the male, but somewhat less distinctly spotted on the breast. Length, 152; culmen, 18; wing, 98; tail, 37; tarsus, 20.

"Young.--Blackish above, with rufous edgings to the feathers, and thus somewhat resembling the summer plumage of the adults, but they may always be distinguished by the more numerous white edgings to the dorsal and scapular feathers, by the ashy color of the hind neck, by the absence of spots on the fore neck and chest, both of which are tinged with isabelline-buff.

"Nestling.--Mottled with rufous and black down, the tips of which are silvery white or sandy buff; the hind neck sandy buff, forming a collar; the crown black, slightly mottled with rufous and dotted with silvery white, the black extending in a line on the forehead, which is buff, continued into a somewhat broad eyebrow; a black loral line and a black spot on each side of the hinder crown as well as on the ear-coverts; under surface of body whitish, with a tinge of sandy buff on the lower throat." (Sharpe.)

114. PISOBIA RUFICOLLIS (Pallas).

ASIATIC LITTLE STINT.

Trynga ruficollis Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs (1776), 3, 700. Limonites ruficollis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 545; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 27.

Ti-út ti-út, Bantayan.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Whitehead); Mindanao (Mearns, Celestino); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp.). Eastern Siberia, Japan, and Korea; in winter Burmese countries to Australia.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Resembles the winter plumage of L. minuta, but distinguished by the whiter fore neck and chest, and by the slightly shorter tarsus. Length, 145; culmen, 18; wing, 96; tail, 42; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Adult male in summer plumage.--Much more mottled on the upper surface than in winter, the centers of the feathers being blackish, and upper parts overspread with a brighter chestnut color, with which the feathers are broadly margined; crown blackish, washed with rufous and mottled with gray margins; forehead and eyebrow shaded with bright rufous, this color occupying entire sides of face, sides of neck, throat, and chest; chin whitish. 'Bill and feet black; iris nearly black.' (Dybowski.) Length, 135; culmen, 18; wing, 98; tail, 43; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 19.

"Adult female in summer plumage.--Does not differ materially from the male, but is perhaps scarcely so rufous, and retains a little more of the hoary gray of the winter plumage. 'Iris brown.' (Everett.) Length, 127; culmen, 18; wing, 99; tail, 43; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Young.--Scarcely distinguishable from the young of L. minuta." (Sharpe.)

"Frequently seen in large flocks during the winter months." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Of the stints that visit the Philippine Islands in winter the Asiatic little stint undoubtedly occurs in greater numbers than all the others taken together; it is the only abundant species and is usually found in large or small flocks on tide-flats.

115. PISOBIA DAMACENSIS (Horsfield).

LONG-TOED STINT.

Totanus damacensis Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1821), 13, 192. Limonites damacensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 553; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 28. Pisobia damacensis A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1908), 35, 367.

Basilan (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot); Mindanao (Mearns); Palawan (Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Japan, eastern Siberia, islands of Bering Sea, China to northeastern Bengal; in winter Burma to Australia.

"Adult male in winter plumage.--Similar to the winter plumage of L. minuta and L. ruficollis, but darker than either of them, with the head and neck much more thickly spotted with black, and the lower throat and fore neck very distinctly streaked or mottled with brown. The species can of course be distinguished from both of the above species by its long toes.

"Adult male in summer plumage.--Almost exactly similar to L. minuta, but easily distinguished by the length of the middle toe and the color of the legs. Length, 132; culmen, 178; wing, 86; tail, 36; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 23.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in plumage. 'Bill blackish, olive-brown at base of lower jaw; feet grayish yellow, with joints darker olive; iris dark brown.' (Stejneger.)" (Sharpe.)

116. PISOBIA TEMMINCKI (Leisler).

TEMMINCK'S STINT.

Tringa temminckii Leisler, in Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. (1812), 2, 78. Limonites temmincki Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 555; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 53; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 28.

Negros (Steere Exp.). Northern Europe and Asia, northern and northeastern Africa; in winter Indian Peninsula and China.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Above ashy gray, slightly varied with dusky shaft-streaks; scapulars bronzy brown like inner secondaries; lower back and rump brown, with a subterminal shade of darker brown; upper tail-coverts also dark brown, with longitudinal shaft-streaks of darker brown; wing-coverts brown, with a slight bronzy gloss, shaft-lines darker, and slight indications of paler edges; greater coverts tipped with white, forming a cross-band on the wing; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown; shafts of the primaries pale whity brown, that of the first outer primary white; alula white with a brown center; all the primaries white at the extreme base; secondaries brown, white at base of inner web, and fringed with white at the ends; long inner secondaries bronzy brown with dusky centers; middle tail-feathers dusky brown, the remainder ashy brown, with white in the center, increasing in extent toward outer feathers, two external ones entirely white; crown ashy brown like back; lores dull brown surmounted by a streak of white, hardly joined to a second streak above the ear-coverts, which forms an indistinct eyebrow; eyelid white; sides of face and ear-coverts ashy brown, streaked with dusky brown; cheeks and throat white, with a few dusky streaks on cheeks and lower throat; fore neck and upper breast light ashy brown; lower breast, abdomen, sides of body, and flanks pure white; thighs brown, white internally; under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts and axillars white; coverts round the bend of wing dusky brown with whitish edges; lower primary-coverts brown, forming a patch; quills below ashy brown, somewhat lighter along the inner edge. Length, 140; culmen, 15; wing, 96; tail, 46; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Only differs from the winter plumage in being more mottled above, the feathers having black centers, and being tinged with rufous, especially on the edges of the feathers; lower throat and chest have some distinct shaft-lines. 'Bill olive-black, lighter olive brownish at base, especially on lower mandible; feet olive-yellow, joints more dusky; iris dark brown.' (Stejneger.) Length, 135; culmen, 19; wing, 94; tail, 46; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, and apparently quite as much mottled. Length, 132; culmen, 20; wing, 99; tail, 47; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 18.

"Young birds.--These can always be distinguished from the adults in summer or winter plumage by the narrow sandy buff margins to the feathers of the upper surface, and by the ashy fulvous tinge on the fore neck, which is devoid of the dusky streaks seen in the adults.

"Nestling.--Covered with golden buff down, spotted with black, and spangled with silvery tips to the down; the black forms a line down the center of back; under surface dull white, tinged with buff on the fore neck." (Sharpe.)

Genus HETEROPYGIA Coues, 1861.

Bill straight, very slightly expanded at tip; culmen less than tarsus and equal to middle toe without claw.

117. HETEROPYGIA AURITA (Latham).

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER.

Tringa aurita Latham, Ind. Orn. Suppl. (1801), 66. Totanus acuminatus Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1821), 13, 192. Heteropygia acuminata Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 566; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 28. Pisobia aurita A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1908), 25, 366.

Batan N. (McGregor); Luzon (Celestino); Mindanao (Everett). Alaska, eastern Siberia, and China, south in winter to Australia and New Zealand.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--General color above sandy rufous, streaked with black down the center of the feathers, these black centers being very much more distinct on the scapulars and inner secondaries, where the rufous margins are very bright; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dusky black, the lateral tail-coverts sandy rufous barred with black; lesser wing-coverts dull brown; median coverts brown; with blackish centers and ashy fulvous margins; greater coverts uniform dusky brown with white tips; alula uniform brown; primary-coverts blackish, the inner ones tipped with white; quills brown, dusky blackish at tips and along outer webs, the shafts for the most part white, brown toward the bases; secondaries brown, with a little white at base of inner webs, and narrowly fringed with white near tips, inner ones a little more broadly; tail ashy brown fringed with white round the end, the center feathers blackish and extended a little beyond the ends of the others; crown bright sandy rufous minutely streaked with black; lores and a distinct eyebrow white, with narrow streaks of blackish; sides of face white, with dusky streaks; ear-coverts tinged with rufous; under surface white; chin unspotted; throat, fore neck, and chest tinged with sandy rufous, and minutely spotted with dusky black, which sometimes takes the form of longitudinal streaks or arrowhead bars, the latter form of markings being especially distinct on the sides of body; breast and abdomen white, the latter with a few linear streaks of black; under wing-coverts and axillars white, bend of wing mottled with blackish bases; lower primary-coverts dusky with whitish tips; quills dusky below. 'Bill blackish brown, browner or reddish brown at angle of mouth, clear gray at base of lower mandible; feet yellowish ocher-color, tinged with olive, darker on the joints; iris dark brown.' (Dybowski.) Length, 178; culmen, 28; wing, 137; tail, 53; tarsus, 30.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Much browner than the summer plumage and without any rufous except, perhaps, a slight tinge on the head; under surface white; lower throat and chest ashy fulvous with a few narrow streaks and lines of blackish; flanks slightly washed with brown; on under tail-coverts a few narrow mesial shaft-streaks of blackish.

"Young birds.--Much more rufous on upper surface even than the breeding plumage; back much blacker than in any other age of the bird, intermixed with a great deal of rufous, and distinguished by the conspicuous whitish edgings to the dorsal feathers, scapulars, and inner secondaries; wing-coverts with broad margins of sandy rufous, and longitudinal black centers; chin white; breast and abdomen white, sometimes with a slight tinge of buff; the lower throat, fore neck, and sides of breast sandy rufous; fore neck and chest more ashy and uniform, so that the black shaft-streaks are confined to the lower throat; those on the sides of neck and sides of breast being a little broader." (Sharpe.)

A rare winter visitant to the Philippine Islands.

Genus EROLIA Vieillot, 1816.

Bill long and slender, very slightly decurved and slightly expanded at tip; culmen greater than tarsus, the latter longer than middle toe with claw.

118. EROLIA FERRUGINEA (Brünnich).

CURLEW SANDPIPER.

Tringa ferruginea Brünnich, Orn. Bor. (1764), 53. Scolopax subarquata Güldenstädt, Nov. Comm. Petrop. (1774), 19, 471. Ancylochilus subarquatus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 586; Hand-List (1899), 1, 164; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 28. Tringa subarquata Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 278, fig. 64 (head). Erolia ferruginea A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1903), 20, 337.

Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, Celestino); Negros (Bourns & Worcester). Northern Siberia, south in winter to Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above deep bay or dark cinnamon-rufous; varied with whitish edges to feathers, which are mottled with black centers, taking the form of stripes on head and back, and of cross-bars on scapulars; lower back dull ashy brown, with whitish edges; sides of lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, the latter tinged with rufous, and showing a few black bars; wing-coverts brown, with whitish edgings, greater series tipped with white, forming a wing-bar; some of the coverts rufous like the back, and some of the inner secondaries also rufous on their edges; primary-coverts and quills darker brown, the latter with white tips, primaries dark brown with white shafts; secondaries fringed with white, more broadly on the shorter ones, which are white at base of inner webs; tail-feathers ashy brown, with white fringes and white shafts; head like the back, but showing less distinct blackish centers to the feathers; hind neck distinctly hoary, owing to the gray edgings of feathers; sides of face and under surface rich vinous-chestnut; with more or less distinct remains of hoary margins; vent and under tail-coverts white, the latter tinged with rufous, and having a few black bars; sides of body and flanks pure white, the latter with a few black bars; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white; lower primary-coverts and upper surface of quills light ashy. Bill and feet black; iris hazel. Length, 188; culmen, 34; wing, 135; tail, 48; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 25.

"Adult female in summer plumage.--Like the male but not so richly colored, tint of the under surface duller chestnut, and not so vinous. Length, 178; culmen, 35; wing, 124; tail, 46; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 25.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Ashy brown above, slightly mottled with darker centers to the feathers; wing-coverts like the back; quills as in the summer plumage; rump and upper tail-coverts pure white; tail-feathers ashy brown, fringed with white, with white shafts, and a subterminal bar of dusky blackish, the inner webs having a good deal of white at the base; lores dusky, with a supra-loral streak of white; under surface of body pure white, with tiny lines of dusky brown on the sides of face, sides of neck, lower throat, and fore neck.

"Young in first autumn plumage.--Similar in general color to the winter plumage of the adult, and distinguished by the absence of rufous color in the plumage of the upper surface; on the under surface the streaks on the fore neck are almost obsolete, and a fulvescent shade overspreads fore neck and chest, in some specimens even extending to the breast itself. On the upper surface it is very similar to the winter plumage of the adult, but has always more distinct pale edgings to the feathers, these being gradually fulvescent, while the mantle is decidedly darker, being blackish, with pale margins to the feathers." (Sharpe.)

So far as known this species is a rare winter visitant to the Philippine Islands.

Genus TRINGA Linnæus, 1758.

Bill straight, culmen longer than tarsus, the latter exceeding middle toe with claw; wing long and pointed, when folded reaching the tip of tail, the latter nearly square. Pisobia is somewhat similar to this genus but has a much shorter bill and the species are much smaller.

119. TRINGA CRASSIROSTRIS Temminck and Schlegel.

ASIATIC KNOT.

Tringa crassirostris Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica (1847), 107, pl. 64; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 600; Hand-List (1899), 1, 164; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 277; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 28.

Mindanao? (Mearns); Negros (Steere, Bourns & Worcester). Eastern Siberia and Japan; in winter China to Australia and western Indian Peninsula.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Similar to the winter plumage of T. canutus, being ashy gray above and white below, but easily distinguished by the longer bill and pure white upper tail-coverts; the dusky spots on chest and sides of body smaller and much more distinct.

"Young.--Similar to the adult winter plumage but blacker, with conspicuous white margins to the feathers of the upper surface; rump and upper tail-coverts spotted with black, but not barred with dusky as in T. canutus; head like the back, black with white edges to the feathers, but scarcely any trace of a white eyebrow, the lores and sides of face being thickly spotted with black; throat white, unspotted; lower throat and fore neck light brown, mottled with black spots; upper breast and sides of body also plentifully spotted with black, the spots on the sides of the body being large and often arrow-shaped; axillars white, with marblings of pale ashy gray.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Does not differ from the winter plumage to the same extent as in T. canutus; upper surface only slightly suffused with rufous; scapulars and inner secondaries more or less bright chestnut with black subterminal bars; under surface white; throat thickly streaked and fore neck so closely barred as to become almost black, these black bars extending on to breast and along the sides of body; the under tail-coverts spotted with black. 'Bill brown; feet gray; iris dark brown.' (Taczanowski.) Length, 267; culmen, 41; wing, 175; tail, 63; tarsus, 33.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, but with less rufous. Length, 267; culmen, 43; wing, 190; tail, 67; tarsus, 33." (Sharpe.)

"Coloration in winter.--Upper parts light brownish gray, with black shaft-stripes which are broadest on the crown; sides of head and neck whitish, with dark streaks, supercilia and cheeks paler; wing-coverts with pale edges, greater coverts with white tips; alula, primary-coverts, and primaries blackish brown; secondaries brownish gray like back, but with white borders outside and at the end; lower back and rump dark brown, with white edges to the feathers; upper tail-coverts the same, but the white borders are much wider, the white sometimes occupying the greater part or the whole of the feathers; tail ashy brown; lower plumage white, fore neck and upper breast streaked or spotted with dark brown.

"In summer the plumage is blackish above, with whitish edges to the feathers, the scapulars with large chestnut spots; upper and lower tail-coverts white, with dark brown spots and bars; chin, throat, breast, and flanks so thickly spotted as to be almost covered in the middle of the breast with blackish brown; there is no rufous on the lower plumage." (Blanford.)

"Seen in small flocks along seashore in winter." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

I have identified as of this species, a sandpiper collected by Major Edgar A. Mearns. The field tag gives no locality but I believe the specimen came from Mindanao. This and many other species of migratory shore-birds will doubtless be found in considerable numbers when more attention is paid to collecting them.

Genus LIMICOLA Koch, 1816.

Bill rather long and, except at base, flattened; upper mandible slightly decurved at tip and decidedly longer than lower mandible; exposed culmen greater than tarsus, the latter slightly longer than middle toe with claw.

120. LIMICOLA PLATYRHYNCHA (Temminck).

BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER.

Tringa platyrhyncha Temminck, Man. d'Orn. (1815), 398. Limicola platyrhyncha Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 612; Hand-List (1899), 1, 165; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 59; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 29.

Bohol (Everett); Cebu (McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Platen). Northern Europe and Siberia, Mediterranean and Red Seas; in winter China to Indian Peninsula and Moluccas.

"Adult male in winter plumage.--Above light ashy gray, somewhat paler on the edges of the feathers, which have dusky brown centers; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish, with slight remains of sandy-buff fringes; sides of rump and lateral upper tail-coverts white; wing-coverts rather darker than the back, marginal ones dark brown; median series blackish in the center with hoary white margins; greater series dusky blackish edged with hoary gray, inclined to white at the ends, and forming a narrow band across wing; alula and primary-coverts black tipped with white, the latter broadly; quills black, paler brown on inner webs of primaries, excepting at tips, which are black; secondaries merely fringed with white near the ends, and with a little white towards base of inner web; inner secondaries ashy like back; shafts of all the quills white or whity-brown; middle tail-feathers blackish like upper tail-coverts, the others ashy brown with white shafts and white fringes; crown like the back; lores dusky, surmounted by a broad white streak, which is continued into a narrow eyebrow; sides of face white, with only a few tiny streaks of dusky brown; ear-coverts uniform dusky brown; under surface white, with a few streaks of dusky brown on lower throat and sides of breast; under wing-coverts and axillars white, the marginal coverts mottled with dusky bases, lower primary-coverts ashy. Bill dusky black; legs and feet slaty black; iris dark brown. Length, 165; culmen, 33; wing, 104; tail, 41; tarsus, 20.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above black, slightly varied with rufous edgings to the feathers, some of those of mantle, scapulars, inner greater coverts, and inner secondaries having sandy-buff margins, the black forming large subterminal spots; crown black, with a sandy-buff lateral stripe; lores black; sides of face rufescent, thickly spotted with dusky black like sides of neck; ear-coverts rufous, and surmounted by a pale buff eyebrow, which becomes lighter above the lores; chin and under surface of body white; throat, fore neck, and chest thickly spotted with dusky blackish, the spots on the fore neck and chest somewhat arrow-shaped, as they are also along the sides of body, all these parts slightly tinged with rufous; lateral upper tail-coverts barred with black; tail-feathers as in the winter plumage, but with a more extensive area on the inner webs. Length, 165; culmen, 30; wing, 105; tail, 38; tarsus, 20.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, but not quite so plentifully spotted underneath.

"Young birds.--Very similar to the summer plumage of the adults, being rufous above, mottled with black centers to the feathers, and having very broad whitish margins; center of crown black; outer tail-feathers with a great deal of white on inner webs, confining the ashy gray to a broad marginal line; fore neck slightly tinged with buff, as also the sides of the upper breast, these parts being very scantily streaked with brown. During the first winter the pale edges become worn off, so that the general aspect of the upper surface is black.

"The summer plumage is gained by a darkening of the center of the feathers of the upper surface, which become gradually blacker; the head becomes blackish, and the streaks on the breast much more emphasized." (Sharpe.)

Genus GALLINAGO Koch, 1816.

Bill slender and straight; tip of upper mandible slightly thickened, pitted and with a median groove; ears almost directly underneath eyes; tarsus about two-thirds of culmen.

Species.

a1. Tail-feathers twenty or more, the outer ones stiffened and very narrow; dark bars on axillars wider than the white bars.

b1. Tail shorter, about 48 mm.; outer feathers narrower. ... stenura (p. 144) b2. Tail longer, about 53 mm.; outer feathers wider. ... megala (p. 145)

a2. Tail-feathers usually fourteen in number, neither excessively stiff nor narrow; dark bars on axillars narrow or obsolete. ... gallinago (p. 146)

121. GALLINAGO STENURA (Bonaparte).

PINTAIL SNIPE.

Scolopax stenura Bonaparte, ex Kuhl MS. Ann. Stor. Nat. Bologna (1830), 4, 335. Gallinago stenura Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 619; Hand-List (1899), 1, 165; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 29.

Calayan (McGregor); Mindanao (Murray); Palawan (White). Eastern Siberia to the Yenesei; in winter China to Malay Peninsula.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Above blackish, striped and mottled with sandy isabelline; streaks on the sides of back and scapulars very broad; upper surface interspersed with rufous spots, but general color of the light markings sandy buff, especially on hind neck; wing-coverts dark brown, marginal series almost uniform, the rest barred with rufous or sandy buff, with paler tips, the rufous and black bars very distinct on the greater coverts, where they are regularly indicated; alula and primary-coverts blackish, with narrow white tip; quills blackish, the first primary browner on outer web, which is narrowly fringed with white; secondaries (outermost of which do not exceed primary-coverts in length) narrowly fringed with white at tip, inner ones barred with rufous and blackish, mostly on outer web; innermost long secondaries barred across, especially near the ends; tail-feathers blackish brown, ten central ones with a broad band of pale chestnut, followed by a subterminal bar of blackish brown, before a pale rufescent tip; a second rufous band, considerably broken up, a little beyond the middle of the feather; eight outer feathers on each side becoming narrower and narrower, till the outermost has scarcely any web at all; these wire-like feathers with white tips, with an indication of a blackish subterminal bar; crown black, mottled with rufous spots and having a mesial streak of sandy isabelline; a loral line of black, surmounted by a supra-loral patch of sandy isabelline continued into a narrow eyebrow; sides of face and ear-coverts isabelline, rufous just behind eye, entire sides of face having more or less distinct small streaks of blackish, and traversed by a broad blackish line across ear-coverts; fore part of cheeks and chin sandy isabelline; throat and chest sandy buff, slightly mottled with streaks and narrow horseshoe-shaped bars of blackish; breast and abdomen white; sides of body slightly tinged with sandy buff, and distinctly barred with black; under tail-coverts pale sandy buff, with blackish centers, longer ones narrowly barred with black near their ends; under wing-coverts and axillars distinctly barred with black and white, white bars on the latter slightly wider than the black bars; lower primary-coverts ashy; quills ashy below, secondaries fringed with white at the ends. 'Basal half of upper bill horny, distal half blackish brown; basal half of lower bill greenish, remainder blackish brown; feet greenish; iris brown.' (Cripps.) Length, 223; culmen, 58; wing, 124; tail, 48; tarsus, 30.

