PHASIANID^B. 1 1 



the birds are quite palatable. When fresh the thin surface layer of the 

 egg is dark pink, usually smooth, but occasionally roughened by small 

 lumps; when exposed to air and light for some time the color becomes 

 dull, dirty brown and in many cases the outer layer crumbles away 

 exposing the true shell which is dull white and closely pitted. Five eggs 

 from Calayan taken in December measure : 78 by 52 ; 82 by 52.5 ; 82.5 by 

 47; 80 by 51; 79 by 51. 



"This species probably occurs on every island of any size in the group. 

 It is frequently met with a considerable distance inland, where it fre- 

 quents wooded plains and hill. Its nest is usually, though by no means 

 always, built near the seashore. Several pairs of birds frequently nest 

 in the same mound, scratching up a little additional material every time 

 that an egg is deposited, eventually forming a very large mound of earth, 

 decayed leaves, sticks, etc., which in extreme cases comes to measure from 

 4 to 5 meters in diameter by 1| meters high in the middle. The mound 

 is frequently formed about the roots of some old stump. When ready to 

 lay, the female tunnels into this mound, sometimes even burrowing into 

 the solid ground to a depth of half a meter or more, so that the eggs are 

 one to two meters below the surface of the mound. The egg is deposited 

 at the bottom of this burrow, which is then filled up. The young birds 

 dig to the surface as soon as hatched. They can run and fly when they 

 leave the shell, and seem always to shift for themselves from the day of 

 their birth. M. cumingi seems to lay all the year round, the female 

 apparently depositing an egg about once a week. The eggs are oval in 

 form, of a curious pinkish color when fresh, but rapidly fading to a light 

 dirty brown if exposed to the light. 



"The old birds seem rather reluctant to take wing and when flushed 

 fly but a short distance, alight on the ground and run with great 

 rapidity. 



"There is much individual variation as to size and color even in birds 

 from one locality. Length, 336 to 380; culmen, 15 to 19; tarsus, 55 to 

 68; wing, 210 to 233; tail, 63 to 86. Iris dark chocolate-brown; bill 

 light yellowish at tip, brown at base; legs sometimes dark brown, but 

 usually strongly tinged with red, especially at back; feet dark brown 

 to black; nails black." (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



Suborder PHASIANI. 

 Family PHASIANID-E. 



Bill strong and horny, nostrils oblong, never hidden by feathers; 

 culmen curved but not hooked ; tarsi naked and in the male armed with 

 spurs (Excalfactoria without spurs) ; toes four, naked, and never pecti- 

 nated along sides; sexes differently colored. 



