BHUCHANGA. 709 



725. BHUCHANGA PALAWANENSIS Whitehead. 

 PALAWAN GRAY DEONGO. 



Buchanga leucophcca Sharpe, Ibis (1888), 199. 



Buchanga palaicanensis Whitehead, Ibis (1893), 47; McGregor and Wor- 

 cester, Hand-List (1906), 108. 



Dicrurus leucophcBUs var. whiteheadi DuRBOis, Syn. Av. (1901), fasc. 8, 530, 

 no. 1772. 



Balabac (Everett) ; Calamianes [Bour^is & Worcester, McGregor) ; Palawan 

 {Steere, Everett, Lempriere, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, 

 Celestino, White). 



Adult. — Upper parts blue-gi-ay with a slight gloss on head and back; 

 forehead and lores black ; cheeks and ear-coverts blackish ; chin and throat 

 cinereous becoming somewhat bluer on the breast and abdomen; under 

 tail-coverts tipped with white; wings and tail blackish brown, but the 

 exposed edges of most of the feathers cinereous ; axillars and wing-lining 

 blue-gray. A male from Palawan measures: Length, 354; wing, 124; 

 tail, 120; depth of fork, 26; bill from nostril, 17; tarsus, 17. A female, 

 wing, 125 ; tail, 123 ; bill from nostril, 17 ; tarsus, 15. 



"We adopt Wliitehead's title for this bird with some hesitation. He 

 states that it differs from B. leucophcea in its smaller size, darker color, 

 and in having a jet-black patch of feathers over the nostrils. He adds 

 that the eye in B. leucophcea is brick-red, and in B. palawanensis dark 

 gray. As regards the latter point Whitehead is certainly in error. On 

 examining the labels of the twenty specimens collected by us in Palawan 

 and the Calamianes Islands we find that the iris was red or brick-red in 

 nineteen cases and reddish brovni in the twentieth. The difference in 

 color could be verified only by actual comparison for which we have not 

 the necessary material. We add full measurements, hoping that they 

 may be of use to some one in settling the question of the relative size 

 of the two alleged species. Four males average : Length, 267 ; wing, 

 129; tail, 127; culmen, 26; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 18.5. 

 Eight females, length, 251; wing, 125; tail, 126; culmen, 25; tarsus, 

 17.5; middle toe with claw, 19. Iris brick-red; bill, legs, feet, and nails 

 black." {Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



Family STURNIDiE. 



Bill stout and pointed ; culmen curved or nearly straight ; rictal bristles 

 minute when present; nostrils exposed, or else concealed by antrorse 

 frontal plumes; wing either moderate or long, primaries much longer 

 than secondaries ; first primary shorter than primary-coverts ; second 