"Adult female.--Does not perceptibly differ from the male in color and markings. Length, 240; culmen, 62; wing, 129; tail, 44; tarsus, 30.

"It is very difficult to distinguish young birds from old ones, and I believe that the only characters of any value are the uniform black stripes along the sides of the crown. In old birds, not only are these black stripes mottled with rufous, but there are also numerous small spots of rufous-buff interspersed among the black feathers of the back; the black subterminal marks on the scapulars are also smaller in the young birds than in the old. A further sign of immaturity is, I believe, to be seen in the nearly uniform fulvous-brown on the throat and fore neck, these portions being more mottled with lines and arrow-head spots of black in the old birds.

"From G. gallinago the present species is distinguished by the wire-like feathers in the tail and by the entire surface of the under wing-coverts being regularly barred with black and white, and the outer web of the first primary being whity-brown instead of pure white. Occasionally young birds of G. stenura have the whole of the breast and abdomen regularly barred with dusky." (Sharpe.)

122. GALLINAGO MEGALA Swinhoe.

SWINHOE'S SNIPE.

Gallinago megala Swinhoe, Ibis (1861), 343; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 624; Hand-List (1899), 1, 165; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 29.

Can-du-ro', Manila.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Everett); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Eastern Siberia and Japan; in winter China south to the Moluccas.

"Adult male.--Similar to G. stenura, and with wire-like outer tail-feathers, but these not so narrow and showing at least two distinct bars towards the ends; the tail-feathers twenty in number, of which the seven outer ones are attenuated, and only the six central ones show the characteristic broad subterminal band of rufous. 'Bill light yellowish brown for basal two-thirds, yellower on base of under mandible, blackish brown on apical third; feet light yellowish gray, with blackish brown claws; iris dark umber brown.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 240; culmen, 58; wing, 137; tail, 55; tarsus, 34.

"Adult female.--Does not differ from the male. 'Legs and feet pale bluish gray, nails black.' (Everett.) Length, 267; culmen, 66; wing, 142; tail, 55; tarsus, 33.

"Young birds.--As with G. stenura so with the present species, the young birds appear to be distinguishable by their more uniform dark brown throat and chest; the stripes on the sides of the crown are also black and not mottled with rufous spots." (Sharpe.)

"Extremely abundant in rice-fields at certain seasons." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

123. GALLINAGO GALLINAGO (Linnæus).

FANTAIL SNIPE.

Scolopax gallinago Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 147. Gallinago gallinago Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 633; Hand-List (1899), 1, 165; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 61; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 29. Gallinago coelestis Oates, Bds. Brit. Burmah (1883), 2, 381.

Can-du-ro', Manila and Mindoro.

Bohol (Everett); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (McGregor). Europe to northern Asia; in winter Senegambia and northeastern Africa, Indian Peninsula to Malay Peninsula and the Moluccas.

"Male and female.--Crown black with a fulvous streak over median line; a blackish streak from bill to eye, above and below which the feathers are pale fulvous; chin whitish; throat and sides of head and neck fulvous, streaked with black; breast and sides of body fulvous, barred with black; abdomen and vent white; under tail-coverts fulvous, streaked with brown; under wing-coverts barred indistinctly with black and white; tail black, the end rufous mottled with black; upper plumage black, edged and streaked with rich fulvous and chestnut; wing-coverts black, barred with fulvous; quills dark brown, narrowly edged with whitish. Bill fleshy brownish, green for two-thirds of its length from base, remainder horny brown; iris very dark brown; legs and feet brownish green. Length, 267; tail, 61; wing, 127; tarsus, 30; bill from gape, 58." (Oates.)

"Adult female.--Similar to the male. Length, 267; culmen, 71; wing, 135; tail, 62; tarsus, 33.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being more rufous, especially on the throat and neck. The black markings of the back are more broken up and mottled with rufous bars, and the pale outer bands along the scapulars are not so wide. Seebohm states that young snipes may be recognized by not having a dark shaft-line on the light tips of the upper wing-coverts, but I have found indications of the latter in quite young birds.

"Nestling.--Covered with down of a chestnut color, interspersed with black along the back, and prettily variegated with silvery tips to the feathers; below the eye a whitish streak, bordered with lines of black; under surface of body bright chestnut, with a black spot on the throat and a black line across the fore neck." (Sharpe.)

"This species and G. stenura are likely to be confounded unless special attention is paid to the differences between them. The first and most unfailing point of difference is in the tail. In G. gallinago the tail is composed of twelve, fourteen, or sixteen ordinary soft feathers; in G. stenura there are ten soft feathers and on either side of these a number, varying from five to nine, of narrow rigid feathers with apparently no webs. These narrow feathers require to be looked for; they do not strike the eye, as they are more or less hidden by the tail-coverts and are moreover very close together. A second point of difference lies in the coloration of the lower surface of the wing. In the pintail snipe the axillars and the under wing-coverts are very distinctly and regularly barred with dark brown throughout. In the common snipe these same parts are indistinctly barred, and there is always a patch on the coverts left quite white and unbarred. Mr. Hume points out one or two additional differences which it may be well to quote: In the common snipe the outer web of the first primary is white or nearly so, and the secondaries are broadly tipped with white; in the pintail the outer web of the first primary is of the same color as the inner, and the secondaries are only margined with albescent or brownish white." (Oates.)

Genus ROSTRATULA Vieillot, 1816.

Bill long and slender but shorter than in Gallinago, its tip slightly swollen and bent downward with a median ridge and two lateral grooves, not pitted; culmen little longer than tarsus; female brighter in plumage than male.

124. ROSTRATULA CAPENSIS (Linnæus).

PAINTED SNIPE.

Scolopax capensis Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 246. Rostratula capensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 683; Hand-List (1899), 1, 167; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 293, fig. 67; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 68; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 29.

Pa-co'-bo, Manila.

Catanduanes (Whitehead); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Africa, Indian Peninsula, Greater Sunda Islands; Burmese provinces to China and Japan south to Malay Peninsula.

"Adult female.--Above ashy brown, strongly glossed with olive-green, freckled all over with transverse lines of dusky blackish, with here and there broader bars of greenish black; some of the scapular feathers edged with bright ocherous forming a streak down each side of the back; long inner coverts pure white, forming another streak, generally concealed by the scapulars; wing-coverts distinctly glossed with olive-green and finely barred with dusky; alula, primary-coverts, and quills pearly gray, freckled with irregular wavy lines of black, and ocellated ovate spots of rich ocherous on outer web, and with bars of the same color on inner web; all the quills marked with black at base of outer web, more distinctly seen in the primaries than the secondaries; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail pearly gray, with black cross-lines, rump with a few white spots, upper tail-coverts spotted with rich ocherous, tail-feathers barred with ocherous; crown dusky, slightly glossed with olive-green, a band of ocherous down the center, bordered on each side by a shade of black; round eye a cincture of isabelline whitish, reaching to a point above ear-coverts, and surrounded by a blackish shade above and below, more broadly in front; lores, sides of face, and throat, deep chestnut, extending backwards round hind neck; across fore neck a broad collar of greenish black; remainder of under surface white, extending upwards on either side of the black præ-pectoral band; on each side of upper part of breast a black patch with a slight greenish gloss, succeeded by some brown feathers waved with dusky lines; axillars and under wing-coverts white, outer ones ashy, freckled with dusky cross-lines and small spots of white or buff. 'Bill greenish, yellowish fleshy at the tip of both mandibles; feet pale green; iris dark brown.' (Butler.) Length, 229; culmen, 47; wing, 140; tail, 42; tarsus, 43.

"Adult male.--Different from the female and rather smaller. Easily distinguished from the female by the absence of chestnut on the throat and neck, and by the different color of the wing-coverts. The latter, instead of being olive-green barred with blackish cross-lines, are bronzy olive, with numerous bar-like spots of yellow-ocher, these spots having a black line above and below; the inner secondaries similarly colored and marked. Although there is a line of sandy buff on each side of the back, there are apparently no white parapteral plumes. Instead of the chestnut on the throat, the latter is white with dusky spots on the upper part, the lower throat light brown, mottled with dusky bars and whitish margins to the feathers, the lower border of this dusky patch edged with a band of black. 'Bill purplish brown; feet dull slaty blue; iris dark brown.' (S. Stafford Allen.) Length, 229; culmen, 49; wing, 127; tail, 41; tarsus, 43.

"Young male.--Resembles the old male almost exactly, but has the throat entirely white, the lower throat and fore neck washed with brown, with some dusky streaks; these streaks on the full-grown male are sometimes black, but the feathers of the back and scapulars have spots or margins of white.

"Young female.--Is at first like the young male and has the same yellow-spotted wing-coverts; the hind neck is gray, vermiculated with dusky like the male, and the markings on the throat are similar to those of the latter sex. When the chestnut color is first assumed, it is of a dull tint, and is obscured by dusky margins to the feathers; the chin is white, and the throat and fore neck uniform brown, with which the chestnut feathers are often mingled." (Sharpe.)

"Fairly abundant about the rice-fields. Easy to bring down on account of its comparatively slow and heavy flight. Resident in the Philippines. We obtained its nest and eggs in Siquijor." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily PHALAROPODINÆ.

Small sandpipers with the toes lobed, and posterior side of tarsus serrated.

Genus LOBIPES Cuvier, 1817. [16]

Bill slender, nearly cylindrical, not widened toward tip; nostrils separated from loral feathers by a space equal to much less than the depth of upper mandible at base.

125. LOBIPES LOBATUS (Linnæus).

NORTHERN PHALAROPE.

Tringa lobata Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758); ed. 12 (1766), 1, 149. Phalaropus lobatus Ridgway, Man. North Am. Bds. (1887), 144. Phalaropus hyperboreus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 698; Hand-List (1899), 1, 167; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 70.

Basilan Straits (Mearns). Arctic regions; in winter to southern oceans.

"Adult female in summer.--Above dark plumbeous, the back striped with ochraceous or buff; wings dusky, the greater coverts broadly tipped with white; lower parts white; chest and sides of neck rufous.

"Adult male in summer.--Similar to the female, but colors duller, the rufous almost confined to sides of neck, and less distinct, the chest chiefly mixed with white and grayish.

"Winter plumage.--Forehead, superciliary stripe, sides of head and neck, with lower parts generally, pure white; top of head grayish, the feathers with dusky shaft-streaks and whitish borders; a blackish spot in front of eye, and side of head, from beneath eye, across ear-coverts mixed dusky and grayish white; upper parts chiefly grayish; sides of chest washed or clouded with grayish.

"Young.--Top of head dusky, with or without streaks; back and scapulars blackish, distinctly bordered with buff or ochraceous; middle wing-coverts bordered with buff or whitish; forehead, supra-auricular stripe, lores, and lower parts white, the chest and sides of breast sometimes suffused with dull brownish; ear-coverts dusky.

"Downy young.--Above bright tawny, the rump with three parallel stripes of black, inclosing two of paler fulvous than the ground-color; a triangular patch of brown on crown, bounded irregularly with blackish; a black line over ears; throat and rest of head pale tawny; rest of lower parts white, becoming grayish posteriorly.

"Length, 178 to 203; wing, 102 to 113; culmen, 20 to 23; tarsus, 19 to 20; middle toe, 16 to 19." (Ridgway.)

Suborder PARRÆ.

Family PARRIDÆ.

In general aspect and habits like the rails but distinguishable at once by the enormously lengthened toes and claws; claw of hind toe exceeding the very long toe.

Genera.

a1. No frontal shield nor lappet; primaries attenuated at their tips; center tail-feathers not elongated. ... Hydralector (p. 150) a2. With a leaf-like frontal lappet; primaries not produced; center tail-feathers greatly elongated. ... Hydrophasianus (p. 151)

Genus HYDROPHASIANUS Wagler, 1832.

End of first primary produced as a filamentous appendage about 30 mm. in length; second and third also produced but the slender tip often broken; tip of fourth primary less slender; a sharp horny spur at bend of wing.

126. HYDROPHASIANUS CHIRURGUS (Scopoli).

PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA.

Tringa chirurgus Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 92. Hydrophasis chirurgus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 69; Hand-List (1899), 1, 168; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 71; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 30.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Indian Peninsula, Indo-Chinese countries to Malay Peninsula and greater Sunda Islands.

Adult in breeding plumage.--Sexes similar; head, chin, and throat white; occiput and a line on each side of neck black, behind this a large saddle of golden yellow; mantle and scapulars dark brown glossed with violet; back, rump, and tail black; lower parts, except chin and throat, dead black; first primary black, the other primaries mostly white, but with some black at their tips; remainder of wing white; axillars and wing-lining white. Iris brown, bill blue, paler at tip; legs blue; nails blackish. Length of male about 330; wing, 190; tail, 131; exposed culmen, 28; tarsus, 54; middle toe with claw, 75; hind toe without claw, 20; claw, 29. Length of female, 380; wing, 250; tail, 162; exposed culmen, 28; tarsus, 60; middle toe with claw, 85; hind toe with claw, 57.

Adult in non-breeding plumage.--Differs from the breeding plumage chiefly as follows: Upper parts earthy brown with little gloss; under parts, including tail and its coverts, white except a black plastron on fore breast which extends forward on each side of neck; golden collar replaced by a golden yellow band on each side; secondaries and coverts mostly earthy brown speckled with white.

Birds in intermediate plumage present endless combinations of the breeding and non-breeding plumage.

"Young.--Generally resembles the winter plumage of the adults, but is always distinguished by its rufous head, and in the first stage of plumage by the sandy rufous margins to the feathers of the upper surface; the dusky band of the sides of the neck is feebly indicated and the horseshoe collar on the fore neck is marked by a few spots of dusky blackish; the white on the primaries is more restricted, but the elongated tips are present." (Sharpe.)

"Quite abundant about the Laguna de Naujan, in Mindoro. It runs about over the leaves of water plants, and when approached sinks its body in the water until only its head and tail can be seen. When wounded it dives, and sometimes hangs onto water plants below the surface until it dies." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

This jacana is abundant in Luzon in fresh-water swamps and on the borders of lakes.

Genus HYDRALECTOR Wagler, 1832.

This genus differs from Hydrophasianus chiefly in having a fleshy lappet near the base of bill and the tips of the primaries not attenuated.

127. HYDRALECTOR GALLINACEUS (Temminck).

COMB-CRESTED JACANA.

Parra gallinacea Temminck, Pl. Col. (1831), 5, pl. 464. Hydralector gallinaceus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 79; Hand-List (1899), 1, 168; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 73; Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 13, 89; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 30.

Mindanao (Mearns). Australia, Celebes, southern Borneo.

"Adult male.--Above bronzy brown, more dingy on the lower back and rump; upper tail-coverts and tail black, all but the center tail-feathers white at base; wing-coverts like the back; marginal coverts, alula, primary-coverts, and quills black, with a slight bluish gloss; inner secondaries bronzy brown like the back; forehead behind the lappet to center of crown, sides of face, and sides of neck golden straw-color; throat white, inclining to golden straw-color on fore neck; an infra-loral streak of black from fore part of cheeks to fore part of eye; hinder crown black, extending in a broad line down hind neck and overspreading upper mantle; chest, breast, and sides of body, as well as under wing-coverts and axillars, sooty black; entire abdomen, lower flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts white; quills glossy black below. 'Bill greenish gray at the extreme tip, then black to near nostrils; basal portion of upper mandible and the helmet aurora-red; base of lower mandible light primrose-yellow; fore part of tibia red, with a mixture in patches of yellow and greenish gray; iris light sulphur-yellow; eyelash light ash-gray.' (Gould.) Length, 229; culmen with frontal lappet, 46; wing, 142; tail, 41; tarsus, 61; middle toe with claw, 91.

"Adult female.--Resembles the male in color but is decidedly larger; a male from Port Essington measures 178 in length and has the wing 119, while a female from the same place measures 215 in length and has the wing 142.

"Young.--Differs considerably from the adult. General color olive-brown above, the feathers with sandy-rufous margins; crown bright rufous; under surface entirely white." (Sharpe.)

Suborder CURSORII.

Family GLAREOLIDÆ.

Bill short; culmen curved; gape deeply cleft, its width greater than length of culmen; wings long and pointed reaching beyond the forked tail; tarsus twice the length of culmen from base and more than middle toe with claw; claw of middle toe half the length of its toe and pectinate on its inner edge.

Genus GLAREOLA Brisson, 1760.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

128. GLAREOLA ORIENTALIS Leach.

EASTERN SWALLOW PLOVER.

Glareola orientalis Leach, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1820), 132, pl. 13; Oates, Birds Brit. Burmah (1883), 2, 361; Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 78; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 58; Hand-List (1899), 1, 171; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 214 fig. 48 (head); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 30.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Steere Exp., McGregor); Negros (Layard); Palawan (Whitehead, White). China, eastern Siberia, Indian Peninsula, Indo-Chinese countries; in winter Malay Peninsula and Archipelago to Australia.

Adult male and female.--Above nearly uniform earthy brown; tail-coverts white; a narrow line below eye white; lores black, this color continued in a line below eyes to ear-coverts and across breast and bordered in front with white; sides of neck earthy brown, usually extending across fore breast; chin, throat, and breast light rufous or ocherous-brown; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white; primaries, secondaries, and alula blackish; axillars and under wing-coverts bright chestnut; white at base of tail gradually increasing in extent from the central pair of rectrices outward; tips brown. Bill black, scarlet posteriorly of nostrils; inside of mouth dull salmon-pink; iris brown; legs and nails dark seal-brown. Length of male, 230; wing, 182; tail, 78; exposed culmen, 14; tarsus, 34; middle toe with claw, 29. Female, wing, 185; tail, 72; exposed culmen, 15; tarsus, 34.

A young female from Calayan, November 11, 1903, resembles the adult but the black and white lines across breast are wanting, being replaced by numerous blackish brown dashes a few of which are scattered forward onto throat.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in having the entire upper surface blackish, mottled with broad edgings of sandy buff to all the feathers, especially the quills and tail-feathers; head mottled like the back; cheeks and under surface of body isabelline-buff; fore neck and chest mottled with black, the feathers with a broad subterminal bar or heart-shaped spot of black.

"The sandy-buff margins to the feathers become bleached to white, and in many respects abraded, so that the subterminal black markings of the young plumage remain as margins to the dorsal feathers. The adult plumage is apparently gained by a molt, and the new feathers have a slight indication of a sandy-buff fringe on the upper parts, while the chest is mottled with ashy, the feathers having sandy-colored margins; the throat is at first irregularly spotted or streaked with blackish, and has scarcely any signs of a black crescent.

"There is considerable variation with regard to the rufous color of the throat and breast, this being sometimes very rich in tint. I imagine that this is a sign of nesting plumage to a great extent; but it may also indicate the age of the bird, the plumage becoming more richly colored as the bird gets older." (Sharpe.)

"Numerous flocks seen by me on the plains of Isabela in April, 1906." (Worcester.)

During the winter months this anomalous plover visits the Philippines in small numbers. Its deeply cleft bill and forked tail distinguish it from all other plovers; and even while on the wing it may be recognized by its circling, swallow-like flight.

Suborder OEDICNEMI.

Family OEDICNEMIDÆ.

Bill large and strong, nostrils pervious, their opening a long slit; wings when folded falling short of the tip of tail; secondaries longer than primaries; tarsus covered with hexagonal scales; tarsus longer than culmen or than middle toe with claw.

Genus ORTHORHAMPHUS Salvadori, 1874.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

129. ORTHORHAMPHUS MAGNIROSTRIS (Vieillot).

AUSTRALIAN STONE PLOVER.

Oedicnemus magnirostris Vieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1818), 23, 231. Orthorhamphus magnirostris Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 22; Hand-List (1899), 1, 173; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 84; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 30.

Ta-ba-la-lan, Calayan.

Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Platen?); Palawan (Whitehead, White). Australia to Bismarck Archipelago and north to Borneo and islands of Bay of Bengal.

