Birds of the Philippine Islands. 263 



Cacatua HyEMATUROPYGiA (L. S. Mull.) ; SalvadoH^ Cat. 

 B. Brit. Mus. xx. p. 130 (1891). 

 Albay district. 



Prioniturus discurus (Vicill.) ; Salvadori, Cat. B. Brit. 

 Mus. XX. p. 417 (1891). 



Mr. Whitehead having sent a good series of adult and 

 immature examples of this fine Racquet-tailed Parrot from 

 Catanduanes, a few remarks on the differences in plumage 

 between these birds and specimens from the more southern 

 Philippine Islands are necessary. In spreading out our series 

 geogrnphically I find there is a considerable difference in the 

 amount of blue ou the crown. Typical specimens of P. dis- 

 curus from North and South Mindanao^ Panaon^ and Basilan 

 have the whole crown intense bright blue, forming a rather 

 sharply defined line where it meets the yellow-green nape. 

 On the other hand, the birds sent from Catanduanes have 

 the blue paler and less extended, and confined to the middle 

 of the crown, the whole forehead being green. This is the 

 case in what appear to be three adult males, with well-deve- 

 loped racquets to the middle tail-feathers; but on exami- 

 nation all three are found to be moulting bright blue feathers 

 on the middle of the crown, and from this as well as for 

 other reasons it seems probable that the blue on the crown 

 will eventually become more extended ; for there is a male 

 specimen collected by Dr. A. B. Meyer in Luzon, which is 

 perfectly intermediate between the birds from Catanduanes 

 and those from the more southern islands mentioned above ; 

 the whole crown in this specimen is washed with blue, most 

 intense in the middle, and shading gradually into green on 

 the forehead, sides of the head, and nape ; in this last respect 

 it differs from the southern forms, for in these the blue cap 

 extends to the base of the culmen and is sharply defined 

 from the yellow-green nape. It may be that at some future 

 time someone may separate these two forms, but I shall not 

 do so, for the evidence before me seems to shoAV that they 

 are merely slight insular varieties which shade gradually one 

 into the other. 



