Part 13

23. PHAPITRERON NIGRORUM Sharpe.

NEGROS WHITE-EARED PIGEON.

Phabotreron nigrorum Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. Zool. (1877), 1, 346, 353; Hand-List (1899), 1, 55; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 68. Phapitreron nigrorum McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Tuc-mó, Masbate, Ticao, and in general use.

Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Layard, Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).

Adult.--Very similar to Phapitreron leucotis but smaller; chin, sides of face, and upper throat much paler; the white line on auricular region replaced by a wider line of pale fulvous from bill to nape. Bill black; iris gray; legs dark scarlet; nails brown. Four specimens, two of each sex, measure: Wing, 119 to 124 (122); tail, 90 to 96.5 (94); culmen from base, 17 to 18 (17.5); tarsus, 16.5 to 18 (17.5).

"Very common in the forests of the central Philippines. Iris dark brown; legs and feet dark pink; nails leaden; bill black. Length, 229 to 250; wing, 119 to 127; tail, 84 to 96; culmen, 17 to 19; middle toe with claw, 26 to 29." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

24. PHAPITRERON BREVIROSTRIS Tweeddale.

SHORT-BILLED PIGEON.

Phabotreron brevirostris Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 549; Challenger Report (1881), 2, Zool. pt. 8, pl. 6; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 69; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 55. Phapitreron brevirostris McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 10.

Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Goodfellow, Clemens, Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard).

"Similar to P. leucotis, from which it differs in having the forehead and throat grayish fulvous, the occiput constantly amethystine, and the rectrices with a decided amethystine tinge; it resembles also P. nigrorum, especially as regards the coloring of the forehead and throat, but it differs in having the subocular streak white and the occiput more amethystine. Length, about 240; wing, 124; tail, 99; bill, 13; tarsus, 19." (Salvadori.)

"It seems to us that there must be something wrong about the Sulu record of P. brevirostris. We obtained no pigeons of the P. leucotis type in Sulu, and the single specimen obtained by us in Tawi Tawi has been lost or destroyed, so that we are unable to identify it, but it would be indeed remarkable if P. brevirostris should give way to P. occipitalis in Basilan only to reappear in Sulu. In the face of Count Salvadori's identification of Guillemard's specimen, however, we have nothing to say.

"Iris purple; legs and feet deep purple; nails brown. Five birds from Samar and Siquijor average: Length, 235; wing, 122; tail, 83; culmen, 19; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 26. A female from Mindanao is larger, measuring: Length, 250; wing, 127; tail, 94; culmen, 17; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 28." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

25. PHAPITRERON ALBIFRONS McGregor.

BOHOL WHITE-EARED PIGEON.

Phabotreron brevirostris Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 69 (part). Phapitreron albifrons McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 317.

Li-mú-con, Bohol.

Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

Adult male (type).--General color brown, much darker above, with iridescent reflections most pronounced on nape, mantle, and breast; merging rather abruptly into dark gray of crown; occiput, nape, and sides of head ruddy brown; from gape a narrow brown line passing below eye with a wider white line underneath, both lines reaching beyond ear-coverts; chin white, gradually changing to gray on throat and ochraceous on breast and abdomen; under tail-coverts and a wide band at end of tail pale french-gray; wings uniform with the back; primaries with a narrow light brown edge on outer webs; with the bird held toward the light the occiput and nape are glossed with green, followed by a patch of metallic blue, this followed on interscapulars by a wide band of metallic green extending to sides of neck and narrowly bordered behind by blue; the wings and remaining upper parts have a dull green gloss; with the bird held away from the light the green changes to purple and this metallic color shows also on throat, breast, and sides of neck. Length, 234; wing, 122; tail, 81; culmen from base, 16; tarsus, 17.

Female.--Similar to the male. In this species the terminal half of bill is black; basal half of bill, skin around eyes, and feet dull crimson; iris brown; nails gray.

Egg.--A hard-shelled egg was taken from a female killed on June 7, 1906; another egg, obtained in the same manner four days later, measures 27 by 21 and is pure white in color.

This species is most closely related to P. brevirostris but it differs in having a white forehead and brown subocular line.

Subfamily PTILOPODINÆ.

Forest inhabiting pigeons of medium size; upper surface rich green; no band across lower back.

Genera.

a1. First primary abruptly attenuated.

b1. Tail rather long; pectoral feathers not bifurcated. ... Leucotreron (p. 37) b2. Tail moderate; pectoral feathers bifurcated. ... Lamprotreron (p. 40)