"Adult.--Above ashy brown, with dusky shaft-lines; scapulars like back; upper tail-coverts ashy like back, but freckled and barred with dusky brown; lesser wing-coverts dark brown, lower ones blackish at the ends and forming a broad band across wing, followed by another band of white, formed by median coverts, which are gray at the tips, with a broad white band across the middle followed by another bar of dusky blackish; greater coverts entirely gray, fading off into whitish at the ends; alula and primary-coverts white like the quills they cover; primaries brownish black with white along inner web, extending across outer web of the first two; inner primaries pure white; secondaries dark brown, externally gray, with white bases and small white tips, also white along the inner webs; on the inner secondaries the white confined to inner web, long innermost secondaries ashy brown like back; tail ashy brown, with a black band at the end, before this a broad white band, preceded by a narrow black band; two middle feathers light ashy brown freckled with dusky mottlings, the other feathers also slightly freckled with dusky; crown and neck like the back; lores blackish, as also a broad band along the sides of crown, extending to the sides of the neck, where it joins the black ear-coverts and incloses the white of face, which consists of a white band above and below the eye extending above the ear-coverts; cheeks white, extending in a line along base of upper mandible and forming a streak in front of eye; fore part of cheeks black; chin and throat white; lower throat ashy brown, streaked with darker brown, as also the sides of neck; breast pale ashy; remainder of the under surface white with a slight tawny tinge; under tail-coverts tawny-buff; under wing-coverts and axillars white. 'Base of bill sulphur-yellow, continued along the sides of upper mandible above nostrils; remainder of bill black; tibia lemon-yellow; tarsi and feet wine-yellow; upper ridges of scales of toes lead-color; eyelids primrose-yellow; iris pale yellow.' (Gould.) Length, about 483; culmen, 76; wing, 274; tail, 109; tarsus, 84.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in color. Length, about 508; culmen, 71; wing, 269; tail, 109; tarsus, 83.

"Young.--Two specimens from the Duke of York Island and Guadaleanar are apparently immature, having the feathers of the upper surface tipped with sandy buff, especially on the wing-coverts, where the white band on the median series is not so defined as in the adults, but showing a broader band of brown-tipped feathers below. There is, however, a second white band formed by the white tips to the greater wing-coverts, and it is somewhat curious that this should be a sign of immaturity." (Sharpe.)

The stone plover is remarkable for its large and powerful bill. It is rare in the Philippine Islands and so far as observed it is found on sea-beaches where it subsists upon sand-crabs.

Order GRUIFORMES.

CRANES.

Very large; bill moderate, straight, and somewhat compressed, rather blunt; nostrils large, elongated, and pervious, situated half way between tip and base of bill; neck very long, its upper part and the head clothed with few, hair-like feathers; wing rounded; secondaries longer than primaries; tail short and soft; legs very long; toes stout; hind toe short and elevated.

Suborder GRUES.

Family GRUIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Genus ANTIGONE Reichenbach, 1852.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

130. ANTIGONE SHARPI Blanford.

SHARPE'S CRANE.

Antigone antigone (not Ardea antigone Linnæus) Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 264. Antigone sharpii Blanford, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1895), 5, 6. Antigone sharpei Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 178; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 94; McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 11, pl. 2; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 31.

Tipol, Luzon.

Luzon (McGregor, Worcester). Burma, Cochin China, and Malay Peninsula.

Adult.--Nearly uniform pearl-gray, lighter on neck; head and neck nearly naked to 100 mm. or more below anterior border of ear-coverts; a few gray feathers on chin and ear-coverts; a few scattered black hair-like feathers on upper throat and its sides.

An adult female taken in Nueva Ecija Province, Luzon, in September, yields the following data: Legs rose-pink, brown along the tarsi; nails blackish; most of bill and forehead pale dirty green; tip of bill gray; iris yellow; papillose parts of head and neck red, darker behind the ear-coverts. Weight, 5 kilos. Length, 1,270; extent, 2,200; wing, 565; tail, 220; culmen from base, 178; bill from front margin of nostril, 103; tarsus, 275; middle toe with claw, 117; hind toe with claw, 24. Another specimen from northern Luzon measures; culmen from base, 160; bill from nostril, 92; tarsus, 280; middle toe with claw, 107.

Sharpe's crane is abundant in the vicinity of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija Province, Luzon. When I observed them in September, 1908, they were feeding in pairs and frequenting a grassy plain. Two badly decayed eggs were taken from a nest which consisted of a little grass arranged on the ground in circular form. The eggs are white marked with a few lavender spots and dented with numerous, small, elongated pits. The surface is hard and smooth, very slightly glossy, and with a few small lumps about the larger end. When held toward the light the shell appears through the hole to be dark green. These eggs measure 91.5 by 63 and 97.5 by 64.6.

This species has been reported from the Candaba Swamp in central Luzon and Worcester found it abundant in northern Luzon. He says: "I saw Antigone sharpei in large numbers in Cagayan and Isabela during my recent trip, 1906, through those provinces. I am informed that these birds nest on the ground in May, contenting themselves with scraping together and flattening down a little grass on which to deposit their eggs. About August they lose their long wing-feathers and when in this condition can rise but a few feet from the ground. The people of Isabela then pursue them on horseback and take them with lassoes, although according to the statements of the hunters the birds, aided by their wings, run about as fast as deer."

Order ARDEIFORMES.

HERONS, STORKS, IBISES, AND SPOONBILLS.

Body usually compressed; neck and legs very long; plumage full and soft; bill long, normally straight, wedge-shaped, and pointed, but in Ibididæ blunt and decurved, in Plataleidæ broadly spatulate; nostrils near base of bill, elongate; hind toe insistent or but slightly elevated. Nest made of sticks and twigs usually placed in a tree or bush; eggs three to five, blue and unspotted; young helpless at birth.

Suborders.

a1. Sides of upper mandible with a deep, narrow groove extending from nostrils to tip. ... Plataleæ (p. 157) a2. Sides of upper mandible without any groove.

b1. Claws broad and flat, that of middle toe not pectinate. ... Ciconiæ (p. 159) b2. Claws narrow and arched, that of middle toe with its inner edge distinctly pectinate. ... Ardeæ (p. 161)

Suborder PLATALEÆ.

Families.

a1. Bill slender, nearly cylindrical, decidedly decurved for nearly its whole length. ... Ibididæ (p. 157) a2. Bill very broad, flattened, greatly widened toward the tip. ... Plataleidæ (p. 158)

Family IBIDIDÆ.

Bill long, compressed, and curved downward, its tip blunt and rounded; on each side of culmen a longitudinal groove in the basal portion of which the nostril is pierced.

Genus PLEGADIS Kaup, 1829.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

131. PLEGADIS AUTUMNALIS (Linnæus).

GLOSSY IBIS.

Tringa autumnalis Linnæus in Hasselquist, Reise Palæstina (1762), 306. Plegadis falcinellus Oates, Bds. Brit. Burmah (1883), 2, 271; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 29; Hand-List (1899), 1, 187; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 102; Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 18, 89; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 31.

Mindanao (Mearns). China, Africa, Jamaica, Australia, eastern United States, southern Europe to India.

"Adult.--Above black, with varying glossy reflections, either bronzy purple or green; upper mantle deep maroon-chestnut, as also lesser wing-coverts and scapulars, the latter having bronzy tips; median and greater coverts duller and more oily green with bronze or steel-green reflections; alula, primary-coverts, and quills entirely glossy green, secondaries with purplish reflections; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail all black, with various reflections of purple and oily or bronzy green; head and neck all round, as well as under surface of body deep maroon-chestnut, somewhat lighter on the chest and breast; forehead and fore part of crown glossy green, as also base of cheeks and a slight shade below eye; under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillars black, with metallic reflections of green and purple, the quill-lining being similarly glossed. 'Bill and feet dark brownish olive, iris brown.' (Guillemard.) Length, 558; culmen, 132; wing, 284; tail, 99; tarsus, 107.

"Female.--Similar to the male in plumage, but smaller in size and with a somewhat smaller bill.

"The winter plumage would appear to be adopted after the bird has left for its winter quarters, as a male killed in Celebes on August 20 is still in full red plumage. The winter plumage of the adults appears to consist in the entire loss of the chestnut plumage of the head, back, and scapulars; the rest of the plumage remains metallic with the same varying shades of green and purple, but the wings are rather more bronzy and the wing-coverts brighter metallic green. The head and neck are entirely streaked with black and whitish, and in the spring the red feathers of the summer plumage are gained by a molt.

"Young birds are similar to the winter plumage of the adult, but are more of a metallic oil-green, without the beautiful shades which distinguish the adults at all seasons. The head is dusky brown, with a certain amount of white striping on the head and throat, but not so much as in the adult winter plumage." (Sharpe.)

Although the only authentic record of the occurrence of the glossy ibis in the Philippine Islands is that made by Mearns, there is every reason to look for it in Luzon and other of the larger islands.

Family PLATALEIDÆ.

Members of this family greatly resemble herons but differ in having the bill flattened and spatulate, the tip blunt and rounded; from each of the nostrils there is a groove which extends parallel to the edge of the mandible and meets the opposite groove at tip of bill.

Genus PLATALEA Linnæus, 1766.

Character same as those given for the Family.

132. PLATALEA MINOR Temminck and Schlegel.

LESSER SPOONBILL.

Platalea minor Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica Aves (1850), 120, pl. 76; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 50; Hand-List (1889), 1, 188; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1906), 1, 766.

Luzon (Banks). Korea, Japan, China, and Formosa.

"Adult male.--Entirely white with a small but full nuchal crest; bare forehead black, the black skin extending just behind the eye and occupying the sides of the face, fore parts of cheeks, and upper throat, on which the white feathers impinge in a triangular form in the center; a yellow spot in front of the eye. 'Bill slate-color, transversely barred with black, the bars broken and disconnected on the spatule; apical edge black, succeeded by a patch and scattered spots of orange-ocher over the spatule, which is also freckled with light slate-color; inside of mouth deep indigo-black; inside of nostrils ocherous; bare skin of face black, with a bright yellow-ocher patch before eye, extending over under lid, and a thin line over upper lid; legs purplish black; iris blood-red.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 685; culmen, 183; wing, 371; tail, 107; tarsus, 121.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male. 'Bill flesh-color, longitudinally streaked and speckled with blackish, mottled and freckled with slate-color, chiefly about the spatule; bare skin of face dull purplish brown; feet purplish black; iris yellowish brown.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 660; culmen, 185; wing, 356; tail, 102; tarsus, 119.

"Young.--Differs from the adults in having a more yellowish bill, and blackish shaft-stripes to the quills; outer primaries blackish at ends of outer webs." (Sharpe.)

Mr. Charles S. Banks of the Bureau of Science brought the head of a spoonbill from Dagupan, Luzon, where he found this species not uncommon in November, 1907. While I have referred this specimen to Platalea minor its specific identity is uncertain.

Suborder CICONIÆ.

Family CICONIIDÆ.

Bill long, stout, compressed, and tapering, tip pointed; culmen straight except at the tip; nostril pervious in a slit; wing large; secondaries longer than primaries; tail short; tarsus about as long as culmen and covered with small hexagonal scales; hind toe about half the length of inner toe; nails short and blunt.

Subfamily CICONIINÆ.

Genus DISSÖURA Cabanis, 1850.

Character same as those given for the Family.

133. DISSÖURA EPISCOPUS (Boddaert).

WHITE-NECKED STORK.

Ardea episcopus Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Enl. (1783), 54. Dissura episcopus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 294; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 370, fig. 87. Dissöura episcopus Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 190; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 105; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 31.

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Steere); Calayan (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Heriot, Whitehead); Marinduque (Worcester); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Celestino, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Steere, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead). Tropical Africa, Indian and Malay Peninsulas, Indo-Malay Islands, Indo-Chinese countries, Celebes, Ceylon.

"Adult male.--Above black, glossed with metallic green and purple, more especially on hind neck; entire back and upper tail-coverts glossed with metallic green; tail-feathers black, not to be confounded with the under tail-coverts, which are white; the outer retrices black, graduated, and forming a fork; wing-coverts like the back, but more distinctly glossed, especially on the lesser series, which are metallic purplish red; quills black, glossed with slaty externally and with metallic green on the inner face of all the quills, crown of head blue-black as far as occiput; nape and entire neck white as well as the throat; chin less thickly clothed with feathers; breast black, slightly glossed with metallic green, but more strongly with reddish purple, especially on the fore neck and chest; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the long ones stiffened and resembling tail-feathers; axillars and under wing-coverts black with a gloss of metallic green. 'Bill in general black, tinged with red on culmen, tips, and margins; legs and toes red; claws reddish horn-color; iris crimson; eyelids and facial skin plumbeous.' (Oates.) Length, about 915; culmen, 914; wing, 508; tail, 183; tarsus, 179.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male. 'Iris very pale, almost whitish hue.' (H. J. Rainey.) Length, 914; culmen, 145; wing, 470; tail, 183; tarsus, 157.

"Young birds differ from the adults in being much browner and not having so much gloss, the black feathers on the head being replaced by bronzy brown, the purplish gloss on the wing-coverts almost absent, and the purple gloss on the breast being replaced by dull bronzy brown. The forehead generally shows a basal line of white feathers, but these are also apparent in some of the old birds, and are apparently shed by them in course of time." (Sharpe.)

Specimens obtained in Mindoro have an unfeathered band along the under side of the forearm. The skin of this space is dark crimson.

"Rather rare and very shy. Usually seen soaring at great heights. Occasionally met with perching on dead trees, or wading about the rice-fields." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Suborder ARDEÆ.

Family ARDEIDÆ.

Bill generally slender, straight, and compressed; culmen slightly curved near its tip; tarsus covered with transverse plates or large hexagonal scales; toes long; claws well developed, usually sharp and curved; hind toe well developed, its claw larger than claw of middle toe, the latter pectinate.

Genera.

a1. Rectrices twelve.

b1. Bare portion of tibio-tarsus equal to or exceeding the inner toe with claw.

c1. Middle toe with claw as long as tarsus or longer; claw of hind toe more than half the length of hind toe itself and but slightly curved; plumage variegated, never white. ... Pyrrherodia (p. 162) c2. Middle toe with claw shorter than tarsus; claw of hind toe curved; plumage nearly uniform slate-gray or largely white.

d1. Edge of mandibles distinctly serrated, a faintly indicated notch near tip of upper mandible.

e1. Head crested, nape feathers elongated and ornamented; plumage of fore neck long but not disintegrated; no dorsal train; plumage uniform gray, or else, neck mostly white and crest black. ... Ardea (p. 163) e2. Head crested, without ornamental plumes; fore neck with disintegrated plumes; an immense dorsal train; plumage white. ... Mesophoyx (p. 165)

d2. Edge of mandible not serrated; a distinct subterminal notch in upper mandible.

e1. Bill shorter; culmen not exceeding middle toe with claw.

f1. No crest plumes; a well-developed dorsal train; plumage white. ... Herodias (p. 166)

e2. Bill longer; culmen exceeding middle toe with claw; plumage white. ... Egretta (p. 167)

b2. Bare portion of tibio-tarsus less than inner toe; feathering sometimes extending nearly to the heel.

c1. Bill without serrations in either mandible; upper mandible with a distinct notch just before the end.

d1. Culmen longer than tarsus, the latter longer than middle toe; plumage very dark slate-color. ... Demigretta (p. 168) d2. Culmen not longer than tarsus; two or three elongated nape plumes.

e1. Tarsus and culmen about equal; two or three elongated nape plumes very slender. ... Nycticorax (p. 169) e2. Tarsus decidedly longer than culmen; nape plumes wider. ... Gorsachius (p. 172)

c2. Bill with distinct serrations near its end, sometimes only the upper mandible serrated; subterminal notch obsolete.

d1. Bill moderately long, exceeding middle toe with claw; plumage more or less variegated. ... Butorides (p. 174) d2. Bill shorter than middle toe with claw; plumage white. ... Bubulcus (p. 177)

a2. Rectrices ten; plumage more or less mottled or streaked, never white.

b1. Exposed culmen equal to or more than middle toe without claw; size much smaller; wing less than 220 mm.

c1. Culmen more than tarsus. [17]

d1. Smaller; wing less than 160 mm. ... Ixobrychus (p. 178) d2. Larger; wing more than 180 mm. ... Dupetor (p. 182)

c2. Culmen equal to or less than tarsus. ... Nannocnus (p. 180)

b2. Exposed culmen much less than middle toe without claw; size much greater; wing more than 260 mm. ... Botaurus (p. 183)

Genus PYRRHERODIA Finsch and Hartlaub, 1870.

This genus of large herons is distinguished by having the claws very long; hind toe contains its claw one and two-thirds times; tarsus contains the hind toe with claw one and one-half times.

134. PYRRHERODIA MANILENSIS (Meyen).

EASTERN PURPLE HERON.

Ardea purpurea var. manilensis Meyen, Acta Acad. Leop. Carol. (1834), 16, suppl. 102. Phoyx manillensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 63, pl. 1. Ardea manillensis Blanford, Fauna Brit. India Bds. (1898), 4, 381. Pyrrherodias manillensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1889), 1, 194; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 111, McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 32.

La-pay, Ticao.

Bohol (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Leyte (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Meyen, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Palawan (Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Sibuyan (McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Celebes, Indian and Malay Peninsulas, Ceylon, China, Greater Sunda Islands.

Adult male.--"Forehead, crown, long occipital crest, a streak down back of neck, one on each side of neck, and another on each side from gape to nape slaty black; chin and throat white, rest of head and neck ferruginous red, paler and buff on sides of head and middle of fore neck; long feathers overhanging upper breast buffy white, streaked with black and chestnut; lower hind neck, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, wings and tail slaty gray, back darker; quills and tail-feathers blackish; scapulars with long pointed rufous ends; middle of breast and abdomen and lower tail-coverts slaty black; sides of breast rich chestnut; flanks ashy gray; thigh-coverts cinnamon; wing-lining mostly ferruginous. Length, 965; tail, 19; wing, 368; tarsus 140; bill from gape, 152." (Blanford.)

"Upper mandible dark brown, the margins dusky yellow as far back as the nostrils, produced to the eye; margins from nostrils to gape dark brown; anterior half of lower mandible clear yellow; the posterior half dull yellow; gape and facial skin greenish yellow; edges of the eyelids yellow; feet and toes yellowish; the front of the tarsus and toes glossy brown; claws dark horn-color; iris yellow." (Oates.)

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but not quite so bright, and the black crest plumes not quite so long.

"'Nestling.--Crown of head, quills, and tail lavender-brown; throat and chin pure white; sides of head and upper neck rufous; lower neck rufous-gray, the feathers on the sides being centered with brown; lower plumage rufescent, each feather more or less dark-centered; thighs plain rufous; upper plumage brown, each feather edged with rufescent, more especially on the scapulars and tertiaries; upper and lower wing-coverts bluish brown, each feather broadly edged with rufous.' (Oates.)" (Sharpe.)

"Young birds have neither crest nor lengthened plumes on scapulars or breast; upper parts brownish gray, with broad rufous edges to the feathers; crown partly gray; neck rufous, fore neck with black streaks; lower surface a mixture of buff and gray." (Blanford.)

This species is the commonest of the large herons and may easily be identified by means of the preceding excellent descriptions. In a fine-plumaged male from Anao, Tarlac Province, Luzon, the upper mandible was dusky; lower mandible yellow, greenish toward base; upper part of legs light yellowish green, lower parts brown. Length, 1,000; wing, 375; tail, 133; tarsus, 124; culmen from frontal feathers, 136; middle toe with claw, 135; hind toe with claw, 80.

Genus ARDEA Linnæus, 1758.

The herons of this typical genus are of large size and except in plumage differ little from the members of Pyrrherodia but the bill is comparatively heavier and the claws much shorter; tarsus two to two and one-half times the length of hind toe with claw.

Species.

a1. Crown and neck white (gray in young); crest black. ... cinerea (p. 163) a2. Crown, neck, and crest gray similar to the rest of the plumage. ... sumatrana (p. 165)

135. ARDEA CINEREA Linnæus.

COMMON HERON.

Ardea cinerea Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 143; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 74; Hand-List (1899), 1, 194; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 382, fig. 84; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 113; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 32.

