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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



these occur a few species of larger 

 stature; anilao. Columbia serratifolia 

 Merr., anabion, Trema orientalis Blume, 

 alim, Mallotus moluccanus Muell. 

 Arg., Duhat, Eugenia cumini (Linn.) 

 Merr., anubing, Actocarpus cumingiana 

 Tree., and many others. Beneath these 

 the first evidences of shade-loving 

 undergrowth appear; such herbs as 

 pungapung, Amorphophalus companula- 

 tus (Roxb.) Blume, with its huge, ill- 

 smelling flowers with purple and yellow 

 spathes in May, Sida humilis Willd. and 

 Syndrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn., alpinia 

 spp., Donax cannaeformis, K. Shum., 

 Flagellaria indica, Linn., Nephrolepis 

 hirsutula (Forst.) Pr., and Kolowratia 

 elegans Presl. Many vines are also in 

 evidence; Lygodium circinnatum Sw., 

 with twining fronds 15 or more ft. 

 long, and with occasional branches from 

 the axils of the pinnae nearly as long 

 as the main rachis; Aristolochia tagala 

 Cham., Bridelia stipularis (L.) Blume, 

 a trim, hemispherical shrub in youth 

 and later developing into a scrambling 

 vine; several species of Convolvulaceae, 

 of the genera Hewittia and Merrimia, 

 and species of Piper, close relatives of 

 the betel and black peper and Schefflera 

 spp., which is more properly an epiphy- 

 tic shrub, with its roots finally extending 

 to the ground; also species of root- 

 climbing aroids of the genus Raphido- 

 phora, and the climbing bamboo, 

 Schizostachium diffusum Merr. The 

 Philippine mistletoe, Loranthus philip- 

 pinensis, Cham and Schlecht, which is 

 abundant on a number of the parange 

 trees, is of special interest, because it in 

 turn is frequently parasitized by another 

 member of the Loranthaceae, a species of 

 Viscum, which is likewise a green- 

 leaved hemiparasite. The structural 

 and physiological relations of these two 

 parasites to one another would be an 

 interesting study. 



The animal life in these lowland grass 

 and brush lands is, like the plant life, 

 largely made up of cosmopolitan or 

 widely distributed species. Of the 

 larger mammals, most of the common 

 forms are abundant here, though they 



are largely nocturnal and are infre- 

 quently seen. The Philippine deer, 

 Rusa philippinus Smith, wild pigs, Sus 

 philippinensis Nehring, and monkeys, 

 Macacus cymologus var. cummingii Gray 

 are so abundant in the areas bordering 

 on the forest as to become a nuisance. 

 The alemoose or civet cat, Viverra 

 tangalunga Gray, is a frequent noc- 

 turnal marauder of the hen roost. 

 Fruit bats of all sizes are also common, 

 the larger ones being very destructive 

 of bananas, while some of the smaller 

 ones seem to specially relish the wild 

 figs, Ficus nota, etc., and have the un- 

 pleasant habit of bringing their feasts 

 to dwellings and scattering bits of fig 

 on one's floor. Among the common 

 birds of the grassland and parang are 

 the guava bulbul, Pycnonotus goivieri 

 Scopali, the brilliant yellow and black, 

 harsh-voiced oriole, Oriolus acrorhynchus 

 Vigors, a large black cuckoo, Centropus 

 viridis Scopali, which has a long tail, 

 iridescent feathers and a low, chuckling 

 call ; kingfishers, Halcyon gularis Kuhl, 

 H. chloris Bodd. and Alcedo bengalensis 

 Briss. are frequent. Swifts, Tachornis 

 pallidior McGregor, and species of 

 Collocali are conspicuous at dusk, and 

 later the nightjar, Caprimulgus manil- 

 lensis Walden, emerges from the 

 thickets. Its curious call, resembling 

 the whip-poor-will, gives it its native 

 name of "Tucaroc." The brown rice 

 bird, or weaver finch, Munia jagori 

 Martens, congregates in flocks and 

 creates havoc in the maturing rice 

 fields. In dense thickets and bamboo 

 clumps are found a small migratory 

 green dove, Calcophaps indica L., two 

 black and white birds, a thrush, Copsy- 

 chus mindanensis Boddaert and a fly- 

 catcher, Rhidipura nigritorquis Vigors, 

 and a beautiful blue flycatcher, Hypo- 

 thymis occipialis Vigors. The imported 

 Chinese quail and the Philippine red 

 and black wild jungle-fowl, Gallus 

 gallus L., are also found commonly in 

 the grassland during the dry season. 

 Insect life is abundant and varied, 

 as elsewhere in the tropics. Locusts, 

 cicadas, katydids, cricket^ 



