Chapter V: Preface (4)

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being browner, the bands on the wing being buffy white; sides of face, fore neck, and chest ashy brown, with a rufous tinge; throat whitish, as also the breast and abdomen, which have a few bars of dusky blackish on the sides of the body." (Sharpe.)

61. RALLINA EURIZONOIDES (Lafresnaye).

PHILIPPINE BANDED CRAKE.

Gallinula eurizonoides Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool. (1845), 368.
Rallina euryzonoides Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 78,
pl. 8, fig. 1; Hand-List (1899), 1, 100; McGregor and Worcester,
Hand-List (1906), 16.

Basilan (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (Everett);
Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Dussumier, Möllendorff, Bourns &
Worcester); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (McGregor,
Porter); Negros (Everett); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu
(Guillemard).

Adult male.--Back, wings, rump, tail, and tail-coverts dark brown with a slight olive tinge; head, neck, throat, and breast bright chestnut; posterior half of breast, abdomen, flanks, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts and axillars black with wide white cross-bars, most conspicuous on the breast; thighs brown with but little white; primaries and secondaries blackish with wide white bars on inner webs. "Bill blackish, the base tinged light green, tip grayish; legs dull greenish leaden; feet dark lead-gray; nails gray; iris brilliant red." (Everett.) Length of a male from Basilan, 254; wing, 128; tail, 65; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 46; middle toe with claw, 37.

Adult female.--Differs little if any from the male. A specimen from Cagayancillo had upper mandible black; lower mandible pea-green, tip bluish; legs very dark green; nails dark brown. Length, 215; wing, 128; tail, 69; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 40; middle toe with claw, 35.

"So far as our observation goes R. eurizonoides is a woods form, all of our specimens having been killed in deep forest. Eyes orange-red; legs and feet dark olive; upper mandible nearly black; lower olive-green." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus PORZANA Vieillot, 1816.

Smallest of the Philippine rails; bill slender; middle toe with claw longer than tarsus.

Species.

a1. Upper surface freckled with white. ... auricularis (p. 71) a2. Upper surface uniform. ... plumbea (p. 72)

62. PORZANA AURICULARIS Reichenbach.

PALLAS'S CRAKE.

Porzana auricularis Reichenbach, Jour. für Orn. (1898), 139;
Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 102; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901),
1, 118.
Porzana pusilla (not of Pallas) Sharpe, Cat. Birds
Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 106; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 16.

Luzon (Heriot). Eastern Siberia, Japan, China, Burmah, India,
Ceylon, Borneo.

Adult male.--General color above dark ochraceous-brown with black centers to nearly all the feathers which are marked with white spots freckled with black; lower back black, freckled with white but only slightly washed with ochraceous-brown; upper tail-coverts ochraceous-brown with black centers; center of crown and hind neck dark ochraceous or reddish brown, only faintly streaked with black centers to the feathers; forehead and broad eyebrow as well as entire side of face, throat, and breast clear slaty gray; a distinct band of reddish brown along ear-coverts to sides of neck; abdomen, flanks, and thighs blackish, mottled with white bars; under tail-coverts deep black, barred with white; lesser and median wing-coverts uniform ochraceous-brown like the back, greater series with blackish centers and white frecklings; innermost secondaries like the back with broad black centers, the inner webs paler ochraceous-brown thereby forming a broad longitudinal band on each side of the back; alula, primary-coverts, and quills sepia-brown; edges of alula and first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars dusky brown with a few white spots and bars; tail-feathers blackish, edged with dark ochraceous-brown. (Compiled from Sharpe, Catalogue of Birds). "Bill green, dusky on the culmen and at the tips; legs and feet green, with a yellowish tinge, sometimes brownish olive, sometimes pale green or pale olive-green; claws pale brown; iris normally red, sometimes briar-red, crimson, or carmine." (Hume.) Length, 178; culmen, 19; wing, 89; tail, 42; tarsus, 28; middle toe and claw, 38.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male in color. Length, 178; culmen, 16; wing, 94; tail, 43; tarsus, 28.

"Young.--Is like the adult on the upper surface and is similarly marked with black and white, but the general tone of the plumage is rather more rufous; the head like the back; sides of face rufous-brown, as also eyebrow; lores whitish; throat, breast, and abdomen dull white; fore neck and chest rufescent, barred across with dusky; lower flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts black, barred with white. 'Iris orange-red or reddish brown.' (Hume.)" (Sharpe.)

63. PORZANA PLUMBEA (Gray).

LEAD-COLORED CRAKE.

Crex plumbea Gray, in Griffith ed. Cuvier (1829), 3, 410.
Porzana tabuensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 111
(part).
Porzana plumbea Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 102; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 16.