Guimaras (Steere Exp.). Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--General color above light ashy gray, scapular plumes, parapteral feathers, and innermost secondaries elongated and forming narrow drooping plumes of pearly gray or white; the wing-coverts gray like back, the outer ones pearly gray or white, the greater series dark ashy, outer webs entirely white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills purplish black, secondaries shaded with gray externally, inner secondaries like back; tail-feathers entirely gray; crown of head crested, white in the center, with a broad band of purplish black on each side, ending in a crest on occiput, and having two elongated nuchal plumes; entire sides of face, neck all round, and under surface of body white, with a creamy lilac shade on each side of fore neck and chest, which have drooping plumes of narrow, elongated, white feathers; the whole of the lower throat and fore neck varied with elongated black stripes, differing in breadth and situated on one side of the feather; on each side of the crop is a large patch of drooping plumes of purplish black, and continued along the sides of the body even as far as the vent; sides of body light ashy gray; thighs and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts ashy gray. 'Bill yellow, with the ridge of the upper mandible brown towards the end; feet dull green; tibia yellow; claws black; iris yellow; bare space between the bill and the eye green.' (Macgillivray.) Length, 762; culmen, 129; wing, 457; tail, 183; tarsus, 173.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male and equally beautifully colored, but the black crest-plumes not so long, and the black markings on the chest not quite so pronounced. Length, about 762; culmen, 124; wing, 452; tail, 170; tarsus, 162.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being darker and not so pure gray; head dark slate-color, with a small nuchal crest of purplish black, neck rather lighter ashy; sides of face and ear-coverts also ashy gray; cheeks and throat white; neck dark slaty gray, as also the sides of the body, under wing-coverts, and axillars; lower throat, fore neck, and chest very broadly streaked with black, the black very thickly developed on throat, sparsely on fore neck, and represented by a few black streaks on sides of body; on each side of chest the black patch of the adult is represented by a dusky patch of feathers, relieved by several broad white streaks; on bend of wing a tinge of rust-color, which also pervades the black-streaked feathers of throat and fore neck." (Sharpe.)

"Rare. Not met with by us on our second visit to the Islands." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

The common heron is rare in the Philippines but may be recognized by the pale gray head and neck, set off by the black crest, line on side of head, and broken line on throat. A very much damaged specimen in the Bureau of Science collection has unfortunately no data as to its source but it was probably killed in Luzon.

136. ARDEA SUMATRANA Raffles.

ASHY-GRAY HERON.

Ardea sumatrana Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1882), 13, 325; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 68; Hand-List (1899), 1, 194; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 112; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 32.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Keay); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Celestino, White). Australia, Malay Peninsula, Sunda Islands, Celebes, Aracan, Tenasserim.

"Adult male.--Above dull slaty gray, lower back and rump paler gray; upper tail-coverts more dusky; scapulars with elongated plumes, pearly white at the ends; wing-coverts and quills dark slaty gray, with a slight greenish gloss on some of them; innermost secondaries elongated and tipped with pearly white, like scapulars; tail-feathers dark slate-color, slightly glossed with green; crown of head slaty gray and crested, crest-feathers with dusky margins, and with some long drooping plumes on nape, which are pearly white at the ends; sides of face and hinder cheeks pale vinaceous-brown; fore part of cheeks and upper throat white; neck all round slaty brown, the feathers mostly elongated, and with a mesial streak of white towards the ends; plumes on the fore neck similarly colored, but very much elongated; remainder of under surface slaty gray, paler on abdomen with longitudinal white centers to the feathers, these being indistinct upon abdomen and under tail-coverts; on each side of upper breast a large patch of slaty gray feathers, very slightly streaked with white; under wing-coverts and axillars slaty gray with white streaks; marginal feathers round bend of wing white. 'Bill black, lower mandible yellowish white at base; legs and feet black, soles faded yellow; iris pale orange.' (H. O. Forbes.) Length, about 1,143; culmen, 173; wing, 465; tail, 155; tarsus, 170.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in having no elongated plumes, and being everywhere browner; feathers of the upper surface tipped with a rufous or sandy-buff spot; feathers of neck and under parts vinaceous-rufous with mesial streaks of white, the whole under surface very thickly streaked." (Sharpe.)

This is the very largest of Philippine herons and it may be known at once by its almost uniform slate-gray color. In a male from Bohol the iris was red; bill black, with some yellow on lower mandible; legs and nails blackish brown. Wing, 440; tail, 170; culmen from frontal feathers, 180; tarsus, 164; middle toe with claw, 126; hind toe with claw, 77.

Genus MESOPHOYX Sharpe, 1894.

Of medium size; plumage all white and with long dorsal plumes during the breeding season; primaries exceed the secondaries by length of hind toe with claw; legs and feet black; toes long, culmen much less than middle toe without claw.

137. MESOPHOYX INTERMEDIA (Wagler).

LESSER EGRET.

Ardea intermedia Wagler, Isis (1829), 659. Mesophoyx intermedia Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 85; Hand-List (1899), 1, 195; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 115; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 32.

Bohol (Steere Exp.); Calayan (McGregor); Mindanao (Everett); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead); Samar (Steere Exp.). Indian Peninsula, Malayan Archipelago, China, Japan.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Pure white above and below; the head crested, but having no drooping plumes; long ornamental plumes of back immensely developed, being 430 mm. in length; feathers on the fore neck beautifully developed, 200 mm. long, the webs entirely broken up; bare part of tibia entirely black like the tarsi and toes. 'Bill black, facial skin green; iris yellow; feet and toes black.' (Oates.) Length, about 208; culmen, 74; wing, 317; tail, 137; tarsus, 114; middle toe with claw, 99.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but the ornamental plumes not so much developed.

"Adults in winter plumage.--Pure white, but losing the ornamental plumes altogether. 'Bill yellow, with blackish tip.' (Oates.)

"Young.--Entirely like the adults in winter plumage; the texture of the plumage soft and downy, and devoid of ornamental plumes." (Sharpe.)

"Comparatively rare and very shy. Fairly abundant about the Laguna de Naujan in Mindoro." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus HERODIAS Boie, 1822.

Of very large size and plumage entirely pure white.

138. HERODIAS TIMORIENSIS (Lesson).

TIMOR WHITE EGRET.

Ardea timoriensis Lesson, Traité d'Orn. (1831), 575. Herodias timoriensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 98; Hand-List (1899), 1, 195; Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 18, 89; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 33.

Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns). Northern China and Japan to Australia.

Adult male in breeding plumage.--"Entirely pure white; a bunch of elongated plumes on the back scarcely reaching beyond the tail. 'Bill beautiful orange; naked space before and behind the eye fine greenish yellow; legs above the knee pale dull yellow, this color continued down the center of the inner part of the tarsi; remainder of tarsi and feet black.' (Gould.) Length, 762; culmen, 112; wing, 381; tail, 160; tarsus, 132 to 162." (Sharpe.)

The following data are from the Luzon specimen which I have recorded: Killed on the Laguna de Bay, Luzon, March 16, 1906. Sexed by the taxidermist as a male. Entire legs and feet black; bill yellow. Dorsal plumes reaching little beyond base of tail, the bird being in rather poor plumage. Tarsus, 159; bill from gape, 140; culmen from frontal feathers, 114. This species is the largest as well as the rarest of the pure white herons known from the Philippine Islands.

Genus EGRETTA Forster, 1817.

This genus appears to be closely related to Mesophoyx but the bill is longer and more slender; toes and claws shorter; culmen longer than middle toe with claw, primaries and secondaries about equal in length.

139. EGRETTA GARZETTA (Linnæus).

LITTLE WHITE EGRET.

Ardea garzetta Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 237. Garzetta garzetta Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 118; Hand-List (1899), 1, 197; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 120. Herodias garzetta Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 387, fig. 91. Egretta garzetta McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 33.

Ta-ling-daó, Cagayancillo.

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Everett, Heriot, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Africa, southern Europe to central Asia, China, Japan, Indian Peninsula, Malay Peninsula and Archipelago.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Everywhere snowy white, with two elongated plumes depending from nape; dorsal plumes enormously elongated into a beautiful tuft of feathers, which reach a little beyond the tail and are recurved at the ends; on the fore neck some elongated narrow plumes. 'Bill black; bare skin about the eye and base of bill, whitish fulvescent; tarsi and shanks black, feet greenish yellow, joints of toes spotted with black on the upper surface; iris pale ashy yellow, with an outer circle of brownish red.' (T. Ayres.) Length, about 508; culmen, 84; wing, 267; tail, 70; tarsus, 94.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but the ornamental plumes not quite so much developed. Length, 571; culmen, 88; wing, 287; tail, 99; tarsus, 95; middle toe with claw, 93.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs from that of the summer plumage in the want of all the ornamental plumes.

"Young.--Resembling the winter plumage of the adult." (Sharpe.)

The lesser and little white egrets are birds of wide distribution, usually found singly along sandy shores or in the vicinity of mangrove swamps.

Genus DEMIGRETTA Blyth, 1846.

In size of body and proportional size of bill, legs, and feet this genus is very similar to Egretta but the legs are feathered nearer to the heel and the plumage is normally slate-blue.

140. DEMIGRETTA SACRA (Gmelin).

BLUE REEF HERON.

Ardea sacra Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 640. Demiegretta sacra Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 137; Hand-List (1899), 1, 198; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 122; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 33. Lepterodius sacer Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 391, fig. 93.

Ta-lá-bon, Ticao.

Balabac (Steere Exp., Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Murray, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Mearns); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Pata (Mearns); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Coast of Bay of Bengal to Australia and Oceania, north to Japan and Korea.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--General color deep blackish slate; head almost black; feathers of upper breast elongated like those of the middle of the back, some of the latter decomposed; the elongated feathers of a paler slaty gray, and those of back reaching to end of tail; head crested and of the same color as the back; abdomen and vent-feathers tinged with ashy; a pure white streak down the center of the throat. Length, 584; culmen, 71; wing, 254; tail, 79; tarsus, 74.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male, but the ornamental plumes slightly less developed. Length, 533; wing, 259.

"Young.--Paler and more sooty brown than the adults, and bleaching often to a slight earthy brown. No ornamental plumes on head, back, and chest.

"Adult birds, either in winter plumage or perhaps in the second year, are blacker than in the summer plumage. Some of these black-plumage birds have ornamental feathers which looks as if they were fully adult, and therefore they may be birds of the second year, as it is quite evident that the grayer plumaged ones are very old and perfect in livery.

"The white streak down the throat is often absent or reduced to a few spots. It appears to be absent equally in quite young birds and in old ones also, and it may be the result of inherent melanism in the species.

"The white form is exactly similar in size to the gray form, and, when adult, has the same ornamental plumes. In the Pacific islands the two forms appear to interbreed, and produce white young ones mottled or streaked with slaty gray. I have been unable to recognize any of the many forms into which the reef heron has been subdivided by naturalists. Some birds are larger, as will be seen by the measurements of the tarsi given in detail below, and these larger birds have a slightly longer wing and a heavier bill, but no specific distinctions can be founded on these variations, which are very slight." (Sharpe.)

"The color of the soft parts is excessively variable. In the adult the bare portion of the tibia varies from dark grass-green to greenish plumbeous; the back and sides of the tarsus and the greater part of the toes are generally pea-green, sometimes duller, sometimes yellower; the front of the tarsus and the first joint of the mid toe black, but sometimes these parts are green, only patched or mottled with black, and sometimes the black extends along the ridges of all the toes; the color of the bill and bare skin in front of the eye varies from sienna-brown to chocolate; sometimes the bill is a sort of light mahogany color, and the bare skin a sort of greenish brown; usually the bills are yellowish at the tips; the lower mandible is generally lighter, sometimes brownish horny, sometimes yellowish horny; and in the breeding-plumage the whole lower mandible becomes apparently a very decided, though dull, yellow; the irides vary from bright to deep yellow. I suspect, though we have not been able to work it out, that these differences in color are due both to age and to season." (Hume.)

"Quite common along the reefs. The young were met with on various occasions far inland along fresh-water streams, but we never found fully mature birds in such localities." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

So far as observed, this species is solitary and found only on rocky shores, usually where coral flats are exposed at low tide.

Genus NYCTICORAX Forster, 1817.

Bill stout; legs rather short; tarsus about equal to middle toe with claw and little longer than exposed culmen; tarsus covered with hexagonal scales; head decorated with two or three long, slender, nuchal plumes and a full crest.

Species.

a1. Wings ashy gray; back blackish glossed with green. ... nycticorax (p. 170) a2. Wings maroon, nearly uniform with the back. ... manillensis (p. 171)

141. NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX (Linnæus).

Common Night Heron.

Ardea nycticorax Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 142. Nycticorax nycticorax Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 146; Hand-List (1899), 1, 198; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 123; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 33. Nycticorax griseus Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 397, fig. 96.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Meyen, Steere Exp., McGregor); Mindanao (Everett). Africa, central and southern Europe to Indian Peninsula, Malay Peninsula, China and Japan; Greater Sunda Islands to Celebes.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Black above, glossed with dark green, and with a slight shade of slaty gray on the mantle; upper scapulars like the back, lower ones light ashy gray; wings entirely light ashy gray or dove-color, with a slight shade of dull oily green on secondaries; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail clear gray or dove-color; head crested, black, and with a dark green gloss, and having two long white nuchal plumes; base of forehead white, extending above eye to behind the latter; feathers below the eye, cheeks, throat, and under parts pure white; ear-coverts and sides of neck delicate isabelline gray, extending in a collar round hind neck, and to sides of body; thighs and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts and axillars very pale ashy. Length, about 457; culmen, 76; wing, 267; tail, 102; tarsus, 71.

"Adult female in breeding plumage.--Similar to the male in color and having the same long white plumes on the nape. Upper mandible slaty black with a whitish streak near the edges, central portion of lower mandible flesh-color, greenish towards base; skin round the eye pale green; tarsi and feet pale yellow; iris crimson." (T. Ayres.)

"Adults in winter plumage.--Similar to the breeding plumage, but much greener on head and back, and not having the drooping white plumes on the nape.

"Young.--Brown above, varied with longitudinal triangular centers of rufous or buff to the feathers of back and wing-coverts; quills and tail-feathers tipped with white; head blackish, crest-feathers centered with rufous; sides of face and under surface of body fulvescent, streaked with dusky black, with which the feathers are margined; thighs, under wing-coverts, and axillars streaked like the sides of body; throat whitish.

"The full-grown young bird is similarly marked to the nestling described, but all the streaks and spots are much paler, the throat and under surface of the body being white, with a few dusky streaks. Judging from a specimen in the Tweeddale Collection from Canton, the adult plumage is assumed during the next breeding season, and even the white nape-plumes are put on, but the coloring of the head and back is not so bright as in older birds." (Sharpe.)

The common night heron in abundant in parts of Luzon but is not so widely distributed in the smaller islands as is the next species.

142. NYCTICORAX MANILLENSIS Vigors.

PHILIPPINE NIGHT HERON.

Nycticorax manillensis Vigors, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1831), 98; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 162; Hand-List (1899), 1, 198; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 34. Nycticorax manilensis Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 125.

Cuak-cuak, Bohol.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Everett); Bohol (McGregor); Caluya (Porter); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Lindsay, Cuming, Whitehead); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Platen, Steere Exp.); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Western Celebes and northern Borneo.

Adult (sexes similar).--Above deep maroon; crown and crest greenish black; long nuchal plumes whitish except at base and tip; a narrow eyebrow stripe light chestnut mixed with whitish; below white, throat more or less pervaded with chestnut; sides of face neck and breast chestnut; under wing-coverts, axillars, and thighs light chestnut mixed with white. Bill black; skin around eye dark green; legs yellow, nails black. "Bill black; feet pale ocherous-white, brown in front and upper part of toes; orbital skin yellowish green; iris golden yellow." (Everett.)

Male.--Length, 635; culmen, 70; wing, 317; tail, 117; tarsus, 79.

Adult female.--Similar to the male in color. Length, 559; culmen, 76; wing, 381; tail, 123; tarsus, 81.

"Young.--Wings conspicuously chestnut; spots and streaks on upper surface deep rufous or light chestnut; breast very broadly streaked with black. 'Bill brown, lower mandible dirty yellowish; legs light greenish yellow, claws gray; iris golden yellow.' (Everett)." (Sharpe.)

"Quite common, but very local in its habits. Feeds at night. Roosts during the day in lofty trees, frequently choosing trees which stand out in the open." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Oates records two eggs of the Manila night heron which were collected by the Steere Expedition in Siquijor, February 15, and two eggs taken by Moseley in May. The measurements are respectively: 56.3 by 36.8; 49.7 by 36.3; 60.9 by 37.5; 50.8 by 33.7.

Genus GORSACHIUS Bonaparte, 1855.

This genus resembles Nycticorax in having a short stout bill, deep nasal groove, and stout legs and toes; it differs in having the elongated crest feathers shorter and wider and in the coloration of the plumage. The tarsus is covered with hexagonal scales but those in front are very wide and appear as transverse plates.

Species.

a1. Head black; axillars barred with black and white; primaries with whitish tips. ... melanolophus (p. 172) a2. Head chestnut; axillars rufous, barred with black; primaries rufous at tip, the white tips obsolete ... goisagi (p. 174)

143. GORSACHIUS MELANOLOPHUS (Raffles).

MALAY BITTERN.

Ardea melanolopha Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1822), 13, pt. 2, 326. Gorsachius melanolophus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 166; Hand-List (1899), 1, 199; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 398, fig. 97; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 125; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 34.

Balabac (Everett); Basilan (Mearns); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Heriot); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, White); Samar (Whitehead); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Ceylon, southern India, Assam to Hainan, Greater Sunda Islands, Formosa south to Malay Peninsula.

"Adult male.--Above uniform cinnamon-rufous, wing-coverts and mantle with a slight ashy shade and with a certain amount of indistinct freckling; alula-feathers black or slightly mottled with rufous and having broad white tips; outer primary-coverts black, broadly tipped with white and rufous at the base; remainder of primary-coverts cinnamon-rufous slightly tipped with white; quills black, externally shaded with gray, broadly tipped with cinnamon-rufous, narrowly fringed with white at the ends; outer primaries with a large white terminal spot; inner secondaries like back; upper tail-coverts and tail dark slate-color, with a slight rufescent tinge at the ends of inner web; crown and long nuchal crest-feathers slaty gray or black; a narrow line of feathers over eye vinous-cinnamon, broadening out above ear-coverts and occupying the sides of crown, sides of neck, and sides of face; chin and center of throat pale isabelline brown, streaked with black down the center of throat, the black markings on the feathers being lateral and somewhat irregular in shape, the inner webs paler and cream-colored, imparting a rather broadly streaked appearance to the fore neck; center of breast and abdomen white or creamy buff, the feathers notched and barred with dusky, more distinct on the sides; abdomen fulvescent and under tail-coverts white, both of them scarcely spotted at all; under wing-coverts white, regularly spotted and barred with dusky; axillars regularly banded with black and white; quills ashy gray below, with the same rufous and white tips as on the upper surface. Culmen black, sides of the upper mandible and the lower one fleshy; legs and feet greenish, washed with brown on the front of the tarsus and toes. 'Iris golden yellow, frosted or stippled with olive at the exterior; gape, orbital and loral skin greenish and slaty.' (W. V. Legge.) Length, 508; culmen, 51; wing, 269; tail, 102; tarsus, 68.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male.

"The sequence of plumages in these night herons is not very easy to follow, but the nestling from Mindanao clearly proves that the first plumage is spotted with white and that the quills have broad white tips. Both G. melanolophus and G. goisagi occur on Mindanao, but the latter is doubtless only a winter visitor, while the former bird is resident. The same thing occurs in the Island of Formosa, as has been duly pointed out by Mr. Seebohm, in his 'Birds of the Japanese Empire,' where the difference between the two species has been correctly given.

"In the Hume collection there are several rufous-colored birds, which have not yet entirely divested themselves of the wavy immature plumage, while a female from Dibrughur is beginning to put on rufous plumage, though it is still for the most part in the mottled dress of the young. The birds from the Nicobars are decidedly smaller and darker than birds from the mainland, and the wing does not exceed 240 mm.

"Young.--Entirely different from the adult, being brown above, thickly mottled and freckled with dusky blackish, and with longitudinal ochraceous shaft-streaks to the feathers of upper surface; wings like the back; primary-coverts for the most part rufous, freckled with dusky, quills black, tipped with white; primaries with a subterminal shade of rufous; tail-feathers slaty black; crown and nape crested, the feathers black, with arrow-shaped spots or bars of white; sides of face and sides of neck regularly barred with ocherous brown and black, with mesial white spots on the feathers on the sides of the neck; chin and upper throat uniform white; the center of the lower throat and fore neck generally pale vinaceous-buff, varied with black streaks and black mottling or bars, the feathers being browner laterally; sides of the body like the breast, similarly mottled and streaked with white; under tail-coverts white, with scarcely any black markings; under wing-coverts white mottled with dusky; axillars barred with black and white." (Sharpe.)

"Comparatively rare. Met with about the fish-pens of the natives, especially just at dusk." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

"The eggs of the Malay bittern in the collection are of a pale bluish-white color. Two specimens measure respectively: 45.7 by 35.5; 48.2 by 35.5." (Oates.)

The above-described eggs were collected in Palawan, June 27, by Whitehead.

144. GORSACHIUS GOISAGI (Temminck).

JAPANESE BITTERN.

Nycticorax goisagi Temminck, Pl. Col. (1836), pl. 582. Gorsachius goisagi Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 169; Hand-List (1899), 1, 199; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 34.

Luzon (Heriot); Mindanao (Steere Exp.). Japan and Formosa.

"Adult.--Differs from G. melanolophus in its deep vinous-chestnut head, which has a little shade of blackish on the forehead only; the mantle is browner, and the upper surface generally never seems to be free from dusky vermiculations; axillars black and rufous instead of black and white, and no white tips to the outer primaries. Length, 457; culmen, 39; wing, 259; tail, 94; tarsus, 63.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being browner and more uniform on upper mantle and back, but with the wings much freckled with rufous-buff; crown dusky blackish, inclining to dark vinous on the neck. The young bird differs from the young of G. melanolophus by the rufous tips to the primaries.

