Part 17

This is the common balud, or fruit pigeon, inhabiting the Philippines.

33. MUSCADIVORES PALAWANENSIS (Blasius).

PALAWAN IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Carpophaga ænea palawanensis Blasius, Ornis (1888), 4, 316. Carpophaga ænea Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 190, 193 (part). Muscadivora ænea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11 (part).

Balabac (Steere); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan (Steere, Everett, Lempriere, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White).

Very much like M. chalybura but tail darker and generally bluer on its upper surface. Male: Length, 455; wing, 250; tail, 163. Female: Length, 445; wing, 250; tail, 163.

This bird is a very slightly differentiated race of the green imperial pigeon.

34. MUSCADIVORES ÆNEA (Linnæus).

GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Columba ænea Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 283. Carpophaga ænea Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 190, 193 (part); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 64; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 85. Muscadivora ænea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11 (part).

Bongao (Everett); Sulu (Burbidge, Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, Indo-Chinese countries, Malay Peninsula, Sunda Islands.

Adult (sexes alike).--Head, neck, and abdomen gray, tinged with vinaceous; breast gray; forehead and chin whitish; under tail-coverts dark chestnut; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings metallic green, mixed with metallic copper-color; primaries and secondaries blackish with mealy edges. "Iris red; bill gray; region of nostrils dull red; edges of eyelids, legs, and feet purplish red." (Oates.) Length, about 450; wing, 240; tail, 150; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 27. Female slightly smaller than male.

35. MUSCADIVORES PICKERINGI (Cassin).

PICKERING'S IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Carpophaga pickeringii Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. (1854), 7, 228; Ornith. Wilkes Exped. (1858), 267, pl. 27. Carpophaga pickeringi Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 201; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 65. Muscadivora pickeringi McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11.

A-bu-un, Cagayancillo.

Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Guillemard). Mantanani Islands, Lawas River, northwest Borneo.

"Adult male.--Head and under parts grayish vinous, changing into pure gray on lower hind neck and upper mantle; frontal edge, a ring of feathers round eyes, and chin whitish; back, rump, and wings grayish green (in some specimens with a slight brown tinge), with a metallic luster in some lights; longer upper tail-coverts and tail above metallic bottle-green; primaries mealy green, especially on outer webs; under surface of wings and tail gray; under tail-coverts gray with a reddish tinge. 'Iris crimson; bill light lead-gray; feet dull crimson.' (Everett.) Length, about 400; wing, 240; tail, 173; bill, 20; tarsus, 28.

"Female.--Similar to the male." (Salvadori.)

This species was very abundant on Cagayancillo where it fed entirely on young leaves of trees.

36. MUSCADIVORES LANGHORNEI (Mearns).

LANGHORNE'S IMPERIAL PIGEON.

Muscadivora langhornei Mearns, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. (1905), 18, 84; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 11.

East Bolod (Mearns); West Bolod (Mearns).

"This large fruit pigeon is closely related to Muscadivora pickeringi (Cassin) from Mangsee Island north of Borneo, on the west side of the Sulu Sea, of which the type (No. 15732) is in United States National Museum. The size is practically the same; but the colors differ as follows: General coloration paler; the vinous-gray of the head and under parts is darker, the gray of lower hind neck extends farther down on the mantle, the white around the base of the bill and surrounding the eye is more extensive, the back and rump are paler and less brownish gray, the wings are paler, grayer and less greenish, and the under tail-coverts less reddish. Iris purplish red; region of the nostrils dark plumbeous; bill light plumbeous; naked eyelid deep vinaceous; bare space around eye plumbeous; feet vinaceous, flesh-color on under side of toes; claws plumbeous. Three adult males: Length, 456, 456, 460; alar expanse, 770, 760, 770; wing, 242, 242, 243; tail, 180, 180, 178; culmen, 19, 21, 19; tarsus, 30, 31, 32; middle toe with claw, 48, 49, 45." (Mearns.)

Genus PTILOCOLPA Bonaparte, 1854.

Sexes unlike in plumage; bill and gape rather small compared with Muscadivores; nostril opening elongate; first primary attenuated and scooped on inner web; second primary slightly scooped; inner primaries obliquely cut at tip; the outline sinuous and outer web extending beyond shaft and inner web; tarsus partly feathered.

Species.