A MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS

BY Richard C. McGregor

Part I

GALLIFORMES TO EURYLÆMIFORMES

Part II

PASSERIFORMES

MANILA
BUREAU OF PRINTING
1909

Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Science,
Manila.

Publication No. 2, Part I.

(Actual date of publication, April 15, 1909.)

Publication No. 2, Part II.

(Actual date of publication, January 31, 1910.)

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PREFACE.

During several years spent in collecting zoölogical specimens in the Philippine Islands the author has constantly experienced the need of a book containing descriptions of the Philippine birds. That others have felt the same want is evident from the many requests for literature received. Lists of Philippine birds[1] have been published from time to time but they contain no descriptions and are of use to those only who have a considerable library at hand.

The Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum contains descriptions of most of the known species of birds and these include very many of the Philippine species but the bulk of its 27 volumes would preclude the use of this work in the field even if its rarity and cost were not prohibitory. Thus there is an almost total lack of adequate means for identifying Philippine birds which has been a serious check to activity and interest in ornithological work throughout the Islands.

To meet this need and to place descriptions of the birds inhabiting the Philippines in a convenient form for the use of local naturalists the present work has been prepared. Technical terms and references to internal structure have been avoided as far as possible although this method weakens, to some extent, the keys and diagnoses of the higher groups. The diagnoses of orders, families, and genera being drawn from Philippine species may or may not define these groups as represented outside of the Archipelago.

The actual material which has been available for study consists of about 8,000 specimens of birds collected for the Bureau of Science, a few skins received in exchange from the Menage Collection, nearly 200 skins received from the United States National Museum, part in exchange and part as a loan, and a few small lots of skins from various sources. There are, however, some 150 species inhabiting the Philippines of which not a single specimen has been examined. Of some other species the available material is quite inadequate for complete descriptions; this is particularly true of the shore and water birds, most of which visit the Philippine Islands as migrants and can not be obtained here in breeding plumage.

To meet these deficiencies a large number of descriptions have been taken from previous works, notably the Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum, Oates’s Birds of British Burmah, and the four volumes on birds in the Fauna of British India, while a few have been taken from periodicals. All copied descriptions and parts of descriptions are inclosed in quotation marks followed by the authors’ names; the exact reference in each case will be found in the synonymy of the species described.

The quotations ending with “Bourns and Worcester MS.” are taken from a manuscript prepared by Messrs. Frank S. Bourns and Dean C. Worcester and based upon the ornithological specimens collected by the Menage Expedition. This manuscript was intended for publication by the Minnesota Academy of Natural Sciences, but as that institution was unable to meet the necessary expense, the right to use the manuscript reverted to the authors who have permitted the publication of their notes in this Manual.

The scientific name, an English name, and such native names as seem to be commonly used with some degree of accuracy are given for each species.

The synonymy consists of references to original descriptions and to all works from which quotations are made; also to the following works when the species is given in them: Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum, Sharpe’s Hand-List of the Genera and Species of Birds, Oates and Reid’s Catalogue of Birds’ Eggs in the British Museum, and McGregor and Worcester’s Hand-List of Philippine Birds; other references are to plates or figures, records of rare species, important descriptions, notes on habits, or critical remarks.[2]

The distribution of each species is given by islands, arranged alphabetically, with the names of collectors so far as these have been worked out from the available literature. Distribution outside of the Philippine Islands is given in a general way only.

To the descriptions and measurements of the birds are added notes on habits, nests and eggs, abundance, etc. and in very many cases manuscript notes by Bourns and Worcester, giving information on habits, colors of soft parts, measurements, and validity of species.

All measurements are in the metric system. In copied descriptions inches and hundredths have been carefully reduced to millimeters and the English measurements omitted, tenths and hundredths of millimeters being disregarded in most instances.

In accordance with Canon XXXVII of the Code of Nomenclature adopted by the American Ornithologists’ Union, Revised Edition (1908), generic and specific names, unless evidently misprinted, are spelled as in the original descriptions. Dr. Charles W. Richmond, Assistant Curator, Division of Birds, United States National Museum, has most kindly verified a very large number of these citations.

The last half century has been exceedingly fruitful in systems of classification, some of them excellent, most of them suggestive and helpful. The whole subject has been reviewed in a masterly way by Newton, Dictionary of Birds, London (1896), 45–120 of introduction.

The present author has not the ability to judge of the relative merits of the schemes of classification proposed by various authors but the system set forth in Sharpe’s Hand-List[3] and copied in McGregor and Worcester’s Hand-List of Philippine Birds is followed as being both convenient and well known.

