Part 25

Negros (Keay).

Adult.--"Feathers of the head, upper part of cheeks, hind neck, sides of breast, mantle, and lesser wing-coverts (except the distal series) gray, broadly edged with dark metallic green, changing to amethystine; back and rump purplish chestnut with amethystine margins to feathers; upper tail-coverts purplish chestnut; primaries dusky, with margins of outer webs and basal two-thirds of inner webs chestnut; secondaries chestnut, dusky toward tips of inner webs; greater and median coverts purplish chestnut; lesser coverts with two or three of their distal rows subterminally gray, broadly margined with white, the latter color forming a conspicuous band across wing; lining of wing and under wing-coverts chestnut; central pair of tail-feathers dark chestnut, the remainder gray with a broad subapical band of black; lower part of cheeks, throat, fore neck, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white (abdomen washed with fawn in some specimens); flanks and thighs fawn, almost white in some examples; patch on crop-region small and blood-red; pectoral band narrow and incomplete, formed by the metallic green margins to some of the breast feathers. Feet red. Wing, 159; tail, 104; culmen, 18; tarsus, 37." (Clarke.)

Keay's blood-breasted pigeon is easily recognized by the conspicuous white band across the wing.

54. PHLEGOENAS MENAGEI Bourns and Worcester.

TAWI TAWI PUÑALADA.

Phlogoenas menagei Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 10; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).

"Adult male.--Entire upper surface of head, nape, hind neck, upper back, sides of neck, and sides of breast rich metallic green; scapulars and interscapulars dark brown, broadly edged with elegant violet when specimen is held between observer and the light, this color changing to deep green when specimen is held away from source of light; rump and upper tail-coverts ruddy brown narrowly edged with metallic colors of back; a few of the longest coverts nearly black, washed with rufous-brown at tips; basal portion of tail-feathers dark ashy gray, the two central feathers darkest; a distinct subterminal band of black on all but central pair of feathers; all the feathers with a terminal gray band, least distinct on central pair; wing-coverts dark brown, broadly tipped with metallic green except outer series, which are broadly tipped with ashy gray; primary- and secondary-coverts and secondaries fulvous-brown, the outer half of outer webs of feathers rich rufous-brown, the inner secondaries having the entire outer web, and tip of inner web, of this color; primaries fulvous-brown faintly washed with rufous-brown on basal half of outer webs; lores, a narrow line under eye, and ear-coverts nearly black with a faint wash of metallic green; metallic green of back and sides of neck continued in a distinct band across the breast, only slightly interrupted at center of breast and inclosing a beautiful orange plastron formed by the bristle-like tips of the feathers of the fore breast; basal portion of these feathers as well as chin, throat, sides of face, and sides of throat pure white; an indistinct white band behind the green pectoral band; hind breast and upper abdomen pearly ash, a few of the feathers tipped with creamy white; belly creamy white; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts buff; under surface of tail like upper, the terminal band being rather more pronounced; under wing-coverts, axillars, and basal portion of inner webs of all the quills chestnut-brown; rest of quills dark brown. Iris light silver-gray; bill slaty gray at tip, black at base; legs and feet light red; nails light brown. Length, 286; wing, 153; tail, 103; culmen, 21; tarsus, 36.

"Extremely rare and difficult to obtain. We secured two fine males but failed to get a female." (Bourns and Worcester.)

55. PHLEGOENAS PLATENÆ Blasius.

MINDORO PUÑALADA.

Phlogoenas platenæ "Blasius," Hartert, Jour. für Ornith. (1891) 302; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 588; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 88; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Mindoro (Platen, Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).

Adult (sexes similar).--Head and neck dark metallic green changing to amethystine; scapulars, back, and rump chestnut, many of the feathers edged with metallic green; below white becoming faint buff or ochraceous on abdomen, flanks, and tail-coverts; finely speckled with gray on sides of breast; red crop-patch very small; alula, primaries, and primary-coverts brown; secondaries and coverts chestnut, except some of the lesser series which are blackish with broad light gray tips forming a conspicuous patch; upper tail-coverts and middle pair of tail-feathers gray, remainder of rectrices blackish with gray tips. Iris purple; bill black; legs dark rose-color; nails gray. Length, 275 to 285. A male measures: Wing, 150; tail, 106; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 34. A female: Wing, 141; tail, 100; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 34.

Two nests with eggs were collected on the Baco River in 1905. The first was taken April 28, and was placed 1.5 meters from the ground on a horizontal limb of a small tree. The two eggs were advanced in incubation. They measure 30 by 22 and 29 by 22. The second nest was similarly placed in a shrub. The nest measures 200 by 280 mm. across the top and is very shallow, the outside depth being about 50 mm. On the bottom are a number of rather large leaves and sticks, topped by fine rootlets and spiral plant-tendrils. The materials were poorly put together so that a large part of the bottom fell off when the nest was removed from its site. The two eggs were well incubated. They measure 29 by 22 and 30 by 21. Their color is light cream.

"Common in the old forests in the interior of Mindoro, but very difficult to shoot. We found its nest in a tangle of vines about two meters above the ground. The female flew from the nest to the ground and pretended to be lame. The nest, which contained two young birds, was found in the month of May." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily CALOENADINÆ.

Genus CALOENAS Gray, 1840.

The genus Caloenas is distinguished by having the feathers of the neck long, narrow, and pointed; bill deep, with a knob on the base of culmen; legs and feet large, covered with large transverse plates; tail short and square.

56. CALOENAS NICOBARICA (Linnæus).

NICOBAR PIGEON.

Columba nicobarica Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 164. Caloenas nicobarica Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 615; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 24, fig. 5 (head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 91; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 106; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 15.

Dun-dú-nai, native name.

Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen); Sibutu (Everett); Siquijor (Celestino); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Talaran, off Basilan (Freer); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Nicobar and Greater Sunda Islands, Mergui and Bismark Archipelagos, Moluccas to New Guinea.

Adult male.--Head, neck, throat, and breast dark slate or blue-black; long neck-plumes, mantle, back, wing-coverts, and some of the inner secondaries bright metallic green, blue, or bronze-red changing with the light; primaries and outer secondaries black, more or less edged with blue; tail and its coverts pure white; abdomen, flanks, and thighs blue-black with more or less metallic green. Wing, 250; tail, 82; culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 40.

"Female.--Similar to the male but smaller, narrow feathers of the neck shorter, and also frontal knob smaller.

"Young.--Like the female, but the tail greenish black." (Salvadori.)

"Rare in all the islands visited by us except Tawi Tawi, where it is very common. Invariably found on the ground in deep woods. It rises very heavily and with much noise, always alighting in low trees, and then flying from tree to tree if disturbed. Iris dark brown; legs dark purple; upper surface of feet dark purple; lower surface yellow; nails yellow; bill black. Seven specimens average as follows: Length, 346; culmen, 23; wing, 241; tail, 86; tarsus, 38; middle toe and claw, 48." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)