XI, D, 4 McGregor: Philippine Birds, I 273 



of the alula, of the under coverts, and of the larger upper 

 coverts are largely or entirely fuscous-black. Distally the webs 

 of the four outermost primaries are fuscous for a short distance. 

 The webs of the inner primaries and outer secondaries distally 

 are narrowly fuscous next to the shaft. 



At the base of the first primary is a small, primarylike 

 feather — entirely fuscous. It measures 48 millimeters, taking 

 its base as being opposite the small, sharp spur on the edge 

 of the wing. Being in doubt as to this feather, I requested 

 Dr. C. W. Richmond to examine the wing of a spoonbill, and 

 under date of November 16, 1915, he replied : 



I have submitted the question of the small primary-like feather on the 

 wing of the Platalea to several of our experts here, and they all agree that 

 it is not a primary; and I had already made this decision myself. I do not 

 know just what the mission of the feather is, but it has been noticed before, 

 first, I think, by Baird, who wrote as follows about it in his Review of 

 American Birds, page 325 (note) : "In V [ireo'] flavifrons, in which this 

 outer primary is supposed to be wanting, its presence may easily be 

 appreciated. One of the peculiar characters of this species consists in a 

 narrow edging of white to all the primary quills, while the primary coverts 

 (the small feathers covering their bases, as distinguished from what are 

 usually termed the wing coverts, which more properly belong to the forearm 

 or secondaries) are without them. If these coverts are carefully pushed 

 aside, two small feathers, considerably shorter than the others will be 

 disclosed, one overlying the other, which (the subjacent one) springs from 

 the base of the exposed portion of the long outermost primary, and lies 

 immediately against the outer edge. This small subjacent feather is stiff, 

 falcate, and edged with white like the other quills, and can be brought 

 partly round on the inner edge of the large primary, when it will look 

 like any spurious quill. The overlying feather is soft, and without light 

 edge. 



"In the other Vireos with appreciable spurious or short outer primary, a 

 similar examination will reveal only one small feather at the outer side of 

 the base of the exterior large primary. In all the families of Passeres where 

 the existence of nine primaries is supposed to be characteristic, I have 

 invariably found, as far as my examinations have extended, that there were 

 two of the small feathers referred to, while in those of ten primaries but 

 one could be detected." Baird's discovery does not seem to have received 

 the attention it probably deserves. 



Ardea cinerea Linnaeus. 



Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10 (1758), 1, 143; Steere, Bds. 

 and Mams. Steere Exp. (1890), 26; McGregor, Man. Phil. Bds. 

 (1909), 163. 



Steere records the common heron from Guimaras Island. The 

 only other Philippine record for the species was based on a 

 damaged skin of unknown origin. I am now able to record two 

 specimens of this species from Luzon. On November 13, 1910,' 