Luzon (Meyer, McGregor). New Hebrides, Australia, New Caledonia,
New Zealand, Chatham, Samoa, and Fiji Islands.

Adult (sexes alike).--Above including wings reddish chocolate-brown; rump slightly darker; head and neck blackish; sides of face and under parts dark slate-gray; chin and throat more or less whitish; under tail-coverts black with white bars; edge of wing, first alula quill, and first primary white; under wing-coverts mottled with ashy brown and white. Bill black; iris and eyelids brick-red; legs and feet light salmon; nails dark brown. Ten specimens from the vicinity of Manila measure: Length, 165 to 178; wing, 69 to 78 (average 75); tail, 36 to 44 (average 40); exposed culmen, 15 to 19 (average 16); tarsus, 23 to 26 (average 25); middle toe with claw, 29 to 32 (average 31).

"Young.--Differs from the adult in having the throat white and the center of chest and abdomen for the most part white." (Sharpe.)

At times great numbers of this little rail are sold in the Manila markets, but I have never taken a specimen in the field.

Genus POLIOLIMNAS Sharpe, 1893.

Tarsus less than middle toe with claw and less than twice the culmen; plumage of under parts mostly white.

64. POLIOLIMNAS CINEREUS (Vieillot).

ASHY CRAKE.

Porphyrio cinereus Vieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (1819),
28, 29.
Poliolimnas cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23,
130; Hand-List (1899), 1, 104; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 17.

Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan
(McGregor); Cebu (Steere, Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Dinagat
(Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp.);
Luzon (Bourns & Worcester, Cuming, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque
(Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro
(Bourns & Worcester, Porter); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Panay
(Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp.,
Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Oceania, Malayan Peninsula,
Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Buru, Australia.

Adult (sexes alike).--General color above wood-brown; scapulars, inner secondaries, lower back, rump, and tail seal-brown; scapulars and inner secondaries with wide sandy brown edges; top of head black or dark slate-gray; a white line from bill over eye; a large loral space black, below this a white band separating black post-ocular space from ashy ear-coverts; lower throat, sides of neck, and sides of body ashy gray; chin, upper throat, thighs, and middle of breast and abdomen white; flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts sandy buff or clay-color; wings and tail dark brown; first primary edged with white. Iris bright red; bill yellowish brown; legs brown with greenish and yellowish tints; nails brown. Length, 190 to 203. Three males from Bohol measure: Wing, 91 to 98 (average 95); tail, 45 to 51 (average 48); exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 36 to 39 (average 37.8); middle toe with claw, 46 to 52 (average 46).

Young.--The fully feathered young resembles the adult in color pattern but top of head and blackish loral band are brown and the ashy gray of ear-coverts, lower throat, and sides is replaced by yellowish buff. The downy young is coal-black.

A downy young bird was collected in Calayan, October 8, 1903, and a half-grown bird was collected in Ticao, April 22, 1902.

"Very common about lakes and fresh-water pools. Breeds abundantly in the tall grass and rushes. Called by the natives 'y-a-gut-yút.'" (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus LIMNOBÆNUS Sundevall, 1873.

In colors this genus resembles Rallina but has the middle toe with claw longer than the tarsus.

Species.

a1. Flanks olive-brown with narrow whitish bars, the bars sometimes wanting. ... fuscus (p. 74) a2. Flanks white, barred with dusky blackish. ... paykulli (p. 74)

65. LIMNOBÆNUS FUSCUS (Linnæus).

RUDDY CRAKE.

Rallus fuscus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 262.
Limnobænus fuscus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 146;
Hand-List (1899), 1, 105; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 120;
McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 17.

Cagayancillo (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Cuming, Heriot,
Steere Exp., Whitehead); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp.); Mindoro
(McGregor); Negros (Keay). Ceylon, Indian and Malay Peninsulas,
Burmese countries to China and Japan, Christmas Island, Java,
Borneo.

Adult male.--Above including wing-coverts dark olive; forehead, sides of head, chin, throat, and breast vinous-chestnut, chin more or less whitish; abdomen and flanks olive-brown with narrow white bars; vent and under tail-coverts blackish with wider white bars; wings and tail brown; axillars and under wing-coverts fringed with white. Iris brick-red, a narrow inner circle brown; bill dark brown, lighter at tips; legs red; nails brown. A male from Manila market, September 2, 1904, measures: Length, 190; wing, 93; tail, 42; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 30; middle toe with claw, 35.