"The description of the young bird is taken from a bird procured by Mr. Ringer at Nagasaki, which still retains some of the nestling down on the head. Full-grown birds, exactly similar in plumage, are in the collection from Luzon and Ayala in Mindanao. 'Bill green, culmen black; legs and feet green; iris yellow.' (Moseley.)" (Sharpe.)

Genus BUTORIDES Blyth, 1849.

Size small, plumage dark; bill long and slender, much longer than tarsus, the latter about equal to middle toe with claw; wing pointed, primaries exceeding secondaries by about two-thirds of tarsus.

Species.

a1. Throat and cheek-stripes white and distinct; abdomen white.

b1. Smaller; wing about 178 mm. ... javanica (p. 174) b2. Larger; wing about 200 mm. ... amurensis (p. 176)

a2. Throat and cheek-stripe ashy or brown not distinctly indicated; abdomen rusty. ... spodiogaster (p. 176)

145. BUTORIDES JAVANICA (Horsfield).

JAVAN GREEN HERON.

Ardea javanica Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1821), 13, pt. 1, 190. Butorides javanica Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 177; Hand-List (1899), 1, 199; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 395, fig. 95 (head); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 34.

Ba-caú i-tim', Manila.

Bongao (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Cuyo (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, Everett, McGregor); Negros (Layard, Steere, Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Nipa (Everett); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Southern China, Malay and Indian Peninsulas, Celebes, Ceylon, Mascarene and Greater Sunda Islands.

"Adult male.--Above light slaty gray, feathers of back with hoary, white shaft-lines; long scapular-feathers green, or green with gray tips; wing-coverts and quills dark green with ocherous-buff margins, inclining to white on the edges of the greater-coverts and secondaries, most of the quills being fringed with white at the ends; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dull green, more or less powdered with gray; tail dull green; crown dark glossy green, with the nape feathers produced into a point; hind neck and sides of neck gray, extending over the sides of face and ear-coverts; below the eye a streak of greenish black extending along the ear-coverts, along the upper part of which runs a whitish streak from behind the eye to the level of the nape; another streak of white from the base of the lower mandible along the cheeks; throat, fore neck, and abdomen white; sides of body and flanks, including the overhanging feathers on the sides of the upper breast, slaty gray like the sides of the neck, leaving the center of throat and fore neck white, slightly varied with dingy brown markings, these markings being on the edges of the throat-feathers; axillars and under wing-coverts gray, like the quill-lining. 'Upper mandible black, with a longitudinal yellow streak along the margin below the nostrils; grape greenish brown; lower mandible greenish yellow, more or less black along the edges; facial skin green; legs and toes green, front of tarsus and toes dusky, soles orange, and claws horn-color; iris yellow.' (Oates.) Length, 483; culmen, 70; wing, 178; tail, 63; tarsus, 51; middle toe with claw, 53.

"Adult female.--Exactly like the male, but a trifle more dingy, especially in the throat markings, where the brown is a little more distinct on the margins of the feathers. Length, 457; culmen, 61; wing, 173; tail, 70; tarsus, 46; middle toe with claw, 51.

"Winter plumage.--Duller than in summer and much greener above, without any gray shading; the head green.

"Young.--Brown above; the wing-coverts with triangular whitish or sandy-buff spots at their ends; head black, streaked with ocherous-buff shaft-lines; sides of face and under surface of body whitish, strongly streaked with dusky-blackish margins to the feathers.

"The young bird is browner than the adults, with white mesial streaks on the wing-coverts; crown of head dusky black; under surface of body less gray and washed with brown." (Sharpe.)

"Extremely common. Found both along the seashore and about fresh-water streams and lakes." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

146. BUTORIDES AMURENSIS (Schrenck).

AMUR GREEN HERON.

Ardea virescens var. amurensis Schrenck, Reis. Amurl. (1860), 1, 437. Butorides amurensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 181; Hand-List (1899), 1, 200; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 34.

Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Palawan (Everett); Samar (Steere). Greater Sunda Islands, China, Japan, Celebes, Amurland.

Although in color this species seems to be exactly like B. javanica it is much larger; the length of wing is particularly noticeable and the bill is longer, and deeper. A male collected by Major Mearns measures: Wing, 210; tail, 73; culmen from frontal feathers, 66; depth of bill at posterior border of nostril, 15; tarsus, 54; middle toe with claw, 62.

A female from Calayan measures: Wing, 197; tail, 69; culmen from frontal feathers, 64; depth of bill at posterior border of nostril, 13; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 54.

Some of the records for B. javanica probably refer to the present species but it is impossible to disentangle them.

147. BUTORIDES SPODIOGASTER Sharpe.

NICOBAR GREEN HERON.

Butorides spodiogaster Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1894), 3, 17; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 182, pl. 2; Hand-List (1899), 1, 200; Mearns, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 353.

Palawan (Mearns). Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"Adult.--Similar to B. javanica, but darker gray on the under surface, which is of a sooty-slate color with a slight tinge of rusty on the abdomen, cheeks and ear-coverts uniform slate-color. It much resembles B. stagnatilis, especially the birds from Flores, but it is not so dingy underneath and has a less shade of rusty on the abdomen. 'Bill black, lower portion of lower mandible, from base to tip, edged pale horny; front of tarsus, toes, and claws brownish green, bare portion of tibia and back of tarsus dirty greenish yellow; naked skin round eye dull green, tinged with yellow in front; eyelids deep green.' (Hume.) Length, 445; culmen, 60; wing, 193; tail, 53; tarsus, 43." (Sharpe.)

This species differs from both B. javanica and amurensis in its much darker color, particularly of the under parts which are nearly uniform slate-gray; the white of chin and throat is much restricted and on the fore breast is reduced to a few shaft-lines; all of the wing-coverts are edged with dull rusty buff. The specimen collected by Mearns near Palawan measures: Wing, 165; tail, 58; culmen from frontal feathers, 60; tarsus, 47; middle toe with claw, 50.

Genus BUBULCUS Bonaparte, 1854.

Non-breeding plumage all white; legs and nails black; primaries and secondaries about equal in length; exposed culmen less than middle toe with claw, the latter less than tarsus.

148. BUBULCUS COROMANDUS (Boddaert).

INDIAN CATTLE EGRET.

Cancroma coromanda Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Eul. (1783), 54. Bubulcus coromandus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 217; Hand-List (1899), 1, 202; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 130, pl. 5, fig. 2; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 389, fig. 92 (head); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 35; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 322.

Ta-gac' cal-a-bau, Manila; la-guac', Calayan; tá-bon, Bohol.

Balabac (Steere Exp., Everett); Basilan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Calayan (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Steere, Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Celestino); Sulu (Platen); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Eastern Siberia, Korea, China, Indian Peninsula, Ceylon; Indo-Chinese countries to Celebes and Moluccas.

Adult in breeding plumage.--White; head, neck, and fore breast golden buff; long decomposed dorsal plumes delicate vinaceous-pink, washed with brown; ends of the plumes on fore breast also vinaceous-pink. Iris light lemon-yellow; bill and bare skin around eye chrome-yellow; legs and nails black. A male from Mariveles, Luzon, measures: Length, 540; wing, 265; tail, 98; exposed culmen, 63; tarsus, 95; middle toe with claw, 89.

Young.--Pure white, without any ornamental plumes but with an orange tinge on the crown.

Winter plumage.--Pure white, without any ornamental plumes.

This bird is often seen in large flocks and individuals alight fearlessly on the backs of cattle; they often feed in plowed fields. Several hundreds of cattle egrets nested in a patch of giant grass near Guindulman, Bohol. Eggs obtained in June vary in length from 40 to 50 mm. and in width from 30 to 35. They are pale blue in color.

Genus IXOBRYCHUS Billberg, 1828. [18]

Small, wing 150 mm. or less; bill slender and sharp, plumage reddish brown, cinnamon-rufous, and white with some mixture of black.

Species.

a1. Primaries black or blackish brown. ... sinensis (p. 178) a2. Primaries cinnamon-rufous like back. ... cinnamomeus (p. 179)

149. IXOBRYCHUS SINENSIS (Gmelin).

LITTLE YELLOW BITTERN.

Ardea sinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 642. Ardetta sinensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 227; Hand-List (1899), 1, 202; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 131; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 35.

Ba-caú bing-ey, Manila; rat, Calayan.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester). Japan, China, Korea, Indo-Chinese countries; Indian Peninsula; Malay Peninsula and islands to Australia in winter.

"Adult male.--Above earthy brown, slightly tinged with rufous, more especially on the scapulars; wing-coverts clay-brown, greater series rather paler on the edges; edge of wing white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills black, slightly shaded with ashy; inner secondaries brown, tinged with rufous; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy gray, the last somewhat darker; tail-feathers black; crown and nape black; sides of face, ear-coverts, and sides of neck vinous, becoming chestnut on the long frill-like feathers of the latter; throat white, mesially streaked with yellowish buff, like the rest of under surface; thighs more tawny-rufous; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts white; on each side of upper breast a patch of dependent feathers, of a blackish ground with yellowish-buff margins; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white; quills slaty below, with paler gray at the ends. 'Eyelids and facial skin green; upper mandible dark brown on the culmen, and pinkish brown on the margins; lower mandible pinkish brown, turning to green towards the tip; the toes and tibio-tarsal joint pale yellow; tarsus dull flesh-color; claws horn-color; iris yellow.' (Oates). Length, 394; culmen, 51; wing, 124; tail, 38; tarsus, 44.

"Adult female.--Differs from the male in being more rufous above, the feathers of the upper surface being rufous-brown with yellowish-buff margins; the crown is black as in the male, the ear-coverts and sides of the face are yellowish buff, and the neck-frill is also washed with the latter color; the under surface of the body the same as that of the male, but having the mesial lines more strongly indicated by tawny-buff centers to the feathers of the throat and fore neck. 'Upper mandible dark brown, lower one greenish yellow; feet greenish yellow.' (Butler.) Length, 394; culmen, 53; wing, 132; tail, 41; tarsus, 51.

"Young.--Similar to the old female and streaked in the same manner, but distinguished by having wing-coverts broadly centered with dark brown; crown streaked instead of being uniform; feathers black with yellowish buff margins, and under surface of body much more distinctly streaked, centers of the feathers being dark brown on throat and fore neck; flank-feathers also streaked with brown." (Sharpe.)

"Extremely abundant about Lake Naujan, in Mindoro. It comes out on the mud flats to feed, but promptly takes refuge among the reeds if disturbed." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

150. IXOBRYCHUS CINNAMOMEUS (Gmelin).

CINNAMON BITTERN. [19]

Ardea cinnamomea Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 643. Ardetta cinnamomea Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 236; Hand-List (1899), 1, 203; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 402, fig. 98 (head); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 132; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 35.

Ba-caú ca-né-lo, Manila.

Bohol (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Everett, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Palawan (Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead); Sibuyan (McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). China, Eastern Siberia, Indian Peninsula, Indo-Malayan subregion; Celebes in winter.

"Adult male.--Entirely cinnamon-rufous above, including wings and tail; sides of face and ear-coverts cinnamon-rufous; cheeks a little lighter rufous; throat ashy white, with a median streak of tawny-rufous, which extends down throat and fore neck, being streaked with blackish longitudinal marks on the outer webs of the feathers; lower throat, fore neck, breast, sides of body, and thighs tawny-rufous; abdomen white; under tail-coverts tawny-buff; on sides of upper breast a patch of dependent feathers, having black centers with tawny-buff or rufous margins; under wing-coverts tawny-buff; axillars and under surface of quills pale chestnut. 'Eyelids and facial skin reddish purple; bill nearly all yellow, the culmen alone being dark brown; legs and toes yellowish green; claws brown; iris yellow to pale red.' (Oates.) Length, 279; culmen, 46; wing, 140; tail, 41; tarsus, 48.

"Adult males in winter appear to be a little more dingy on the upper parts than in summer, the head and back being shaded with grayish brown.

"Adult female.--Mantle and back uniform dark brown; wing-coverts dingy brown, but mottled with sandy-buff margins and checkered notches, which appear also on scapulars and inner secondaries, and have also subterminal markings of darker brown on many of the coverts; greater coverts, primary-coverts, and quills chestnut, with a good deal of dusky at base and on the inner webs, primary-coverts also dusky towards the ends; tail-feathers dull chestnut; crown and nape dusky brown; frilled feathers on the sides of neck brown in the center, with yellowish margins; sides of face yellowish buff, streaked with brown; whole of the under surface yellowish buff, very thickly streaked with dark brown, sides of throat whiter, feathers composing the broad mesial streak down the middle of throat and fore neck having a distinct rufous shade; on each side of the upper breast a patch of dependent plumes, black in the center with yellowish-buff margins; thighs chestnut; under wing-coverts yellowish buff like the chest; axillars and quill-lining dull chestnut, the feathers with a good deal of gray in them. 'Facial skin, margins of upper mandible, and nearly the whole of the lower mandible yellow, remainder of bill black; back of tarsus and soles yellow; claws yellowish brown; iris yellow.' (Oates.) Length, 330; culmen, 51; wing, 136; tail, 43; tarsus, 44.

"The young birds are very like the female, as determined by Mr. Oates and myself, but the whole back is variegated with yellowish-buff spots and markings, as well as the wings, so that the uniform brown mantle is a sign of the adult female, and the spotted mantle of a young bird. Mr. Everett gives the soft parts of a young female as follows: 'Legs and feet bright olive-green; bill greenish yellow at base, the culmen of a dark olive-brown tint; iris golden yellow.'

"Considerable variation in the tint of the cinnamon plumage of this species is observable in a series, and specimens from more southern localities are decidedly the darker and richer in color." (Sharpe.)

Genus NANNOCNUS Stejneger, 1887.

Very similar to Ixobrychus but the lower part of tibia unfeathered and the quills and tail-feathers blackish.

151. NANNOCNUS EURHYTHMUS (Swinhoe).

SCHRENCK'S BITTERN.

Ardetta eurhythma Swinhoe, Ibis (1873), 74, pl. 2; Meyer and Wiglesworth, Birds of Celebes (1898), 2, 856, pl. 45. Nannocnus eurythmus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 242; Hand-List (1899), 1, 203; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 133; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 35.

Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Keay). Eastern Siberia, China, Japan, Borneo, Celebes.

"Adult male.--Above chestnut-brown; lesser wing-coverts and feathers round bend of wing also chestnut-brown; alula-feathers chestnut, outer ones blackish internally, with white on the outer margins; remainder of wing-coverts olive-clay-color, ashy near the ends of the feathers, innermost greater-coverts chestnut like scapulars; innermost secondaries also washed with chestnut, remainder of quills and primary-coverts ashy brown, paler at the tips, which are fringed with whitish, the first primary margined with ocherous; tail dark brown; crown and nape dusky brown; sides of face, ear-coverts, and neck-frill maroon; a broad band of white running from the middle of the cheeks down the sides of the neck; fore part of cheeks, throat, and under surface of body ocherous-buff; under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillars white; on the throat some slight indications of longitudinal dusky spots; feathers of the fore neck elongated; on each side of chest a patch of black feathers with ocherous margins. 'Bill blackish brown on culmen, yellowish brown on the rest, darker on the sides of upper mandible near tomia, light on sides of lower and on gonys; cere and bare skin round eye purplish flesh-color, ringed with green; legs and toes grass-green, yellow near the tarso-tibial joint and on the under surface of the tarsus; soles clay-colored; claws light yellowish brown; iris straw-color.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 305; culmen, 50; wing, 150; tail, 39; tarsus, 51.

"Adult female.--Different from the male. Dusky reddish brown, spotted all over with ocherous-buff, the feathers externally spotted or notched with this color; wing-coverts like the back, but largely edged and spotted with ocherous; head like the back; sides of face dull chestnut, with a band of white from the hinder cheeks down the sides of the neck; under surface of body ocherous-buff, plentifully streaked with blackish brown, tinged with rufous; the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts whiter; under wing-coverts deep ocherous, with ashy bases; a patch of brown feathers at the sides of the breast, all edged with ocherous. Length, 305; culmen, 49; wing, 140; tail, 29; tarsus, 48.

"Young.--Like the old female, but blackish brown above, the wing-coverts maroon-chestnut, and all the upper parts spotted with white instead of ocherous. 'Bill bright yellow, tinged with green; culmen black; feet yellowish green; iris golden yellow.' (Everett.)" (Sharpe.)

"A single specimen secured by us while with the Steere Expedition has been identified by Grant as Ardetta eurythma." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus DUPETOR Heine and Reichenbach, 1890.

This genus appears to be very near Ixobrychus but it may be recognized by the blackish or slate-colored upper parts.

152. DUPETOR FLAVICOLLIS (Latham).

BLACK BITTERN.

Ardea flavicollis Latham, Index Ornith. (1790), 2, 701. Dupetor flavicollis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 247; Hand-List (1899), 1, 203; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 133; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 36.

Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Luzon (Heriot); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Negros (Keay). Celebes, Ceylon, Malay and Indian Peninsulas, Indo-Chinese countries, Greater Sunda Islands, southern and central China.

"Adult male.--Above dark slaty gray, feathers of back and scapulars somewhat pointed and with a slight hoary gloss; wings and tail blackish, glossed with slate-color on the coverts, and with green on some of the latter and on the quills; crown and crest-plumes slaty gray; sides of face and cheeks black, the latter slightly mottled with rufous; from the hinder part of the cheeks a band of golden straw-color runs down the sides of the neck, the lower feathers being elongated; throat and fore neck prettily variegated with chestnut, black, and white, the chestnut predominating on the outer webs of the feathers and the white on the inner webs, with a longitudinal streak of black at the end of the latter, the long overlapping feathers on the sides of the chest being slaty gray with white margins, so that the general appearance of the throat and chest is streaked; remainder of under surface of body slaty gray, including the under wing-coverts, axillars, and quill-lining. 'Bill dusky reddish brown, lighter below; facial skin purplish brown; eyelids bluish; feet dark brown; claws dark horn-color; iris golden brown or pale red.' (Oates). Length, 508; culmen, 84; wing, 203; tail, 63; tarsus, 67; middle toe with claw, 76.

"Adult female.--Does not differ from the male. Length, 508; culmen, 31; wing, 203; tail, 68; tarsus, 66; middle toe with claw, 74.

"The slaty gray shade in the plumage appears to be a sign of the breeding season, as some of the winter specimens are black with a greenish gloss on the upper surface.

"Young birds are much browner than the adults, and can immediately be recognized by their more freckled appearance, the feathers of the upper surface having ochraceous margins. The mottling of the rufous on the neck is much as in the adult birds but there is more white and less rufous, and the chest-feathers are much more broadly edged with white; the breast is dusky brown as well as the sides of the body; the abdomen is white; the sides of the face and ear-coverts are chestnut, with a little streak of white at the base of the mandible.

"Nestling.--Similar in color to the young bird described above, but very much shaded with rufous, and having a great deal of rufous on the sides of the face; the crown covered with down of an ocherous color, the throat and chest very rufous." (Sharpe.)

Genus BOTAURUS Stephens, 1819.

The genus Botaurus is distinguished by its large size, comparatively short and stout bill and heavy legs; culmen much less than tarsus, the latter less than middle toe with claw; secondaries and scapulars nearly or quite as long as primaries.

153. BOTAURUS STELLARIS (Linnæus).

COMMON BITTERN.

Ardea stellaris Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 144. Botaurus stellaris Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 253; Hand-List (1899), 1, 204; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 405, fig. 99 (head); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 134; McGregor, Bur. Government Laboratories (1905), 34, 29; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 36.

Luzon (Babbitt). Temperate Palaearctic region, northwestern India, Burma, China.

"Adult male.--Above tawny-yellow and black, the latter predominating and occupying the center of the feathers, the sides of which are tawny-buff, freckled and irregularly barred with black; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pale tawny-buff, mottled with bars or cross-lines of dusky brown; marginal wing-coverts rufous, regularly barred across with black; median and greater coverts tawny-buff, with irregular bars or arrow-shaped markings of blackish brown, much less pronounced on the greater coverts, all of which have a rufescent tinge near the base; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, barred with rufous, the bars somewhat broken up on the inner webs of the quills, which are also paler; the inner secondaries like the scapulars, being tawny-buff on their edges and mottled in a similar manner; tail-feathers tawny-buff, irregularly mottled with black bars or cross-markings, more pronounced on the middle of the feathers; crown of head uniform black, with a frill of erectile plumes on the nape, these being tipped with tawny-buff, and the pale tips crossed with lines of black; eyebrow, sides of face, and sides of the neck tawny-buff, the eyebrow uniform except on the under edge, where the feathers are barred with black; ear-coverts scarcely marked at all, but the plumes of the sides of the neck narrowly barred with black, and elongated into a frill which covers the hind neck, the latter being clothed in dense down of a tawny-buff-color; the feathers below the eye, and a streak along the cheeks and down the sides of the neck, black; malar line of feathers and throat creamy white, with a central line of reddish buff feathers slightly mottled with black bases; the lower throat also creamy white, with four or five tolerably defined broad lines of tawny-buff and black-mottled feathers; the lower part of the ruff on the fore neck with narrow wavy lines of black; the breast covered with down of a tawny-buff-color, and hidden by a large patch of loose plumes on each side of the chest, which are mostly black with tawny-buff margins; remainder of under surface creamy white, streaked with black centers to the feathers, the black markings slightly broken up with mottlings of tawny-buff; thighs and under tail-coverts with scarcely any markings whatever; under wing-coverts and axillars tawny-buff, the former narrowly lined with blackish, the axillars more distinctly barred with dusky blackish. 'Bill greenish yellow; legs and feet yellowish green; claws dark brown; iris yellow; bare space before the eye yellowish green.' (Seebohm.) Length, about 610; culmen, 69; wing, 330; tail 112; tarsus, 96.

