﻿THE BIRDS OF BATAN, CAM1GUIN, Y'AMI, AND BABUYAN 

 CLARO, ISLANDS NORTH OF LUZON. 



By Richard C. McGregor. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The results of the study of a second collection of birds from some 

 of the small islands north of Luzon are presented in this paper. In 1903 

 the author and his assistant visited Fuga and Calayan in the Babuyan 

 group and secured a number of interesting species. 1 In May, 1907, 

 through the courtesy of Major-General Leonard Wood, we were able to 

 reach the more remote Island of Batan. From May 27 to June 16 

 collections were made on this island. On June 1 Governor-General 

 Smith visited Batan in the steamer Polillo, and as temporary members 

 of his party we spent a short time on Y'Ami June 17, and a few hours 

 on Babuyan Claro June 18. On June 19 we landed at Port San Pio, 

 Oamiguin, where we remained until July 21 when we left for Aparri by 

 native sailboat. 2 



Batan, the largest and most important of the Batanes group, is 24 

 square miles in area and is situated some 125 miles north from Cape 

 Engaho on the Luzon coast. Its surface is broken by several groups of 

 low mountains; the highest peak is Mount Iraya, 3,800 feet. This island 

 is swept for nine months of the year by strong winds and typhoons, which 

 prevent the growth of trees except in the protection of deep gulches. A 

 great variety of resident birds was not expected nor found but several 

 of the species are of great interest. It is worthy of note that such 

 ubiquitous Philippine species as Corone pliiUppina, Oriolus chinensis, 

 Sarcops calvus and Pycnonotus goiavier are wanting, while the families 

 Psittacidge, Picidae, Dicaeidae, Nectariniida? and others are unrepresented. 

 Sphenocercus australis and Macropygia plicea are found in both Batan 

 and Calayan while Zosterops hatanis and Hypsipetes latanensis are rep- 

 resentatives of species found in Calayan. However, nothing like either 

 Centropus carpenteri or Terpsiphone nigra is known from Calayan. 



1 See Bull. Philippine Mus. ( 1904) , 4, 1-34. 



- Mr. A. Celestino, assistant collector, and Mr. E. Fenix, botanist, were with 

 me on this entire trip, Mr. H. G. Ferguson, geologist, Bureau of Science, visited 

 these islands at the same time. Reports on the geology and botany of Camiguin 

 and Batan will appear in a later number of the JOURNAL. 

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