50 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



Genus MYRISTICIVOKA Reichenbach, 1852. 



Inner webs of first -and second primaries very slightly attenuated ; 

 tarsus feathered in front for half its length. This genus is remarkable 

 for its coloration; parts of the wings and tail, slate or black, the rest 

 of the plumage pale creamy white. 



42. MYRISTICIVORA BICOLOR (Scopoli). 

 NUTMEG PIGEON. 



Columba bicolor SCOPOLI, Del Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 94. 



Carpophaga bicolor CASSIN, Ornith. Wilkes Exped. (1858), 265, pi. 28. 



Myristicivora bicolor SALVADOBI, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 227; 

 SHARPE, Hand-List (1899), 1* f 67; GATES, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 

 86; MCGREGOR and WORCESTER, Hand-List (1906), 12. 



Ca-md-su, bd-lud blan'-co, in general use. 



Balabac (Steere, Everett) ; Bantayan (McGregor)-, Bongao (Everett); Cresta 

 de Gallo (McGregor) ; Guimaras (8teere Exp.) ; Malanipa (Murray) ; Marinduque 

 (Steere Exp.) ; Masbate (Bourns d Worcester) ; Mindanao (Everett, Koch & 

 Schadenberg) ; Mindoro (Bourns d Worcester, McGregor, Porter)-, Negros 

 (Meyer, Steere Exp.) ; Nipa (Everett) ; Palawan (Bourns d Worcester, White) ; 

 Sakuijok (Everett) ; Sibay (McGregor d Worcester) ; Siquijor (Steere Exp., 

 Bourns d Worcester, Celestino) ; Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns d Worcester) ; Tawi 

 Tawi (Bourns d Worcester); Ticao (McGregor) ; West Bolod (Mearns). Siam, 

 Cochin-China, Malay Peninsula, Tenimber and Indo-Malayan Islands, Andamans, 

 Nicobars, and Moluccas. 



Adult (sexes alike). General color pale creamy white; head and sides 

 of head more or less ochraceous-yellow ; wing-coverts and edge of wing 

 white; alula, primary-coverts, primaries, and most of the secondaries 

 black; outer web of longer primaries mealy; basal half, or more, of 

 rectrices and under tail-coverts light yellow, the coverts in some specimens 

 spotted with black; end of tail marked with a wide black band which 

 is widest on middle rectrices. Iris dark brown ; bill dull blue with a black 

 tip; eyelids, legs, and feet dark blue; nails black. Length, about 380; 

 a male from Ticao measures: Wing, 229; tail, 127; culmen from base, 

 25; tarsus, 27; a female from Cresta de Gallo, wing, 229; tail, 127; 

 culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 29. 



The camaso, or balud bianco, being a very conspicuous bird, is well 

 known to both natives and Spaniards and can not be mistaken for any 

 other species of Philippine pigeon. The species is irregular in distribu- 

 tion : it is often abundant on a small island and rare, or entirely wanting, 

 on a larger neighboring island. Worcester and Bourns found it especially 

 abundant in Siquijor. No specimens were taken by Whitehead and it 

 is unrecorded from Luzon, although there seems to be no reason why 

 it should be absent from that island. 