[1] The most important of these lists are the following:

  • Martens, E. V.: [Title not seen] Jour. für Ornith. (1866), 8–31.
  • Walden, Viscount: A List of Birds Known to Inhabit the Philippine Archipelago. Trans. Zool. Soc. London (1875), 9, pt. 2, 125–252, pls. 23–34.
  • Ramsay, R. G. W.: Revised List of the Birds Known to Occur in the Philippine Islands, Showing their Geographical Distribution. Appendix, pp. 653–660, to the Ornithological Works of Arthur, Ninth Marquis of Tweeddale. London (1881).
  • Elera, R. P. Fr. Casto de: Aves. Catalogo Sistematico de toda la Fauna de Filipinas. Manila (1895), 1, 52–398.
  • Worcester, D. C. and Bourns, F. S.: A List of the Birds Known to Inhabit the Philippine and Palawan Islands, Showing their Distribution within the Limits of the Two Groups. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Washington (1898), 20, 549–566.
  • McGregor, R. C. and Worcester, D. C.: A Hand-List of the Birds of the Philippine Islands. Bur. Govt. Labs. Manila (1906), No. 36, 1–121.

[↑]

[2] Very full references to literature may be found in Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum and in Catalogue of the Collection of Birds’ Eggs in the British Museum (Natural History). [↑]

[3] Sharpe, R. B.: A Hand-List of the Genera and Species of Birds. London (1899–1903), 1–4, Vol. 5 in press.

For other systems of classification the following may be consulted:

  • Huxley, T. H.: On the Classification of Birds; and on the Taxonomic Value of the Modifications of Certain of the Cranial Bones observable in that Class. Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1867), 415–472.
  • Stejneger, L.: Standard Natural History. Boston (1885), 4, Birds (part). An outline of Stejneger’s scheme of classification may be found in the Zoological Record (1885), 22, pt. Aves. 14–18.
  • Fürbringer, M.: Untersuchungen zur Morphologie und Systematik der Vogel, Zugleich ein Beitrage zur Anatomie der Stütz- und Bewegungsorgane. Royal Zoological Society, Amsterdam (1888). For reviews of Fürbringer’s classification see Gadow, Nature (1888), 39, 150–152; 177–181, and Evans, Zool. Record, Aves (1888), 25, 14–16.
  • Evans, A. H.: Cambridge Natural History, Birds. New York and London (1900), 9, XI–XVI (Scheme of Classification).
  • Gadow, H.: On the Classification of Birds. Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1892), 229–256.
  • Dubois, A.: Synopsis Avium. Brussels (1899–1904), 1–1339, pls. 1–16.
  • Ridgway, R.: The Birds of North and Middle America. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. Washington (1901), No. 50, pt. 1, 1–12.
  • Clark, H. L.: The Classification of Birds. Auk (1901), new ser., 18, 370–381.
  • Shufeldt, R. W.: An Arrangement of the Families and Higher Groups of Birds. Am. Naturalist (1904), 38, 833–857.

[↑]

USE OF THE KEYS.

A key is a short cut used to approximate identification without reading a great number of descriptions. The keys given here differ in no essential particular from those to be found in other systematic works on ornithology, but for the benefit of the beginner their use may be briefly explained.

Having in hand an unknown bird begin with the key to the Orders (p. [7]), reading first the line beginning a1; if the specimen has the characters given after a1 then the bird belongs to the Order Pelecaniformes and another key is to be used which will be found under that order, (p. [200]). If the characters on the line after a1 are not found in the specimen, then those given on the line a2 are to be examined and these the specimen must have, if no mistake has been made. The next choice is between b1 and b2 and so on until characters are found which agree with those of the specimen and at the same time lead to a word at the right printed in heavy face type; this is the name of the order to which the specimen belongs.

Having determined the order turn to the page where the order begins and use the key there which leads to the suborders or to the families, then find and use the keys to genera and species.

To illustrate the use of keys with a concrete example, suppose that we have a specimen of the common spoon-billed duck or shoveler, but know nothing of its affinities. Beginning with the key to orders we find:

“a1. Hind toe connected by a web to the inner toe.” As this does not agree with our specimen we try:

  • “a2. Hind toe not connected by a web to the inner toe.” Yes.
    • “b1. Nostrils tubular.” No.
    • “b2. Nostrils not tubular.” Yes.
      • “c1. Cutting edges of bill more or less distinctly fringed or serrated, tip of bill rounded Anseriformes.”

Yes, and our bird belongs in the order Anseriformes. By a similar procedure we find that our duck belongs in the subfamily Anatinæ (p. [185]) and in the key to genera (p. [187]) we find:

  • “a1. Bill not spatulate.”
  • “a2. Bill flattened, and spatulate Spatula.”

As our duck has a flattened, spatulate bill we turn to the genus Spatula (p. [196]) and as there is but one Philippine species in this genus we know that our bird is—

Spatula clypeata (Linnæus).

SHOVELER.

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

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 1½ 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,[1] 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.[2]

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 (♂), or black (♀), 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.
      • 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 (♀ 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.