278 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 
Pa-lé-ta, Manila; ma-ndé-guin, Ticao; ca-gak’, Bohol. 
Basilan (Steere, Steere EHxp., Bow dé Worcester, Doherty, McGregor) ; Bohol 
(McGregor); Catanduanes (Whiteh@ad); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, 
McGregor) ; Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester) ; Leyte (Steere 
Exp., Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead) ; Masbate 
(Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Cuming, Murray, 
Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns € Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow) ; Negros (Steere 
Exp., Whitehead, Keay); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Sibuyan (Bourns 
¢& Worcester, McGregor); Sulu (Burbidge, Platen, Bourns & Worcester) ; Tablas 
(Bourns & 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 hght 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 brown; 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, ete., so that P. sulwensis 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 suluwensis and waterstradti can 
only be determined when good series from various localities are studied. 