"Two of the three specimens collected by Mr. Robert Bergman at Yokohama are apparently young birds and have the primary-coverts and quills almost uniform, with a certain amount of rufous mottlings confined to the inner webs; in this state of plumage B. stellaris has a great resemblance to B. poeciloptilus but is always to be distinguished from the last-named bird by the tawny-colored frill on the sides of the neck, instead of the smoky brown one peculiar to the Australian bird." (Sharpe.)

Order ANSERIFORMES.

DUCKS AND GEESE.

Bill stout, compressed at base, flattened at tip, which is blunt or rounded or rarely spatulate (Spatula), and covered with soft, leathery membrane except the hard overhanging "nail" at tip; nostril from subbasal to subterminal, open and usually oval; neck small and usually long; body compact, heavy, flattened, densely covered with short feathers; wings stiff, strong, and rather pointed; tail usually short and rounded and fairly stiff, never forked and but rarely long and pointed (Dafila); legs short; toes stout and palmate; hind toe simple or lobate. Eggs six to one dozen or more, white, cream-color, or light buff; nest usually lined with down from the breast of the old bird; young covered with down and able to swim at birth. [20]

Family ANATIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Subfamilies.

a1. Smaller; culmen less than 25 mm.; throat, breast, and abdomen white. ... Plectropterinæ (p. 185) a2. Larger; culmen more than 32 mm.; throat, breast, and abdomen not uniform in color.

b1. Head, neck, and breast not of a uniform color; no occipital crest. ... Anatinæ (p. 187) b2. Head, neck, and breast brownish black, in adult male glossy black; adult male with a pointed occipital crest. ... Marilinæ (p. 197)

Subfamily PLECTROPTERINÆ.

Genus NETTAPUS Brandt, 1836.

Members of this genus are distinguished by their small size and short stout bill.

154. NETTAPUS COROMANDELIANUS (Gmelin).

INDIAN DWARF GOOSE.

Anas coromandeliana Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 522. Nettopus coromandelianus Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 68; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 433, fig. 110 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 209; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 144; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 36.

Pa-ti-kí, Manila.

Luzon (Zelebor, Worcester, McGregor). Indian Peninsula, Burmese countries, Greater Sunda Islands, China, Celebes.

"Adult male in summer.--Forehead, crown, and nape hair-brown, the former darkest; remainder of head, whole neck, and lower plumage white; a broad collar round the neck black in front, glossy green behind; white of breast produced round the neck and forming another collar below the black one; back, scapulars, rump, tertiaries, and wing-coverts deep glossy green; secondaries glossy green, broadly tipped with white; primaries dark brown on the basal halves, then white with the tip black; under wing-coverts greenish black; upper tail-coverts white freckled with brown; under tail-coverts dark brown mottled with white; sides of the body vermiculated with brown. 'Bill black; iris bright red; legs, toes, and webs black, sides of tarsus and toes dusky yellow; claws horny brown.' (Oates.) Length, 330; wing, 165; tail, 76; culmen, 23; tarsus, 25.

"Female.--Forehead and a supercilium dirty white; crown and nape dark brown; lores and line through eyes blackish; remainder of head, the whole neck, and upper breast dull white, mottled with brown, the marks on breast and hind neck becoming well-defined wavy lines; lower plumage dull white, streaked and distinctly barred with brown; whole upper surface, wings, and tail brown; secondaries tipped with white and inner primaries also more narrowly tipped with white; upper tail-coverts white, freckled with brown; under wing-coverts brown, each feather margined with white. 'Bill brown above, yellowish below; iris brown; legs and toes greenish yellow.' (Oates.) Size a trifle less than the male.

"Male in winter.--Similar to the female, but always retains the conspicuous white patch on the primaries.

"Young.--'Similar to the female till the first spring.' (Oates.)

"Young in down.--Upper parts, flanks, and under tail-coverts blackish brown; a broad superciliary stripe, cheeks, throat, front neck, and breast white; a broad line through the eyes; two broad white spots on each side of back, one near the base of wings, and the other, much longer, on the sides of the rump; feathers of tail blackish, very long, and stiff." (Salvadori.)

A male collected near Anao, Tarlac Province, Luzon, March 14, 1904, measured, 290 in length; wing, 165; tail, 68; culmen from frontal feathers, 21; tarsus, 27; middle toe with claw, 42. A female from the same locality and of the same date measured: Length, 290; wing, 165; tail, 66; culmen from frontal feathers, 22; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 39.

"The eggs of the Indian dwarf goose, or 'cotton teal,' are generally truly elliptical in form, occasionally compressed at the smaller end, very smooth and glossy, and cream-color. They measure from 39 to 44 in length and from 30 to 35 in breadth." (Oates.)

This little bird is the only species of goose so far recorded from the Islands; it occurs on the Laguna de Bay and a few specimens were secured in Tarlac Province, Luzon. Oates lists three eggs of this species as having been collected in Siquijor by the Steere Expedition but Steere does not mention the species. A large goose has been reported as occurring in the northern part of Luzon but no specimen has been taken.

Subfamily ANATINÆ.

Genera.

a1. Bill not spatulate.

b1. Central tail-feathers not greatly lengthened.

c1. No wing-speculum; lower portion of tarsi with small reticulate scales in front. ... Dendrocygna (p. 187) c2. Wing-speculum present; lower portion of tarsi with transverse scutella in front.

d1. Larger; bill broader; culmen more than 50 mm.

e1. Bill uniform blackish. ... Anas (p. 189) e2. Bill with a broad yellow band at the tip. ... Polionetta (p. 190)

d2. Smaller; bill narrower; culmen less than 45 mm.

e1. Larger; wing more than 230 mm. ... Mareca (p. 191) e2. Smaller; wing less than 215 mm.

f1. Secondary-coverts brown; greater part of head and neck chestnut in adult. ... Nettion (p. 192) f2. Secondary-coverts blue-gray; head and neck not chestnut. ... Querquedula (p. 195)

b2. Central tail-feathers greatly lengthened. ... Dafila (p. 194)

a2. Bill flattened and spatulate. ... Spatula (p. 196)

Genus DENDROCYGNA Swainson, 1837.

General color largely blackish and reddish or yellowish brown; breast more or less spotted; no bright colored speculum nor white wing-patch; inner web of first primary deeply scooped near its middle; next three quills slightly emarginate.

Species.

a1. Wing-coverts deep chestnut.

b1. Fore part of head white. ... viduata [21] b2. Fore part of head brown; breast rufous-chestnut with small black spots. ... arcuata (p. 187)

a2. Wing-coverts blackish brown; breast and sides marked with round white spots. ... guttulata (p. 189)

155. DENDROCYGNA ARCUATA (Horsfield).

WANDERING TREE DUCK.

Anas arcuata Horsfield, Zool. Res. in Java (1822), pl. 65. Dendrocygna arcuata Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 153; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 158. Dendrocygna arcuata Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 214; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37.

Ba-li'-uis, Luzon; ná-ga, Ticao; ga-kit', Bohol.

Bantanyan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Worcester, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Clarke MS.) [22]; Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Jagor, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Ticao (McGregor). Indo-Malayan Islands, Moluccas, Celebes, New Guinea, Australia, Oceania.

"Adult male and female.--Upper part of head and a line down back of neck brown-black; sides of head and neck pale fulvous; throat almost white; back and scapulars black, with the edges bright rufous-chestnut, on upper back the black part of the feathers with rufous spots or bars; rump black; median upper tail-coverts black, lateral ones buffy white, more or less spotted with black; breast pale rufous, each feather with black dots or crescent-like spots in the middle, and shading into the bright rufous-chestnut of abdomen; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts whitish buff, the latter uniform, but the abdomen with brown spots; feathers of flanks with broad mesial buffy white streaks, edged with black; lesser and median wing-coverts bright chestnut, the greater ones, quills, and tail black. Iris brown; bill blackish or dark ashy; tarsi and feet dark ashy. Length, about 432; wing, 216; tail, 71; culmen, 43; tarsus, 47." (Salvadori.)

A male from Sevilla, Bohol, March 22, 1906, measures: Length, 424; wing, 188; tail, 56; exposed culmen, 41; tarsus, 45; middle toe with claw, 71.

A female of the same locality and date measures: Length, 424; wing, 175; tail, 58; exposed culmen, 42; tarsus, 46; middle toe with claw, 66.

A young bird from Taguig, Laguna de Bay, January 12, 1902, (length of skin 305 mm.) has upper parts covered with dark gray down and lower parts covered with white down; on crown, scapulars, breast, sides, and flanks the feathers of the adult dress are more or less developed.

"The eggs of the wandering tree duck in the collection are almost elliptical in shape, one end being very slightly compressed. They are cream-colored and have a fair amount of gloss. Four specimens measure respectively: 52 by 38; 48.2 by 35.5; 47.4 by 38; 48.2 by 36.3." (Oates.)

"Common in favorable localities throughout the islands. Frequently met with in very large flocks. Found breeding in the Island of Siquijor in the month of February." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

This tree duck is usually found in large flocks on lakes and fresh-water marsh-land. When flushed the flock circles about and generally the birds can be killed without the precautions which are usually necessary in duck-shooting. A hard-shelled egg was taken from a bird killed on the Laguna de Bay in January. Oates records two eggs collected by Moseley in May.

156. DENDROCYGNA GUTTULATA Wallace.

SPOTTED TREE DUCK.

Dendrocygna guttulata Wallace, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863), 36; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 215; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37. Dendrocygna guttata Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 164, pl. 1.

Basilan (McGregor); Mindanao (Platen). Celebes, Moluccas, New Guinea, Tenimber Islands.

"Adult male and female.--Upper part of head dark brown; a black line along hind neck; back and wings dusky brown; feathers of back, scapulars, and wing-coverts edged with pale brown; lores brown; superciliary stripe, sides of head, and upper part of neck grayish, with dusky cross-lines, giving a mottled appearance; chin and throat uniform whitish; lower part of neck dusky with white spots; rump brown; upper tail-coverts black, basal ones broadly barred with white; upper breast rufous-brown, each feather with a white spot at the tip; lower breast and abdomen whitish, with faint dusky lines across; feathers of flanks with large, white, round spots, the longer feathers are almost barred with black; under tail-coverts whitish, with black bars; quills brown; tail almost black. 'Bill black; tarsi and feet ashy, more or less tinged with reddish; iris brown or chestnut.' (D'Albertis.) Length, about 432; wing, 215; tail, 74; culmen, 41; tarsus, 41.

"'Young.--Feathers of the flanks paler and with the white spots elongated and lanceolated.' (Schlegel.)" (Salvadori.)

A male from Basilan, December 26, 1906, measures: Length, 444; wing, 216; tail, 67; exposed culmen, 45; tarsus, 45; middle toe with claw, 71.

Of the earlier collectors Platen was the only one to secure this tree duck in the Philippines; more recently it has been taken in Basilan but it appears to be a rare species.

Genus ANAS Linnæus, 1758.

Bill of moderate length, the sides nearly parallel; wings long and pointed; a wide band of metallic color across the secondaries forming the speculum; tail pointed but not of great length.

157. ANAS LUZONICA Fraser.

PHILIPPINE MALLARD.

Anas luzonica Fraser, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1839), 113; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 205; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 216; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37.

Du-ma-ras', Manila; da-mu-l'og, Ticao.

Catanduanes (Whitehead); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Jagor, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor, Worcester); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns and Worcester); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (McGregor); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp.); Ticao (McGregor).

"Adult male and female.--General plumage brownish gray, almost uniform, without any dark markings in the center of the feathers; upper part of head and upper part of nape blackish brown; superciliary stripe, sides of head, throat, and sides of upper part of neck rufous; a blackish brown band runs across the eyes from lores to occiput; back dark gray, changing into brown on rump and upper tail-coverts; wing-speculum glossy green, bounded anteriorly by a velvety black band at the tip of greater wing-coverts and by a narrower white one at the tip of the last row of median upper wing-coverts; posteriorly the speculum is bounded by a velvety black, subapical band, and by a narrow, apical, white band; under wing-coverts and axillars white; under parts brownish gray, deepening into brown on under tail-coverts; tail brown; colors of the bill and feet not recorded, but apparently dark olive. Length, about 500; wing, 250; tail, 114; culmen, 51; tarsus, 43.

"Young.--Similar to the adults, only much paler on the head and throat, which are scarcely tinged with rufous; the speculum less bright, and with some purple reflections." (Salvadori.)

Iris brown; bill dark blackish blue, its nail black; legs and claws dark brown. A male from Luzon measures: Length, 635; wing, 262; tail, 114; exposed culmen, 51; bill from nostril, 40; tarsus, 43; middle toe with claw, 63.

The Philippine mallard does not often occur in large numbers; usually, however, it may be found in pairs in tide creeks, small ponds, or other suitable localities.

"We found this fine mallard to be rare in all the localities visited by us with the single exception of the region about the town of Milagros, on the west coast of the Island of Masbate. In the last-mentioned district it was very abundant, occurring in great flocks." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

"Extraordinarily abundant on the Abulug River in northern Luzon in March, 1906. Flocks of twenty-five to two hundred were constantly met with on the lower river." (Worcester.)

Genus POLIONETTA Oates, 1899.

A wide yellow band across the tip of bill, otherwise like Anas from which it is scarcely separable.

158. POLIONETTA ZONORHYNCHA (Swinhoe).

ZONE-BILLED DUCK.

Anas zonorhyncha Swinhoe, Ibis (1866), 394; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 211. Polionetta zonorhyncha Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 217; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37.

Calayan (McGregor). Eastern Siberia, Mongolia, China, Japan, Kurile Islands.

"Adult male.--Upper part of head and a broad stripe from lores through eyes to some distance behind them dark brown; superciliary stripe, sides of head, and throat whitish; from gape toward eyes a slightly indicated dusky band, formed by dusky streaks; upper parts brown, back and scapulars paler, with edges of feathers pale grayish; rump and upper tail-feathers uniform dark brown; lower part of fore neck and upper breast dull whitish buff, with centers of the feathers dusky; lower breast and abdomen almost uniform brown, deepening into black-brown on under tail-coverts; wings brown; speculum glossy blue, more or less with a green luster, bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by two velvety black bands; tips of the secondaries narrowly edged with white; tertials brown, with only the apical part of outer web white; tail brown, the edges of the feathers whitish. 'Bill black, with the apical portion, except the tip of the nail, yellow, no red spots at base; feet light bright red, the web slightly dusky; iris yellowish brown.' (Holst.) Length, about 580; wing, 295; tail, 117; culmen, 56; tarsus, 44.

"Female.--Smaller and paler, the feathers of the breast for a greater extension than in the male having broader whitish edges.

"Young.--Paler even than the female, with smaller dusky spots on the under parts; edges of upper wing-coverts pale; a broad subapical white band across the greater wing-coverts, and the outer web of tertials for the most part white." (Salvadori.)

On December 7, 1903, a dozen birds of this species were observed in Calayan. A female, the only specimen killed, measured 560 in length; wing, 267; tail, 99; exposed culmen, 53; bill from nostril, 42; tarsus, 44; middle toe with claw, 37. Bill jet-black with a broad tip of bright yellow; most of the nail black; iris tan-brown; legs and feet light salmon; nails black; webs dusky.

Genus MARECA Stephens, 1824.

Bill small, shorter than head, depressed and slightly narrowing toward tip, nail large; wings long and pointed.

159. MARECA PENELOPE (Linnæus).

EUROPEAN WIGEON.

Anas penelope Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 126. Mareca penelope Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 227; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 218; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 168; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 37.

Basilan (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Worcester); Mindanao (Celestino). Palaearctic Region from Iceland to Kamtschatka, in winter to Madeira, Abyssinia, Persia, northern India, Burma, China, Japan, Borneo; occurs as a straggler in the Marshall Islands and North America.

"Adult male.--Forehead and top of head buff, rest of the head and neck cinnamon, minutely spotted, especially round the eyes, with bottle-green; chin and throat more or less black; mantle, back, and scapulars gray, crossed with irregular zigzag lines of black; central tail-feathers paler, almost whitish; lateral tail-feathers like the under tail-coverts, black; lower fore neck and sides of breast vinaceous; middle of breast and abdomen white; sides, flanks, and under wing-coverts gray, with zigzag lines like the back; wing-coverts white, the largest tipped with black; primaries uniform dark brown; outer webs of secondaries green, forming a speculum, edged with black; black outer webs of secondaries broadly edged with white; tail-feathers elongated, pointed, and nearly black. Iris dark brown; bill bluish lead-color, tipped with black; legs, toes, and their membranes dark brown. Length, 457; wing, 267; tail, 117; culmen, 39; tarsus, 39.

"Female.--Head and neck pale reddish brown, speckled with blackish; upper parts brown, each feather with pale whitish edges; edges of scapulars reddish brown; breast and sides reddish brown; under surface white; under tail-coverts white, with irregular brown bars or spots; primaries dark brown, secondaries dull black, slightly tipped with white; wing-coverts like back, but the larger ones tipped with white; tail dull grayish brown. Iris brown; bill bluish black.

"Young male.--Resembles more or less the female." (Salvadori.)

A male taken in Calayan in November measures: Length, 840; wing, 260; tail, 104; exposed culmen, 37. A specimen from Basilan is in very poor plumage.

Genus NETTION Kaup, 1829.

The members of this genus differ from Anas chiefly in being of smaller size and in having the bill narrower and shorter.

160. NETTION CRECCA (Linnæus).

EUROPEAN TEAL.

Anas crecca Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 126. Nettion crecca Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 243; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 38. Nettium crecca Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 443, fig. 114 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 218; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 169.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Mindoro (? Platen). Palaearctic Region, wintering in northern Africa, in Arabia, Persia, India, Ceylon, Burmah, China and Japan; accidental in Greenland and eastern United States.

"Adult male.--Head and upper neck chestnut; a glossy green patch on each side of the head from the eyes backward to upper nape; a narrow buffy line from the gape upward along the base of the upper mandible and from thence to the eye, bordering above and below the anterior part of the green patch; chin black; hind neck, back, and scapulars with narrow gray and black wavy lines; outer scapulars buff, broadly edged with black on the outer web; upper tail-coverts black, edged with buffish brown; on the middle of the neck a collar of whitish and black cross-lines; breast and abdomen white, the former with round subapical black spots; sides and flanks waved with narrow black lines; central under tail-coverts velvet-black, the lateral ones of a buff-color, with a band of black at the base; upper wing-coverts lead-gray, the greater row whitish buff, darker toward the inner ones; wing-speculum on the secondaries velvety black, with a white apical band on the outer half, glossy green on the inner half; first tertial velvet-black on the outer web; primaries and tail-feathers grayish brown, the later with pale edges; under wing-coverts gray, edged with white, the central ones and the axillars wholly white. Bill nearly black; iris hazel; legs, toes, and membranes brownish gray. Length, 368; wing, 184; tail, 76; culmen, 40; tarsus, 28.

"Female.--General color of the upper parts dark brown, each feather with reddish brown edges; upper part of the head darker than the sides, which are whitish, thickly speckled with black; a black line behind the eyes; chin and throat whitish; the feathers of the back and scapulars with two, narrow, transverse, bars of buffy brown; under parts whitish, with a reddish tinge on the breast, each feather, except those of the belly, with obscure dark centers; wing as in the male but somewhat duller.

"Young in first plumage closely resembles the female, but the wing-coverts have pale edgings, and the dark centers of the feathers appear also on the belly.

"Males in molting plumage resemble the adult females.

"'Nestling yellowish white on under parts, buff on forehead and throat; a dark brown streak from the forehead to crown, which with the upper parts is brown; a dark loral streak, and two other streaks from behind eye to nape on each side.' (Yarrell.)" (Salvadori.)

Genus DAFILA Stephens, 1824.

This well-marked genus may be recognized by its elongate form, long neck, and long pointed middle tail-feathers.

161. DAFILA ACUTA (Linnæus).

PIN-TAIL DUCK.

Anas acuta Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 126. Dafila acuta Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 270; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 447, fig. 116 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 219; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 172; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 38.

Luzon (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor). Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the northern parts; south in winter to northern Africa, India, Ceylon, China, and Japan and in America to Panama and Cuba.

