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XVI. — On the Birds collected by Professor J. B. Steere in the Philippine Archipelago. 

 By It. Bowdlek Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., 8fc, Senior Assistant, Zoological Depart- 

 ment, British Musewm. 



(Plates XLVI.-LIV.) 



Eead November 16th, 1876. 



ON his return from the Philippines, Prof. Steere passed through London in the autumn 

 of 1875, and delightecTme with an account of his travels in the East. At that time his 

 collections were packed up, and it was not possible to examine them ; but this year (1876) 

 he returned to England, and was so good as to place his birds in. my hands for description. 

 This would have been more difficult to accomplish had it not been for the very elaborate 

 memoir published in the spring of last year by the Marquis of Tweeddale (then Viscount 

 Walden). Previously to this the ornithology of the Philippines was not concisely 

 described ; and I must record my great obligations to his memoir on the birds of the 

 Philippine Archipelago. I must further acknowledge Lord Tweeddale's kindness 

 in allowing me free access to his fine collection of Philippine birds, thus enabling me 

 to make comparisons of many rare and difficult species. He has seen all the specimens 

 obtained by Dr. Steere, and agrees with me as to the correctness of my determinations. 



Knowing that Dr. Steere had visited several islands hitherto untrodden by the 

 naturalist, I was prepared to see several new species ; but I was indeed surprised at the 

 large number of novelties which he has brought home with him. Eorty new species 

 were discovered by him ; and there is no doubt that even this number would have been 

 increased but for the severe attacks of a fever which he contracted in Balabac. As it is, 

 however, the results are most considerable, and Dr. Steere will receive the hearty 

 applause of all naturalists for the vigorous way in which he combated the difficulties of 

 climate and personal danger in pursuit of science, and reaped such an abundant harvest 

 in face of these trials. The danger from pirates alone may be estimated from the fact 

 that he collected many of his specimens in the company of native hunters and their 

 dogs — the latter being indispensable companions on an expedition, to give warnings 

 of the approach of piratical Malays. Again, in Basilan it was impossible evenHto 

 bathe under the shelter of the fort without keeping firearms at hand for personal 

 defence. 



The following sketch of his expedition is extracted from an article communi- 

 cated by me to ' Nature ' of the 3rd of August, 1876 : — " Leaving Hongkong for 

 Manila, in May 1874, Dr. Steere crossed the island of Luzon by way of Mauban and 

 Lucban to the Pacific, passing some time on the mountain of Ma-hay-hay, near the 

 Laguna de Bay. In July he went by steamer to the colony of Puerto Princesa, on the 

 east side of the island of Palawan, where he stayed a month. Thence he crossed to 

 the island of Balabac and remained a month, afterwards visiting the south-east corner 

 of the island of Mindanao and resting for a month and a half at Zamboanga and the 



SECOND SEMES, ZOOLOGY, VOL. I. 2 T 



