BIRDS COLLECTED IN THE ISLAND OF POLILLO, 

 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



By KiOHARD C. McGeegor. 



(From the Ornithological Section, Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, 

 Manila, P. I.) 



INTRODUCTION-. 



The Island of Polillo is situated some 36 kilometers from the nearest 

 coast of Luzon in about the same latitude as Manila. Its area is roughly 

 900 square kilometers and its length, north and south, 56 kilometers. 

 Although nearly the entire island is mountainous, no part of the surface 

 has a great elevation, the highest point, Mount Malulud iil the north- 

 central part, being but 350 meters. With the exception of a few small 

 areas p)lanted in rice, mostly along the western coast, Polillo is heavily 

 forested. No grass land was discovered and in no island have I seen so 

 large a proportion of the area covered with trees. 



In May, 1907, Mr. H. M. Ickis brought me a specimen of Collocalia' 

 marginata with nests and eggs which he had collected near the settlement 

 of Burdeos on the eastern side of Polillo. Beyond this nothing has been 

 known concerning the fauna of the island. 



In September, 1909, with two Filipino assistants, I was landed at the 

 town of Polillo and for two and one-half months we made collections of 

 birds, insects, reptiles, moUusks, and plants.^ The greater part of our 

 collecting was done in the vicinity of the town and along the coast north 

 and south of the town ; a little, time was spent near Burdeos. The birds 

 collected, or certainly identified, number 101 species, of which I venture 

 to describe the following as new : Tanygnatlius freeri, Penelopides suh- 

 nigra and Kittacinda parvimaculata. 



Eejecting migrants and other species of wide distribution, we find 

 that Polillo has more in common with Luzon than has Marinduque, 

 Catanduanes, Lubang, or the Babuyanes. Of the seventeen species found 



^ Dr. C. B. Robinson of the Bureau of Science visited Polillo during August, 

 1909, and he will publish in the botanical section of This Journal a paper on the 

 plants collected by him and by my party. 



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