"Adult male.--Head and upper neck plain hair-brown, darker on crown, and faintly glossed on sides of occiput with purple; upper half of hind neck black, with a white stripe on each side, confluent with the white of lower neck and breast; lower hind neck grayish brown; back, sides, and flanks waved with gray and dusky; upper tail-coverts black, the median broadly edged with gray; longer scapulars velvety black, edged with whitish; wing-coverts uniform brownish gray, the last row broadly tipped with cinnamon, producing a distinct bar; primaries brownish gray, darker toward the tip; speculum varying from dull metallic green to bronzy purple, tipped with white, and crossed by a subterminal bar of velvety black; inner quill of the speculum velvety black with a white band along the inner part of outer web; tertials gray, marked with a velvety black median stripe; abdomen whitish, dusted with gray, lower flanks with a buff tinge; under tail-coverts black, the outer ones white on the outer web; central tail-feathers long, acuminate, and black, remainder of tail-feathers dusky gray, edged with whitish. Bill blackish, with the sides dull lead-blue; feet grayish black; iris dark brown. Length, from 610 to 760; wing, 280; middle tail-feathers, 184 to 240; culmen, 47 to 55; tarsus, 39 to 47.

"'Adult female.--Above grayish dusky, varied with irregular bars of yellowish white or pale ochraceous; head and neck whitish buff, each feather, except on throat, streaked with blackish; lower parts dingy white, flanks, abdomen, and under tail-coverts streaked with dusky; wing brown, smaller wing-coverts tipped with whitish; greater wing-coverts and secondaries tipped with white, forming two white bars across the wing, but the space between them dull brown, mottled with black, without any metallic gloss of any kind.' (Seebohm.) Tail brown with oblique buffish spots or bars. Length, 533 to 597; wing, 244 to 256; middle tail-feathers, 114 to 127; culmen, 46 to 53; tarsus, 42.

"'Young in first plumage closely resembles adult females, but young males may always be distinguished by having an alar speculum.

"'Males in first nuptial plumage have pale margins to the wing-coverts, and most of the feathers of the rump are broadly barred, instead of finely vermiculated, with white.

"'Adult males in molting plumage may be distinguished from adult females by having an alar speculum, and being richer and darker in color.

"'Young in down have the same pale spots on the upper parts as those of the mallard, but the white on the throat and belly is slightly suffused with gray instead of buff, and in addition to the dark lines passing through the eye, a second dark line passes from the lores below the eye to the nape.' (Seebohm.)

"According to some ornithologists, European specimens differ very appreciably from North American in having a narrower speculum, but I have failed to find that there is any appreciable difference." (Salvadori.)

"Found in very large flocks on Manila Bay during January and February but wild and difficult to kill." (Worcester.)

Genus QUERQUEDULA Oken, 1817.

This genus is very much like Nettion but the bill is broader, and instead of being of the same width throughout, is wider toward the tip; the nail also is broader.

162. QUERQUEDULA QUERQUEDULA (Linnæus).

ASIATIC BLUE-WINGED TEAL.

Anas querquedula Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 126. Querquedula circia Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 293; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 449, fig. 117 (head). Querquedula querquedula Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 220; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 175; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 38.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor). Northern Europe and northern Asia, wintering in northeastern Africa, Indian Peninsula, China, and Malay Archipelago.

"Adult male.--Upper part of head and occiput brown-black; from above eyes, on each side of head, a whitish band, extending to the sides of occiput; sides of head and upper part of neck chocolate-brown, streaked with white; chin black; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish, each feather edged with grayish olive; scapulars elongated and pointed, black, with a central stripe of white; breast with brown and black crescentic bands, producing a scaly-like appearance; lower breast white; abdomen, sides, and flanks white, waved with narrow blue lines; longer feathers of the flanks bounded by a subapical white band, and a bluish gray band at the tip; sides of the rump and under tail-coverts whitish, with black spots; upper wing-coverts and outer scapulars bluish gray; wing-speculum on the secondaries glossy green, bounded anteriorly by a white band formed by the greater wing-coverts, and posteriorly by another white band at the tip of the secondaries; primaries and tail-feathers brown, the latter edged with whitish; under wing-coverts dark gray, the central ones, like the axillars, white. Bill black, iris hazel; legs, toes, and their membranes grayish brown. Length, about 406; wing, 197; tail, 70; culmen, 41; tarsus, 30.

"Female.--Upper parts dark brown, each feather with a pale margin; broad superciliary stripe whitish; a dusky band behind eyes; sides of head and neck whitish, streaked with black; chin and throat white; feathers of the lower fore neck blackish, with whitish edges; breast and abdomen white; sides, vent, and under tail-coverts white, with brown-black spots; wings grayish brown; a dull metallic green speculum, bounded anteriorly and posteriorly by two white bands; under wing-coverts brown, margined with white, the greater ones pure gray, the central ones, like the axillars, white. Size smaller than that of the male.

"Young in first plumage resemble the females, but are darker and more suffused with rufous on the breast.

"'Adult males in molting plumage closely resemble adult females, but are darker in color, and may be distinguished by the brighter alar speculum.' (Seebohm.)

"'Downy nestling resembles that of the mallard, but it is smaller, and has a broad unbroken buff streak above the eye, and a well-defined dark streak through the eye.' (Yarrell.)" (Salvadori.)

In immature plumage this species is likely to be confounded with Nettion crecca and must be determined with care. The adult males of the two species are very different.

Genus SPATULA Boie, 1822.

This genus is characterized by the peculiar bill which is twice as wide near the tip as at the base; sides of upper mandible turned under near tip.

163. SPATULA CLYPEATA (Linnæus).

SHOVELER.

Anas clypeata Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 124. Spatula clypeata Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 306; Blanford, Fauna Brit. India Bds. (1898), 4, 452, fig. 118 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 221; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 177; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 38.

Calayan (McGregor); Mindoro (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor, Worcester). North America, Europe, and western Asia; wintering in Africa, Arabia, Persia, Indian Peninsula, southern China, Hawaii, West Indies, and Central America to Colombia.

"Adult male.--Head and upper part of neck dark glossy green; lower neck, breast, and anterior scapulars white; middle of back dark brown, the feathers with pale edges; ramp and upper tail-coverts black glossed with green; lower breast and abdomen rich chestnut; flanks, vent, and thighs paler, freckled with brown; under tail-coverts black, glossed with green; a white patch on the lower flanks at the base of the tail; upper wing-coverts and the outer web of two of the longer scapulars pale blue; remainder of the scapulars black, all with a broad silky white stripe along the middle; last row of wing-coverts tipped with white, forming a band, which borders anteriorly the glossy green wing-speculum; tip of the secondaries and the primaries brown; under wing-coverts and axillars white; tail mostly white, freckled with brown-gray, central feathers brown, edged with white. Iris yellow; bill lead-color; feet reddish orange. Length, about 508; wing, 260; tail, 95; culmen, 70; tarsus, 35.

"Female.--Upper parts brown, each feather with a broad reddish margin; throat reddish immaculate; feathers of back and scapulars with reddish bars, more or less crescentic; under parts reddish buff, each feather brown in the central part, especially those of breast and flanks; under tail-coverts lighter; wings resemble those of the male, except that the blue on the wing-coverts is very dull and the speculum not so glossy; tail-feathers whitish, with brown marks. Beak olive-brown, base of the maxilla and the entire mandible orange; iris hazel-brown; feet dull orange.

"Male in first plumage resembles the female, but the wings are brighter colored. Bill pale reddish brown; legs and feet flesh-color.

"Males in their first nuptial plumage have the white of the breast with a few dark crescentic bands, the lower belly with dark bars, and the rich black of the under tail-coverts mottled with chestnut and white.

"Adult male in molting plumage may be distinguished from the adult female by the greater brilliancy of the blue and metallic green on the wing, the plain dark upper tail-coverts, and the general darker color of the entire plumage; the crown is dark brown.

"Young in down resemble those of the wigeon in having the upper parts almost uniform, with indistinct pale spots, but they possess the dark brown stripe through the eye as in the young mallard. The bill is not widened at the tip, but it grows very rapidly." (Salvadori.)

This duck may be recognized in any plumage by the shape of its bill.

Subfamily MARILINÆ.

Genus MARILA Oken, 1817.

The members of this subfamily and genus differ from all other Philippine ducks in having a tuft of long feathers springing from the crown; the bill also is characteristic being short and wide and slightly wider at tip than at base.

Species.

a1. Back finely vermiculated with white. ... marila (p. 198) a2. Back uniform black or blackish brown. ... fuligula (p. 199)

164. MARILA MARILA (Linnæus).

SCAUP DUCK.

Anas marila Linnæus, Fauna Suecica, ed. 2, (1761), 39. Fuligula marila Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 355; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 223; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 182; McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 295.

Luzon (Parsons). Northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America; wintering on the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas and in India, China, Japan, and Central America.

"Adult male.--Head, neck, upper part of breast and back black; sides of the head and upper neck glossed with green; rest of back and scapulars white, narrowly barred with black; rump, upper and under tail-coverts black; lower breast, abdomen, and sides white; vent somewhat grayish; sides with black barrings; upper wing-coverts blackish, finely vermiculated with white; secondaries white, forming the speculum, which is bounded below by a blackish band, in some specimens more or less freckled with white; tertials blackish with a green gloss, the largest ones more or less finely dusted with whitish; primaries grayish brown, from the fourth quill with a whitish area on inner web, tips black; marginal under wing-coverts grayish brown dusted with white, the remainder, as well as axillars, white; tail blackish. Bill and legs light lead-gray, webs and nail of bill blackish; iris yellow. Length, about 457; wing, 235; tail, 74; culmen, 46; tarsus, 35.

"Female.--Fore part of head and chin white; rest of head, neck, and breast brown; upper parts dark brown, back and scapulars slightly vermiculated with white, under parts white below the breast; flanks brown, more or less vermiculated with white; vent and under tail-coverts dark brown, slightly vermiculated with white; wings duller and browner than in the male, the upper wing-coverts much less vermiculated with white. Bill and legs darker than in the male. Size somewhat less.

"Young male has the white at base of bill like the adult female, but it is of a darker and richer color.

"Male in first nuptial dress has less green metallic gloss on head and neck; the black breast-feathers have white margins; the black under tail-coverts are more or less vermiculated; in the vermiculations of the lower mantle, scapulars, and wing-coverts the dark brown predominates over the white.

"Males in molting plumage closely resemble adult females.

"Young in down.--'Crown, nape, and upper parts uniform dark olive-brown; throat, sides of head, and fore part of neck yellowish white; a dull grayish band crosses lower neck, rest of under parts dull yellowish, flanks grayish yellow; upper mandible blackish, tooth of beak yellowish; under mandible yellow.' (Dresser.)" (Salvadori.)

165. MARILA FULIGULA (Linnæus).

TUFTED DUCK.

Anas fuligula Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 128. Fuligula fuligula Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1895), 27, 363; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 223; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 183; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 39. Nyroca fuligula Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 463, fig. 121 (head).

Dú-lum-pá-pa, Calayan.

Basilan (Steere Exp.); Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot, Worcester, McGregor); Palawan (White). Northern Asia; northern Europe; in winter to Greater Sunda, Marianne, and Pelew Islands; Mediterranean Sea; Abyssinia; northern Indian Peninsula; southern China.

"Adult male.--Head, neck, upper parts, and breast black; occipital feathers considerably elongated, forming a crest or tuft; sides of head with a purple gloss; a white spot on the chin; back and scapulars with obscure traces of pale vermiculations; lower breast, belly, sides, and flanks white; vent and under tail-coverts black; wings black; speculum on the secondaries white, with a black band at the tip; under wing-coverts, except the marginal ones which are dusky, and axillars white, primaries brown-gray, with the tips and the outer webs more or less blackish; tail black. Bill pale blue, with the nail black; iris brilliant golden yellow; legs and toes dark blue, the webs black. Length, about 432; wing, 203; tail, 63; culmen, 44; tarsus, 28.

"Female.--Crest smaller than in the male; upper parts and upper breast brown; under parts dull white or pale ashy brown, and less clearly defined from the brown upper breast; flanks brown; speculum as in the male; inner secondaries glossed with green.

"Young in first plumage.--Closely resemble adult females, but paler brown, especially on chin and throat; no metallic green gloss on the innermost secondaries; many white feathers at base of bill.

"Males in first nuptial dress have white margins to the black feathers of the breast, a shorter crest, no green or purple gloss on the head, and a small white spot on the chin.

"'Males in molting plumage are intermediate in color between males in first plumage and males in first nuptial plumage.

"'Young in down are dark brown, shading into nearly white on the belly.' (Seebohm.)" (Salvadori.)

The tufted duck visits the Philippine Islands during the winter months and at times may be found in large numbers; from Laguna de Bay, many live ducks are brought to the Manila markets, the present species ranking next in numbers to the common Dendrocygna arcuata.

Order PELECANIFORMES.

CORMORANTS, DARTERS, GANNETS, FRIGATE BIRDS, AND PELICANS.

Bill strong, either sharply pointed or hooked at tip; nostrils wanting or obsolete; neck moderate to very long; all the toes united by a web; chin naked and forming a more or less distensible pouch. Birds of large size, seagoing and fish-eating. The totipalmate feet and obsolete nostrils are the most obvious peculiarities of this order. [23] Eggs bluish or white, with a white chalky covering.

Families.

a1. Tail not forked; webs between toes entire or but slightly emarginate.

b1. Bill subcylindrical; gular pouch small.

c1. Bill strongly hooked. ... Phalacrocoracidæ (p. 200) c2. Bill sharply pointed.

d1. Neck longer than body; bill slender; culmen nearly straight. ... Anhingidæ (p. 202) d2. Neck about one-half as long as body; bill heavy; culmen decurved for terminal fourth. ... Sulidæ (p. 203)

b2. Bill greatly flattened, widened near tip; gular pouch very large. ... Pelecanidæ (p. 208)

a2. Tail deeply forked; webs between toes deeply incised. ... Fregatidæ (p. 206)

Family PHALACROCORACIDÆ.

Bill long and heavy; basal portion of culmen slightly concave, tip strongly decurved and hooked; neck rather long; wings ample but not reaching beyond base of tail, the latter rather long, its feathers graduated and stiff; plumage largely black, at times partly white.

Genus PHALACROCORAX Brisson, 1760.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

166. PHALACROCORAX CARBO (Linnæus).

COMMON CORMORANT.

Pelecanus carbo Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 133. Phalacrocorax carbo Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 340, text fig. 1; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 198; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 232; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 39.

Ca-sí-li, Manila, also applied to the darter.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor); Ticao (McGregor). Europe, Africa, northern Asia, Greenland; eastern North America south to Georgia; Indian Peninsula to China and Australia.

Adult in breeding plumage.--Almost entirely black, with a slight oil-green gloss on neck and under parts; chin dirty white, this color continued backward and upward on each side of neck to back of eye, forming a border, 20 mm. wide, to the gular pouch and naked skin below eye; entire crown, nape, neck on all sides, and throat decorated with long, narrow, soft, white plumes which hide most of the short black feathers; crest glossy black, narrow and about 40 mm. long; each flank decorated with a large patch of long, soft, white feathers; upper back, scapulars, and wing-coverts dull bronze-brown, each feather widely bordered with dark bluish green or with glossy black; quills brownish black; secondaries washed with greenish; tail and its coverts black.

Grant gives the following colors and measurements: "Iris bright emerald-green; naked skin round eye greenish brown; below the eye and on gular sack lemon-yellow; bill grayish brown; dusky along culmen and yellowish white toward base; legs and feet blackish. Length, about 914; culmen, 58 to 81; wing, 317 to 356; tail, 173 to 183; tarsus, 58 to 72."

Adult in non-breeding plumage.--Similar to the above but without the elongated feathers on head, neck, throat, and flanks.

"Young when first hatched are blind and covered with purplish black skin; in the course of a few days they acquire a thick covering of blackish down.

"Young in first plumage (September).--General color above dull brown, somewhat glossed on head, neck, and back with bluish green; feathers of back, scapulars, and wing-coverts with wide dark margins; throat, front of neck, breast and belly white; sides, flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts dark brownish black. As age advances the fore part of neck and chest become brown.

"Plumage of the second year (September).--Upper parts more like those of the adult, but the plumage is less brilliant and mixed here and there with feathers of the first plumage; feathers of the breast and belly are all widely tipped with brownish black, giving these parts a mottled appearance.

"Plumage of the third year (May).--Similar to the adult, but the color of upper parts is less brilliant, and the under parts are not of such a rich glossy black. Birds of this age (probably about 26 months old), though they do not breed, assume a partial breeding-plumage; the hair-like feathers on the head and neck being indicated, while the white flank patches are partially acquired." (Grant.)

The cormorant appears to be somewhat rare in the Philippines but it will perhaps be found breeding in some of the extensive marsh-lands of central Luzon. A fully adult male in breeding plumage, taken in Tarlac Province, yields the following data: Iris bright sea-green; small spots of bright blue along edges of eyelids and below eye; bare skin below eye bright yellow with a slight orange tinge, this yellow extending to behind angle of mouth and onto base of lower mandible; entire gular pouch dark, almost blackish brown, closely covered with yellow spots; a small area just back of angle of gonys solid yellow; upper mandible blackish brown; lower mandible white with terminal third dusky brown; legs and nails black. Length, 850; wing, 345; tail, 180; culmen, 66; tarsus, 60; middle toe with claw, 85.

Family ANHINGIDÆ.

Bill long, slender, straight, and sharply pointed, cutting edges near tip with distinct serrations; head small; neck long and slender; tail long; scapular feathers lanceolate; a pair of inner secondaries and the innermost pair of rectrices with outer webs pliciform.

Genus ANHINGA Brisson, 1760.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

167. ANHINGA MELANOGASTER Pennant.

INDIAN DARTER.

Anhinga melanogaster Pennant, Indian Zool. (1769), 13, pl. 12; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 39. Plotus melanogaster Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 414; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 344, fig. 78; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 236; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 207.

Ca-sí-li, Manila, also used for the cormorant.

Luzon (Meyer, McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns, Clemens); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Layard). Mesopotamia, Indian Peninsula, Indo-Chinese countries, Indo-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Celebes.

"Adult male.--Chin, throat, and upper part of fore neck mottled with white; a narrow white line, about 125 mm. long, commencing above gape and continued down sides of neck; head and neck brown, darker and slightly glossed on the crown and along the back of the neck, paler down the middle of fore neck, each feather being margined with pale brown and giving the whole a finely scaled appearance; upper back brownish black, each feather narrowly margined with rufescent and streaked with white on the lateral parts; rest of back, rump, lower part of fore neck, and under parts black with an oil-green gloss; wing-coverts, scapulars, and innermost secondaries black, each with a long, silvery white streak down the middle; scapulars much elongated and pointed, the longest measuring about 230 mm.; innermost secondary transversely ribbed along the basal two-thirds of outer web; quills and tail black, the middle pair of tail-feathers strongly ribbed on outer web and outer pairs slightly rayed. Tail composed of twelve feathers. 'Iris yellow; bill dusky on culmen, yellowish on sides and on lower mandible; legs black.' (Godwin-Austen.) Length, about 890; culmen, from feathers on forehead, 89 to 91; wing, 330 to 355; tail, 218 to 230; tarsus, 43; outer toe with claw, 81.

"The fully adult female (if the sex of several specimens in the British Museum is correctly determined) appears to be perfectly similar in plumage to the male, the only difference being that the bill is decidedly shorter, 79 to 81 mm. In some females, however, which appear to be perfectly adult, the black bases of the fore neck and the chest are divided on either side from the back by a whitish buff band, as in immature birds.

"Immature birds.--General color as in the adult, but neck much lighter and of a pale brownish white, becoming white down the middle of the fore neck; black at base of fore neck and chest bordered on each side by a whitish buff band; streaks on the upper plumage of a more yellowish white, long pointed scapulars absent or half developed; quills and tail-feathers pointed and narrowly margined at the tips with pale whitish brown; ribs on innermost scapulars and tail-feathers but slightly indicated; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts brownish black.

"Young in down.--Head, neck, upper back, and under parts covered with white down, amongst which the plumage of the immature is more or less visible; quill- and tail-feathers half grown, pointed and narrowly margined at the extremity with pale brownish white; scapulars and wing-coverts much like those of the adult, but fringed externally with brown. Length, 724." (Grant.)

"Exceedingly abundant about Lake Naujan in Mindoro, where it breeds. Rarer about fresh-water streams in the interior of that island. Not met with by us outside of Mindoro.

"Always swims with its body entirely immersed, and can remain under water an incredibly long time. Flies with difficulty when it first rises from water. Makes straight for some good roosting place, preferably a stump or log in the edge of the water, where it alights, turns its back to the sun, spreads its wings, and remains until thoroughly dry. When dry it flies rapidly, and may often be seen during the heat of the day soaring at a considerable height." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

"Very abundant on the upper waters of the Rio Grande de Cagayan in Isabela Province, and on the upper Agusan River and its lake system in Mindanao." (Worcester.)