Adult female.--Similar to the male. A female from Cagayancillo, February 23, 1903, measures: Length, 210; wing, 96; tail, 47; exposed culmen, 18.5; tarsus, 32; middle toe with claw, 37. A breeding female from Manila market, August 20, 1902, measures: Length, 210; wing, 98; tail, 47; exposed culmen, 20; tarsus, 32; middle toe with claw, 37.

Young.--Manila market, August 14, 1902. Above olive and blackish brown, chin and throat white; remainder of under parts sooty brown mixed with white. Iris light green; upper mandible black; lower dark flesh; legs brown; nails black. Length, 200.

This little crake is either very shy or very scarce as few specimens are seen. It is usually found in dry brush-land or on forest paths and is extremely quick in making its escape.

66. LIMNOBÆNUS PAYKULLI (Ljungh).

PAYKULL'S CRAKE.

Rallus paykulli Ljungh, Sver. Vet. Akad. Handl. (1813), 258.
Porzana paykulli Steere, List Birds & Mams. Steere Exped. (1890),
82.
Limnobænus paykulli Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23,
149; Hand-List (1899), 1, 105; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 17.

Basilan (Steere Exp.). China, Eastern Siberia, Malay Peninsula,
Java, Borneo.

"Adult male.--Similar to L. fuscus, and having red legs like the latter species; upper surface ashy brown, as also the wings and tail; head ashy brown, with a rufous tinge on the forehead; lores, sides of face, throat, and breast pale vinous-chestnut; chin whitish; sides of breast ashy brown; flanks and thighs white, barred with dusky blackish; under tail-coverts black, barred and tipped with white; axillars and under wing-coverts white, with dusky blackish bars. 'Bill bluish gray, blackish on the culmen and about the tip, pea-green about the base; inside of mouth flesh-color; iris crimson; eyelid red; legs and toes salmon-color, brownish on the under surface of the tarsi, on the toes, and on their soles.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 215; culmen, 28; wing, 119; tail, 55; tarsus, 38.

"Young (type of Rallina rufigenis).--Similar to the adult, but duller above, paler rufous below, the abdomen white with a vinous tinge; throat white; wing-coverts much more numerously banded with white." (Sharpe.)

Steere is the only author who has recorded this species from the Philippines.

Genus AMAURORNIS Reichenbach, 1852.

Bill rather stout; base of upper mandible slightly swollen; legs and feet large; middle toe with claw longer than tarsus; plumage with neither spots nor bars.

Species.

a1. Chin, throat, and breast slate-gray. ... olivacea (p. 75) a2. Chin, throat, and breast pure white. ... phoenicura (p. 76)

67. AMAURORNIS OLIVACEA (Meyen).

PHILIPPINE WATERHEN.

Gallinula olivacea Meyen, Nova Acta C. L-C. Acad. Nat. Cur. (1834),
16, Suppl. 1, 109, pl. 20.
Amaurornis olivacea Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. (1875), 9, 231,
pl. 33, fig. 1; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 153;
Hand-List (1899), 1, 106; Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 247
(eggs); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 120.
Amauronis olivacea McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1907), 17
(error).

Tin-gaó, Ticao; ba-na-tí-ran, Calayan; ba-hu-goc', Batan.

Batan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu
(Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Luzon
(Meyen, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead);
Masbate (McGregor); Mindanao (Platen, Goodfellow); Mindoro
(McGregor); Negros (Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar
(Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao
(McGregor).

Adult (sexes alike).--Above olive-brown; below bluish slate-gray, most intense on breast, lighter on chin, throat, and middle of abdomen; flanks and thighs dull olive-brown; under tail-coverts ruddy brown. Iris red; bill sea-green; legs dirty yellow; nails brown. Length of a male from Bohol, 330; wing, 175; tail, 63; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 65; middle toe with claw, 70. Length of a male from Calayan, 305; wing, 178; tail, 57; culmen from base, 41; tarsus, 69; middle toe with claw, 73. A female from Mindoro, May 6, 1905, measures: Length, 290; wing, 165; tail, 53; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 57; middle toe with claw, 64.

"A common bird, snared in abundance by the natives. Two sets of eggs were obtained by us in Siquijor. The nest was in each case placed on a slight elevation, and was a mere heap of dried leaves and grasses. The ground-color of the eggs is rather a rich creamy buff. They are heavily blotched and spotted with a rich light chocolate-brown, the blotches being more numerous at the larger end, where they are often confluent. A few inconspicuous lilac markings are also present. The eggs measure from 40.6 to 43 in length, and from 29 to 32 in greatest breadth." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Oates describes two eggs collected in Siquijor in February by the Steere Expedition. "The eggs of the Philippine crake are of a broad oval form, and they have but little gloss. The ground is creamy white, and this is spotted, streaked, and blotched, more thickly at the larger end than elsewhere, with reddish brown and underlying pale purple. Two examples measure respectively 41.9 by 30.9; 39.3 by 28.7."

