126 VISCOUNT WALDEN ON THE BIRDS 



again visited by an ornithologist, when in 1829 Kittlitz touched at Manilla, and there 

 procured several undescribed species. Since that date Manilla has been visited from 

 time to time by different travellers and exploring-expeditions, and new species have 

 been obtained, which on being brought to Europe have been described and named '. In 

 1871 new ground was broken by Mr. L. C. Layard, who made a small collection of 

 birds in the islands of Negros and Guimaras ^ ; and, lastly. Dr. A. Bernhard Meyer has 

 explored the equally unknown island of Zebu. Dr. Meyer having with great courtesy 

 placed the bulk of his collection at my disposal, it was my original intention to have 

 confined myself to a bare catalogue of its contents ; but, it having been suggested to me 

 that a complete list of the known Philippine " birds would prove more generally useful, 

 and would supply a want much felt in the ornithological literature of the Indian region, 

 I have ventured, with much diffidence, to prepare this catalogue of authentic Philippine 

 birds. It is true that a valuable list of the Philippine birds has already been published 

 (in 1866) by Dr. Eduard v. Martens ', from which I have derived the greatest assistance ; 

 still in it several authentic species are omitted, in some instances titles belongmg to the 

 same are treated as belonging to distinct species, and, moreover, some new species have 

 been discovered and described since Dr. v. Martens wrote. Nor in the somewhat intri- 

 cate synonymy is the subject in all instances exhaustively dealt with ; and it has been 

 one of my objects to endeavour to fix on a firm basis the nomenclature of all the birds 

 known to possess a Philippine origin. 



The literature of the subject practically commenced with Brisson ^, who in his well 



' For a fuU account of the principal ornithological collectors in the PhUippiaes, cf. Dr. v. Martens, Joum. f. 

 Orn. 1866, p. 5. 



= Cf. Ibis, 1872, p. 93. 



' I restrict the term Philippines to that group of islands which is separated from Northern Borneo by the Ba- 

 labac Strait and the Sea of Mindoro, exclusive of the Sooloo archipelago, and from Celebes by the Sea of Celebes. 

 It may be necessary when the fauna of the Sooloo archipelago is better known, to include it also within the 

 Philippine area ; but, on the other hand, when the fauna of the island of Palawan has been investigated, that 

 may have to be separated from the Philippine area. The positions both of Palawan and of the Sooloo Islands 

 (at present aU but zoological blanks) are of the highest geographical interest ; for Palawan, stretching out for 

 260 miles, unites the northermost point of Borneo to Luzon through the Calamines, while the island of Mindoro, 

 and the islands of the Sooloo archipelago form a succession of connecting links between Mindanao and the 

 most north-east point of Borneo. 



' Jouru. f. Orn. 1866, pp. 8-31. 



' No titles were founded on the Jesuit Camel's well-known paper, " De Avibus Philippensibus." The foEow- 

 ing is a list of the principal authors who have written on PhQippiue ornithology : — 



Bkmson, M. J. Ornithologia (1760). 



SoNNEKAT. Voy. a la NouveUe Guinee (1776). 



VisoKS. P.Z.S. 1831. 



V. Kittlitz. Memoires presentea k PAcad. Imp. Sc. de St. Peterab. vol. ii. (1833). Kupfertafeln z. Naturgesch. 

 d. Vogel (1832-33). Lutke, Voy. autour du Monde (Postels), vol. iii. (1836). 



J. F. Metkn. Nov. Act. Acad. C. L. C. Nat. Cur. vol. xvi. suppl. prim. (1834). 



Eydoux et SouiETEi. Voy. autour du Monde sur la Bonite. Zoologie, vol. i. (1841). 



