bi, — 
BHUCHANGA. 709 
725. BHUCHANGA PALAWANENSIS Whitehead. 
PALAWAN GRAY DRONGO. 
Buchanga leucophea Suarp‘, Ibis (1888), 199. 
Buchanga palawanensis WHITEHEAD, Ibis (1893), 47; McGreeor and Wor- 
CESTER, Hand-List (1906), 108. 
Dicrurus leucopheus var. whiteheadi Durgots, Syn. Av. (1901), fase. 8, 530, 
no. 1772. : 
Balabae (Hverett) ; Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan 
(Steere, Everett, Lempriere, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, 
Celestino, White). 
Adult.—Upper parts blue-gray 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 Whitehead’s title for this bird with some hesitation. He 
states that it differs from B. leucophea 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. lewcophea 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 brown 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 
ef the two alleged species. Four males average: Length, 267; wing, 
129; tail, 12%; 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 STURNIDA. 
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 