A nest of this species found at Balete, Mindoro, was well hidden in a clump of saw-grass. It was very weakly made of dry grass and had a deep cup. The single egg was heavily incubated when taken on May 20. It measures 41.6 by 30.9 mm. The ground-color is pale creamy white. Small spots and fine dots of reddish brown are scattered over the whole shell, but more numerously on the larger end where there are also two large blotches of lavender. A few small lavender dots are scattered over the entire surface.

68. AMAURORNIS PHOENICURA (Pennant).

WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN.

Gallinula phoenicurus Pennant, Ind. Zool. (1769), 10, pl. 9.
Amaurornis phoenicura Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23,
156; Hand-List (1899), 1, 106; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901),
1, 121, pl. 9, fig. 5.
Amaurornis phoenicura Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Birds (1898),
4, 173, fig. 36 (head).
Amauronis phoenicura McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906),
18 (error).

Sally-quawk, in general use.

Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor);
Bongao (Everett); Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns &
Worcester); Cebu (McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao
(Everett, Martens, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan
(Platen, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns &
Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard); Tawi Tawi (Bourns &
Worcester). Indian and Malay Peninsulas, Ceylon, Indo-Burmese
Provinces, China, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Celebes.

Adult (sexes alike).--Above including wings dark slate-gray; middle of neck, back, and inner secondaries washed with olive; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dull brown; forehead, eyebrow, face, sides of neck, chin, throat, and breast white; from behind eye a black streak separating the gray above from the white below, abdomen and thighs washed with light chestnut; flanks and under tail-coverts chestnut; some of the upper tail-coverts slightly chestnut; alula and primaries blackish, first feather of each edged with white; edge of wing white; under wing-coverts blackish, fringed with white; tail blackish. Iris dark brown; upper mandible red behind nostril, remainder dark green; lower mandible pea-green; legs yellowish brown or light brown.

Length, 292 to 305. A male from Danao, Cebu, August 2, 1906, measures: Wing, 147; tail, 63; culmen from base, 38; tarsus, 56; middle toe with claw, 65. A male from Palawan, January 17, 1906, measures: Wing, 156; tail, 69; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 56; middle toe with claw, 64. A female from Basilan, December 21, 1906, measures: Wing, 147; tail, 58; culmen from base, 35; tarsus, 53; middle toe with claw, 63.

"A very common bird in marshy regions and along fresh-water streams. Called 'sally-quawk' by the natives from its notes." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus GALLINULA Brisson, 1760.

Bill moderate, the culmen extending backward on the forehead to opposite center of eye and forming a tumid shield with rounded posterior margin; toes with a narrow fold on each side; middle toe without claw longer than tarsus; plumage black with white on flanks and under tail-coverts.

69. GALLINULA CHLOROPUS (Linnæus).

MOORHEN.

Fulica chloropus Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 152.
Gallinula chloropus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 169;
Hand-List (1899), 1, 107; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898),
4, 175, fig. 37 (head); Grant and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 246
(eggs); Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 123; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Ca-rab' i-tu-mon', Bohol.

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu
(Everett); Guimaras (Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett); Luzon
(Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead,
McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns
& Worcester); Negros (Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Samar
(Whitehead). Europe, Asia, Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius.

Adult male.--General color dark slaty gray; head, neck, chin, and throat black shaded into slate-gray posteriorly; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and inner wing-feathers dark olive-brown; feathers on middle of abdomen more or less fringed with white; several long flank feathers with long white stripes on outer webs; crissum black; under tail-coverts pure white; wings blackish; edge of wing and of first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars blackish with white tips; tail blackish. "Frontal shield and two-thirds of the bill deep lake-red, and tip of the latter greenish yellow for about one-third; legs olive-green, the broad scaling on the fore part of the tarsus, and the scales of the upper part of the toes, lemon-yellow; joint of heel dusky olive-green, with a shade of lemon-yellow immediately below the garter, which is dark lake-red; iris reddish." (Sharpe.) Two males from Bohol measure: Wing, 157, 162; tail, 70, 73; bill from posterior margin of frontal shield, 43, 45; bill from nostril, 15, 16; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 76, 77.

Adult female.--Similar to the male but smaller. A female from Basilan measures: 292 in length; wing, 138; tail, 63; culmen from posterior margin of frontal shield, 37; bill from nostril, 14; bill from gape, 27; tarsus, 49; middle toe with claw, 74.

