278 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



Pale-ia, Manila; ma-nd-gmn, Ticao; ca-gnk'. Boliol. 



Basilan {Steere, Hiccre Exp., Bourns tf Worcester, Doherty, McOregor) ; Bohol 

 {McGregor) ; Catandiianes {Whitehead); Cebu {Everett, Bourns <( Worcester, 

 McGregor) ; Guimaras {Meyer, Stcere Exp., Bourns d Worcester) ; Leyte {Steere 

 Exp., Whitehead); Luzon {Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Masbate 

 (Steere Exp., Bourns t£- Worcester, McGregor) ; Mindanao {Cuming, Murray, 

 Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns tC- Worcester, Celestino, Goodfelloic) ; Negros {Steere 

 Exp., Whitehead, Keay) ; Samar {Steere Exp., Whitehead) ; Sibuyan {Bourns 

 <£• Worcester, McGregor) ; Sulu {Burbidge, Platen, Bourns tt Worcester) ; Tablas 

 {Bourns d- Worcester) . 



Adult. — General color green, vertex verditer-blue changing with the 

 light ; rest of head, neck, and face bright grass-green ; rest of upper parts 

 and wings dark green; below uniform yellowish green; spatules black, 

 sometimes tinged with green or with blue; short rectrices blue along 

 shaft, bordered with green and tipped with black. Sexes alike. Iris 

 dark ; cere very dark blue ; bill light horn-blue ; feet and nails darker blue. 

 Length, including rackets, 292 to 317; four specimens from Ticao meas- 

 ure, wing, 160 to 169; tail without rackets, 76 to 85; culmen from cere, 

 21 to 23; tarsus, 15 to 17. 



"A common and widely spread species. P. discurus, as well as the 

 other five Philippine representatives of the genus, is usually met with in 

 the forest or in fruit trees in the open, where it has gone to feed. At 

 certain seasons it frequents the mangrove swamps. All the Philippine 

 species are birds of very rapid flight, and scream almost constantly when 

 on the wing. They usually fly in small flocks. In the forest they make 

 the most of their protective coloring, and one may pass within ten feet 

 of one without seeing it. 



"Measurements are given exclusive of rackets. Four males from Ba- 

 silan measure, 232 in length; wing, 149; tail, 66; culmen, 21; tarsus, 14; 

 middle toe with claw, 28. 



"Sibuyan birds are slightly larger, and have a light yellowish green 

 area on back, but we do not feel warranted in separating them. Three 

 females from Sibuyan measure, 257 in length; wing, 161; tail, 134; 

 culmen, 22 ; tarsus, 16 ; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris ])rown ; legs and 

 feet leaden; nails blackish; bill grayish white." {Bourns and Wor- 

 cester MS.) 



larger size and the blue on the crown being more extended, beginning at the 

 anterior edge of the forehead and extending to the occiput. Its larger size (wing 

 165 mm.) one can appreciate, but the supposed difference in the blue on the crown 

 and other minor characters mentioned are equally found in birds from Basilan, 

 Mindanao, etc., so that P. suluensis can only be considered a rather larger insular 

 race of P. discurus, which it absolutely resembles in plumage." Grant, Ibis 

 (1895), 263. 



The blue on the crown and forehead seems to be a variable quantity in Prio- 

 niturus discurus and its allies and the status of suluensis and waterstradti can 

 only be determined when good series from various localities are studied. 