The Indian darter is fairly abundant along the Baco River in Mindoro and on the Cagayan River in the vicinity of Aparri, Luzon. Clemens collected specimens on Lake Lanao, Mindanao.

Family SULIDÆ.

Bill stout and pointed, tapering gradually, the tip slightly curved but never hooked; a groove along each side of culmen; nostrils completely closed in adults; wings long and pointed, first primary longest; tail long and wedge shaped; tarsus short and stout; outer and middle toes nearly equal; claw of middle toe broad and pectinate.

Genus SULA Brisson, 1760.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

Species.

a1. Upper parts, head, and neck mostly pure white (adult). ... piscator (p. 204) a2. Upper parts uniform deep sooty brown.

b1. Breast and belly pure white (adult). ... leucogastra (p. 205) b2. Breast and belly light brown (immature).

c1. Outer webs of flight feathers washed with hoary gray. ... piscator (p. 204) c2. Outer webs of flight feathers dark brown. ... leucogastra (p. 205)

168. SULA PISCATOR (Linnæus).

RED-LEGGED BOOBY.

Pelecanus piscator Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 134. Sula piscator Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 432; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 39. Sula piscatrix Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 237; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 210.

Mindanao (Steere Exp.). Oceania, southern Atlantic, Indian and Australian seas.

"Adult.--General color pure white; primaries, primary-coverts, outer webs and tips of secondaries, and secondary-coverts hoary gray, inclining to blackish on outermost quills in freshly molted birds, and to blackish in worn specimens; chin and upper part of throat naked, the feathers ending in a straight line across throat; tail composed of fourteen, or sometimes sixteen feathers. Iris gray; bill grayish blue, shading into pink or reddish toward the base; naked skin round eye blue; gular pouch dark slate or black; legs and feet vermilion, red or dark pink, almost magenta.

"Adult male.--Length, about 750; culmen from feathers on forehead, 89; wing, 394; tail, 10 to 28; tarsus, 35.

"Adult female.--Length, about 710; culmen from feathers on forehead, 81 to 88; wing, 373 to 375; tail, 208 to 210; tarsus, 35.

"Immature in first plumage.--Entire plumage above and below brown, lighter on breast and belly; primaries and secondaries and their coverts like those of the adult, but the inner webs of the secondaries black. Cutting edges of the mandible sometimes serrated, and the inner margin of the middle claw pectinate. Bill bluish pink, the latter predominating toward the base; naked skin round eye dark leaden hue; gular pouch flesh-colored.

"More adult specimens (perhaps in the plumage of the second year) head, neck, and under parts white; back, wings, and tail brown as in the immature; middle tail-feathers dark, brownish gray toward the base, shading into white toward the extremity.

"A still more adult bird has a large amount of white or partially white feathers mixed with the brown of the back and wings.

"I should imagine that the fully adult plumage is not attained until the third or perhaps the fourth year. This species may be recognized in all stages of plumage by the hoary gray appearance on the outer webs of the quills." (Grant.)

169. SULA LEUCOGASTRA (Boddaert).

BROWN BOOBY.

Pelecanus leucogaster Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Enl. (1783), 57. Sula sula Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 436; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 237; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 40; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 212; Worcester, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 275. pl. 1 (Didicas Rocks). Sula leucogaster Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 346, fig. 80 (head). Sula leucogastra A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1908), 25, 359.

Batan (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Didicas Rocks (Worcester); Dinagat (Everett); Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Cuming, Everett). Tropical Atlantic, Indian, Australian, and Pacific Oceans.

"Adult.--Head, neck, chest, entire upper parts, wings, and tail dark sooty brown; breast, rest of the under parts, axillars and under wing-coverts of the secondaries pure white. Tail composed of 14 feathers. Iris silvery white, white, or gray; bill whitish green or greenish blue, becoming flesh-colored or bluish at the base; naked skin on sides of face and gular pouch bluish, greenish, or yellowish; legs and feet pale green or lead-green, sometimes inclining to yellowish.

"Adult male.--Length, about 711; culmen from feathers on forehead, 100; wing, 389 to 396; tail, 190 to 195; tarsus, 46 to 48.

"Adult female.--Length, about 711; culmen from feathers on forehead, 100; wing, 389 to 396; tail, 190 to 195; tarsus, 46 to 48.

"Immature in first plumage.--Differs in having the head, neck, chest, entire upper parts, wings and tail brown, much lighter than in the adult; breast, belly, and under parts still paler brown, the feathers fringed with whitish brown, and generally sharply defined from the darker chest; axillars and secondary under wing-coverts mixed with smoky brown.

"More mature birds (? plumage of the second year).--Breast, belly, and under parts largely mixed with white, only the subterminal portion of each feather smoky brown.

"Still more mature bird (? plumage of the third year).--Head, neck, chest, and upper parts darker brown, and more like those of the adult; the breast and belly thickly mixed with the pure white feathers of the adult. These appear to be entirely attained by molt, many half-grown ones being concealed beneath the plumage." (Grant.)

This gannet is quite abundant about the small islands north of Luzon and it probably finds nesting places on some of the more isolated rocks. Gannets lay their chalky white eggs in the sand or construct flat nests of sticks which they place in bushes or trees. One or two eggs are deposited in a nest.

Family FREGATIDÆ.

Bill long and strongly hooked, both mandibles decurved at tip; lateral grooves deep; nostrils situated in the grooves and practically closed; a large naked and brightly colored gular pouch; wings pointed and extremely long; first primary longest; tail long and very deeply forked; feet absurdly small and weak for so large a bird; claw of middle toe pectinate; tarsus very short; plumage black with beautiful green and purple gloss.

Genus FREGATA Lacépède, 1799.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

Species.

a1. Breast and sides black (males).

b1. Larger; culmen, 92 to 112 mm.; wing, 520 to 655; no white patch on flank. ... aquila (p. 206) b2. Smaller; culmen, 58 to 89 mm.; wing, 488 to 533; a white patch on each flank. ... ariel (p. 207)

a2. Breast and sides white (females).

b1. Larger; culmen, 109 to 132 mm.; wing, 612 to 678; no white collar round back of neck. ... aquila (p. 206) b2. Smaller; culmen, 81 to 91 mm.; wing, 510 to 528; a white collar round back of neck. ... ariel (p. 207)

170. FREGATA AQUILA (Linnæus).

GREATER MAN-O'-WAR BIRD.

Pelecanus aquilus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 133. Fregata aquila Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 543; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 237; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 212; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 40.

Sa-la-gun-ting', Manila; lang-y-san', Cagayancillo.

Cagayancillo (McGregor). Tropical and subtropical oceans of both hemispheres.

"Adult male.--General color black, becoming sooty below; feathers of head, upper back, and scapulars elongate and pointed; head with slight oil-green gloss; scapulars strongly glossed with bronze-green, this color changing to purple when specimen is held away from the light; a trace of green and purple gloss on breast and sides. Iris brown; bill black except the tip which is horn-gray; gular pouch dark crimson; feet blackish brown, flesh-colored below; webs bluish below; nails brown. Extent of wings, 1,830; length of bird, 914; wing, 600; tail, 410; depth of fork, 240; culmen from base, 105; tarsus, 20. Grant gives the following measurements: Length, about 1,016; culmen, from feathers on forehead, 91 to 112; wing, 521 to 655; tail, 355 to 376; tarsus, 18."

"Adult female.--Feathers of head less elongate than in the male and with little or no gloss; upper back and scapulars slightly elongate and almost devoid of metallic gloss; back of head dark brown; fore neck, chest, breast, and sides of belly pure white; lesser and median wing-coverts brown, with paler margins and dark middles; rest of plumage like that of adult male. Iris dark brown; bill bluish horn-color; orbits and gular skin dark plumbeous, with a tinge of violet; feet carmine. Length, 582 to 678; tail, 373 to 483; tarsus, 25.

"Male and female immature.--Head, neck, upper part of chest, and middle of lower breast and belly, white; sides and upper breast dark sooty brown; rest of plumage like adult female. Iris dull dark blue; naked skin on throat lavender, bill horn-color, darker at base; feet pale pinkish blue." (Grant.)

"The eggs of the great frigate bird measure from 59 to 72 mm. in length and from 42 to 51 in breadth." (Oates.) The eggs are white and covered with more or less chalk-like substance.

The frigate pelicans are preëminently soaring birds of wonderful power. In these Islands they are rarely seen, and far more rarely killed, as they usually fly at great heights. During the nesting season they are fearless and may be observed near at hand. The larger species, at least, may nest on some of the more remote and rocky islands of this Archipelago.

171. FREGATA ARIEL (Gould).

LESSER MAN-O'-WAR BIRD.

Attagen ariel Gould, in Gray's Genera Birds (1845), 3, 669. Fregata ariel Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 447; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 338, fig. 77 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 237; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 213; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 40. Fregata minor (not Pelecanus minor Gmelin) Sharpe, Ibis (1888), 204; Grant, Ibis (1896), 128.

Con-pi-sao', Bantayan.

Bantayan (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead). Tropical and subtropical Indian and Pacific Oceans.

"Adult male.--General color black, inclining to sooty black on under parts; feathers of head, upper back, and scapulars elongate and pointed, the former with a dull oil-green gloss, the latter dark metallic-green in freshly molted specimens, but becoming bronze or purple with wear; a large white patch on each flank. Tail composed of 12 feathers. Iris black; naked skin round eye and gular pouch red; bill gray; feet black. Length, about 760; culmen from feathers on forehead, 58 to 89; wing, 487 to 533; tail, 279 to 338; tarsus, 19.

"Adult female.--Head like that of the male, but feathers of the back and scapulars less elongate and of a brownish black color with scarcely a trace of metallic gloss; breast, sides of belly, flanks, and a wide collar round the neck white; lesser and median wing-coverts pale brown, with whitish margins and deep brown shaft-stripes; plumage otherwise like that of the male. Iris red; bill gray; bare skin round the eye and on the throat red, but not so light as that of the male; feet red. Length, about 760; culmen from feathers on forehead, 81 to 91; wing, 510 to 528; tail, 287 to 343; tarsus, 18.

"Male and female immature.--Head and neck white, shading into brown on the chest, breast, sides of belly, lower neck, and upper parts; middle of belly and flanks white. It will thus be seen that the colors of the above parts are just the reverse of those of the adult female, the white parts being dark and vice versa; rest of the plumage much like that of the adult female. Iris black; bill and feet whitish with a shade of blue." (Grant.)

"Not infrequently seen singly or in small flocks, but very difficult to kill." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Family PELECANIDÆ.

Body large and heavy; upper mandible depressed, narrower and higher at base, broader and flattened toward the end, composed of a median bar, continuing the whole length of the bill and terminating in a strongly hooked nail, and of two lateral portions each separated from the median bar by a very narrow groove, in the basal part of which the small nostril opens; lower mandible thin, of two flexible arches supporting a large pouch of naked membrane.

Genus PELECANUS Linnæus, 1758.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

172. PELECANUS PHILIPPENSIS Gmelin.

SPOTTED-BILLED PELICAN.

Pelecanus philippensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 571; Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 471; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 238; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 217; McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 14, pls. 3 & 4; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 40; Dubois, Genera Avium, Pelecanidæ (1907), 3, pl. fig. 4. Pelecanus manillensis Oates, Birds Brit. Burmah (1883), 2, 236; Hume, Nests & Eggs Ind. Bds. Oates ed. (1890), 3, 276.

Pa-ga'-la, Manila.

Luzon (Sonnerat, McGregor, Worcester); Mindanao (Mearns). India and Ceylon, south to Burmah and Malay Peninsula, east to China and Hainan.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--(September to February). General color pure white; forehead, top of head, fairly long crest, cheeks, and neck covered with dense curly, very soft, pure white feathers, with their black bases more or less visible; hind neck, from crest to upper back, covered with soft grayish brown feathers, forming a mane; upper back, scapulars, and wing-coverts white, tinged, especially on the lesser wing-coverts, with cream-color; winglet, primaries, and primary-coverts brownish black, with the upper surface of the shafts dark; secondaries grayish brown, paler on the outer web and shading into brownish gray on innermost secondaries; an interscapular line down the middle of upper back; lower back, rump, flanks, under tail-coverts, axillars, and under wing-coverts vinaceous; rest of under parts pure white, chest and upper breast tinged with yellow; tail-feathers ashy, paler toward the tips and with dark shafts. Tail composed of 22 feathers. 'Bill pinkish yellow, the lateral portions of the upper mandible with large bluish black spots; the nail and terminal halves of both mandibles orange-yellow; central portions of sides of lower mandible smeared with bluish black; pouch dull purple, blotched and spotted with bluish black; eyelids and skin round eye orange-yellow; skin in front of eye livid; legs and feet very dark brown; claws yellowish horn; iris stone-white, varying to pale yellow, clouded with brown.' (Oates.) Length, 1,295 to 1,500; culmen, 320 to 368; wing, 558 to 610; tail, 203 to 421; tarsus, 84 to 96. The female is somewhat smaller than the male, but not conspicuously so.

"Adult in non-breeding plumage (March-August).--Plumage similar to that of the young after the first molt.

"Nestling.--Covered with white down; iris dark brown; bill pale plumbeous; legs china-white; pouch pale bluish white. The down on the wings soon turns to pale rufous; and the scapulars, when they appear, are brown, edged with ferruginous; the wing-coverts, on making their appearance, are furnished with a dense fringe of rufous down, which, however, soon falls off, leaving the feathers with rufous margins; the scapulars are developed very rapidly, and their ferruginous margins are diminished in extent as the bird grows; the down on the head and neck gives place to brownish feathers, and the crest and loose feathers of the mane on the hind neck soon make their appearance.

"The young bird, when fully fledged, retains its first feathers for at least one year, the only change being that the brown colors become darker and the rufous edgings abraded and consequently less marked. The impressed spots on the bill are not indicated till the sixth month, and even at the end of twelve months these spots are quite indistinct, compared with those of the adult bird. Toward the end of the first year a livid spot appears in front of the eyes and soon becomes clearly defined. The nail and the terminal third of the edges of the bill are yellow, legs and toes flesh-color.

"After the first molt, at about twelve months of age, the whole head and neck are covered with short, soft, downy feathers, the bases of which are black, the tips white; and the crest and mane are developed to the same extent as in the adult; the shoulders and scapulars are wood-brown; the lesser and median coverts to the secondaries wood-brown; the feathers all edged with paler; the greater coverts darker brown, edged with light brown; the coverts to the tertiaries grayish brown, edged with pale fulvous. The whole of the coverts narrow and sharp-pointed; the winglet, primaries, and their coverts dark brown; the secondaries brown, tinged with ashy on the outer webs; the whole back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and flanks white; the lower plumage whitish brown, each feather being white with the tip brownish, the feathers close, dense, and soft.

"In June of the third year, or when the bird is about thirty months old, the molt into adult breeding plumage is commenced and the change is entirely effected by October, except that in this first breeding season the wing-coverts never become entirely white as in the old birds, the feathers of these parts being a mixture of long sharp-pointed, white feathers, and comparatively blunt brown ones. Between June and October the pouch, which has hitherto been spotless, becomes blotched with livid as in the adults, the blotches extending to the face; the legs turn to dark brown; the iris becomes paler brown; and the spots on the bill become firm and well defined.

"Mr. E. W. Oates, having kept large numbers of P. philippensis in confinement, has had exceptional opportunities of studying the changes of plumage, and the above descriptions are the results of his observations, published in his Birds of British Burmah." (Grant.)

"We were informed that pelicans were abundant on the Laguna de Bay at certain seasons, but when we were there none were to be found. A number of specimens are preserved in the Jesuit Museum at Manila, and several live birds were to be seen there on different occasions when we visited the Museum. Padre Sanchez kindly offered us specimens, and we intended to accept his offer at a later date, but unforeseen circumstances prevented our doing so." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

"Abundant about fish-breeding ponds in tide-water marshes of Bulacan in February, 1904. Also at Anao, Tarlac Province, in same month and year. Fairly common in the Candaba swamp, Luzon." (Worcester.)

Order ACCIPITRIFORMES.

EAGLES, HAWKS, AND FALCONS.

Bill strong, upper mandible considerably longer than the lower, culmen much curved, end of bill hooked and its tip perpendicular; basal portion of bill covered by a membrane or cere, in which the nostrils are situated; legs large; feet very strong, claws curved and sharp; general plumage compact; wings long and powerful; tail nearly square, rarely forked or wedge-shaped.

Suborders.

a1. Claws less curved, that of middle toe describing much less than a semicircle; outer toe not reversible. ... Accipitres (p. 211) a2. Claws greatly curved, that of middle toe describing a full semicircle; outer toe reversible. ... Pandiones (p. 244)

Suborder ACCIPITRES.

This suborder includes all the hawks and eagles except the fish hawks of the genera Pandion and Polioaëtus; its members are distinguished by having the outer toe not reversible and all of the claws moderately curved, that of middle toe describing much less than a semicircle; concave or under side of each claw hollowed or grooved instead of rounded.

Family FALCONIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Suborder.

Subfamilies.

a1. Tarsus and toes longer and more slender. ... Accipitrinæ (p. 211) a2. Tarsus and toes shorter and stouter. ... Aquilinæ (p. 222)

Subfamily ACCIPITRINÆ.

In external characters this subfamily differs very little from Aquilinæ; its members are weaker with body and legs more slender, wings and tail longer, and plumage less compact.

Genera.

a1. Hinder aspect of tarsus with many hexagonal scales; wing, 300 mm. or more. ... Circus (p. 211) a2. Hinder aspect of tarsus without hexagonal scales; wing, 200 mm. or less.

b1. Middle toe without claw about twice the culmen from anterior margin of cere. ... Astur (p. 216) b2. Middle toe without claw more than twice the culmen from anterior margin of cere. ... Accipiter (p. 219)

Genus CIRCUS Lacépède, 1799.

Bill moderate or weak, somewhat compressed; margin of upper mandible slightly sinuate but not toothed; wing very long and pointed, first primary short, about equal to sixth; secondaries much shorter than primaries; tail long, slightly graduated or nearly square; tarsus long and slender, feathered at the base and overhung for about half its length by the long thigh-feathers; front of tarsus with transverse plates, sides and most of the hinder aspect with hexagonal scales; toes long, nails long and much curved; behind ear-coverts and sometimes across the throat a "ruff" of short, rather stiff feathers, most conspicuous in the young of melanoleucos and not very evident in the other species.

The harriers or marsh hawks are noticeable among birds of prey for their slender form, long slender legs, and slow flight. Adult birds can be easily identified but the immature specimens present considerable difficulty.

Species.

(Adult.)

a1. Upper parts black; tail silvery gray; lower breast, abdomen, and crissum white.

b1. Throat and fore breast white streaked with black. ... spilonotus (p. 211) b2. Throat and fore breast black. ... melanoleucos (p. 214)

a2. Upper parts dark brown; tail bluish ash. ... æruginosus (p. 215)

(Immature.)

a1. Facial ruff complete across the throat; smaller, tarsus about 70 mm.; wing, 340 mm. ... melanoleucos (p. 214) a2. Facial ruff incomplete; tarsus about 90 mm.; wing, 400 mm.

b1. Lighter; general color more rufous-brown. ... spilonotus (p. 212) b2. Darker; general color more chocolate-brown. ... æruginosus (p. 215)

173. CIRCUS SPILONOTUS Kaup.

ASIATIC MARSH HAWK.

Circus spilonotus Kaup, Cont. Orn. (1850), 59; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1874), 1, 58; Hand-List (1899), 1, 245; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1895), 3, 388; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 236; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 40.

La-uin', Manila; ma-na-o', Calayan, all species of small hawks.

Batan (Edmonds); Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot, Whitehead); Mindanao (Platen); Mindoro (Everett); Palawan (Whitehead, Everett); Sulu (Guillemard). Eastern Siberia; in winter to China, Indo-Burmese countries, and Malay Archipelago.

Adult male.--Above black, nape and hind neck narrowly streaked with white; feathers of lower back and rump tipped with ashy gray or white; sides of head and ear-coverts black; lower parts white; chin, throat, and breast with bold black shaft-streaks; primaries black, white for basal third; alula, primary-coverts, and secondaries ashy white with blackish shafts; secondary-coverts black, more or less mixed with ashy white; under coverts and axillars white; tail ashy white; upper tail-coverts white. Iris bright yellow; legs dull yellow; cere waxy green; bill and nails black. The above specimen from Tarlac Province, Luzon, measures, 520 in length; wing, 410; tail, 230; culmen from base, 33; tarsus, 92; middle toe with claw, 63.

Younger male.--Color pattern similar; upper parts brown; white streaks on head and neck more numerous; under parts white with wider streaks of reddish brown which are also present on flanks and abdomen; primaries black, some of them barred with ashy white; wing-coverts brown with less white than the adult; primary-coverts and alula ashy white but with blackish brown bars; under wing-coverts white, streaked with blackish brown; axillars white, streaked and barred with reddish brown. Length, 533; wing, 400; tail, 235; culmen from base, 32; tarsus, 80; middle toe with claw, 61.

Spotted a typo or a problem in this chapter? Tell us