Part 24

Genus PHLEGOENAS Reichenbach, 1852.

Terrestrial and solitary; wings moderate; first primary normal; tail moderate and rounded; tarsi unfeathered; wing-coverts banded; chin and throat white; a conspicuous spot, or patch, of orange or red on crop region, where the feathers are decomposed and harsh.

Species.

a1. Breast-spot blood-red.

b1. Forehead gray; lower breast pink. ... luzonica (p. 60) b2. Forehead green like crown; lower breast buff or fawn.

c1. A broad chestnut band on wing-coverts. ... criniger (p. 61) c2. A broad white band on lesser wing-coverts. ... keayi (p. 62)

a2. Breast-spot orange.

b1. Hind breast and upper abdomen pearly ash. ... menagei (p. 63) b2. Chest and abdomen white. ... platenæ (p. 64)

51. PHLEGOENAS LUZONICA (Scopoli).

LUZON PUÑALADA.

Columba luzonica Scopoli, Del Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 94. Phlogoenas luzonica Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 585; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Pu-ña-lá-da, Manila and generally.

Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Heriot, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor, Celestino).

Adult (sexes similar).--Top of head, from base of bill to hind border of eye, gray; rest of upper parts dark brown, each feather, except rectrices and their coverts, edged with metallic green or purple, according to the light; the edging wider on interscapulars; sides of neck similar to back; chin, throat, and sides of face below eyes pure white; a patch of blood-red on the stiffish feathers of crop, shading into pale salmon on lower breast and abdomen; sides gray; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts light buff; primaries and secondaries brown, edges reddish brown, basal half of inner web of primaries cinnamon; greater and median coverts reddish brown with wide gray tips forming two gray bands across each wing; lesser coverts gray; two middle pairs of rectrices brown on upper surface; the other rectrices gray, each with a subterminal black bar.

Length, about 280. A male from Bataan Province, Luzon, measures: Wing, 148; tail, 112; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 35. A female from the same province measures: Wing, 145; tail, 102; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 32.

This beautiful dove is often found in the Manila markets; it is a well-known favorite of the Spaniards. The species is commonly known as puñalada which means "stabbed with a dagger." The Calamianes record of this species is doubtless an error.

52. PHLEGOENAS CRINIGER (Jacquinot and Pucheran).

HAIR-BREASTED PUÑALADA.

Pampusana criniger Jacquinot and Pucheran, Voy. Pôle Sud. (1853), 3, 118. Phlogoenas bartletti Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863), 377, pl. 34. Phlogoenas crinigera Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 587; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Whitehead); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp.); Samar (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male and female.--Head, cheeks, neck, and mantle dark metallic green changing to metallic purple; back, rump, and tail-coverts chestnut, some of the feathers with amethystine edges; white of chin and throat extending backward on each side of a large dark red crop-patch; rest of under parts rich buffy brown, lighter on tail-coverts, nearly white on abdomen; alula, primaries, and primary-coverts dark brown; secondaries chestnut; upper lesser coverts brown, edged with metallic green changing to amethystine; remainder of lesser coverts broadly tipped with gray; median and greater coverts chestnut, tipped with gray forming wing-bands; middle tail-feathers chestnut, the others blackish with wide gray tips. A male from Basilan: Length, 280; wing, 153; tail, 110; exposed culmen, 19; tarsus, 36. A female from Basilan: Wing, 145; tail, 95; exposed culmen, 19; tarsus, 34.

"Eyes lilac; legs light pink; feet dark pink; nails nearly white; upper mandible black, lower gray. Seven specimens average as follows: Length, 355; culmen, 21; wing, 146; tail, 95; tarsus, 32; middle toe with claw, 9.

"We consider the Sulu record of this species extremely doubtful. We saw a Phlegoenas there which we failed to obtain. It seems to us more probable, however, from the close relationship of the known birds of Sulu to those of Tawi Tawi that the species in question is P. menagei.

"The habits of the Philippine representatives of this genus are the same. The birds are invariably found on the ground in the forest. They run very rapidly, and in close cover frequently escape in this way without taking wing. When flushed they invariably alight on the ground again, and run rapidly after alighting, so that they are very difficult to kill. P. criniger is fairly abundant in Basilan, but much rarer in Samar." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

53. PHLEGOENAS KEAYI Clarke.

NEGROS PUÑALADA.

Phlogoenas keayi Clarke, Ibis (1900), 359, pl. 8; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Pe-nes, Negros.