Young.--Above richer brown, top of head washed with brown; below lighter than adult; chin, upper throat, and sides of face white mixed more or less with brown and dark gray; feathers on rest of under parts more or less fringed with brown and white; middle of abdomen pure white.

"The eggs of the moorhen are normally of a broad oval form and have a small amount of gloss. The ground-color varies much, being creamy white, pale greenish white, pale buff or pinkish buff. The markings consist of specks, spots, and bold blotches of deep reddish brown, and a few underlying pale purple spots. The combinations in which these markings occur are numerous. In some, the markings are all small and densely set over the shell; in others, spots are combined with huge blotches which are often confluent. As a rule the larger end of the egg is more thickly marked than the other parts. A few specimens are devoid of all markings except some pale purple blotches. Examples vary from 39.3 to 55 in length and from 27.9 to 36 in breadth." (Oates.)

Four eggs collected by Whitehead in Samar, August 25, 1896, are thus described: "The eggs are perfectly similar to those laid by European moorhens, but the number of eggs in the clutch, as well as their relatively smaller size, is noteworthy. Measurements 42 by 39." (Grant and Whitehead.)

Genus GALLICREX Blyth, 1849.

Bill stout and of moderate length; frontal shield pointed behind, much larger in males than in females, and in the breeding season terminating in a free horn-like process; legs and toes very long and heavy.

70. GALLICREX CINEREA (Gmelin).

WATERCOCK.

Fulica cinerea Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 702.
Gallicrex cinerea Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 183;
Hand-List (1899), 1, 108; Grant, Ibis (1895), 265; Blanford,
Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 176, fig. 38 (head); Oates,
Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 125; pl. 10, fig. 6; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Can-nu-toc', Manila; tub-tub, Ticao; tu-yud', Bohol; tug-tug,
Masbate.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead);
Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Luzon (Dussumier, Cuming, Heriot,
McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns &
Worcester); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro
(Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Keay); Panay (Bourns & Worcester);
Sibuyan (McGregor); Sulu (Guillemard); Tablas (Celestino); Ticao
(McGregor). Ceylon, Burmese provinces to China and Japan, Malay
and Indian Peninsulas, Greater Sunda Islands.

"Adult male.--General color above black, with a few remains of ashy gray margins to the feathers, or with brown edgings to the scapulars, lower back, and rump; upper wing-coverts blackish, broadly edged with ashy gray; bend of wing white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, slightly shaded with gray externally, first primary externally white; inner secondaries edged with light brown; tail-feathers blackish, edged with brown; head and neck all round and under surface of body deep black; a few whitish feathers on lower abdomen; under tail-coverts buffy white, with black bars; under wing-coverts black, barred and edged with white; axillars black like the sides of the breast. 'Frontal shield and base of upper mandible deep red; remainder of bill yellow, a spot on each side of lower mandible red; frontal process or horn pinkish; legs plumbeous green; claws horn-color; iris reddish brown; eyelids plumbeous.' (Oates.) Length, 419; culmen with frontal shield, 69; wing, 218; tail, 74; tarsus, 79.

"According to Oates, the male in winter has the fleshy process on the head reduced in size or nearly obsolete.

"Adult female.--General color above dark brown with a slight ashy shade, the feathers with sandy buff margins, so that the upper surface appears streaked; lower back and rump rather more uniform; wing-coverts ashy gray, the greater series browner, with fulvous margins like the inner secondaries, which have dusky frecklings also on the outer web; alula ashy brown, the outer feathers edged with white; primary-coverts and quills brown, externally shaded with ashy; first primary white along the outer web; tail-feathers dark brown, edged with lighter brown; crown uniform dark brown, forming a cap; hind neck like the back; lores, eyebrow, sides of face, and sides of neck dark sandy buff; throat and center of the abdomen white; remainder of under surface from the lower throat downwards pale isabelline buff, crossed with narrow wavy bars of dusky brown; lower flanks rather more uniform ashy brown; under tail-coverts more tawny, with dusky brown cross-bars; under wing-coverts and axillars uniform ashy brown, the edge of the wing white; quills uniform ashy brown below. Length, 305; culmen, 38; wing, 173; tail, 66; tarsus, 68; middle toe with claw, 91.

"Young.--Resembles the old female, but much more tawny everywhere, especially on the sides of face, neck, and under parts, the latter being much more narrowly and indistinctly barred with dusky brown than in the adult birds." (Sharpe.)

"A male and female adult from Catanduanes in the brownish buff plumage of autumn and winter. Neither Dr. Sharpe, in his Catalogue, nor any other author, so far as I am aware, makes the slightest reference to the autumn change of plumage which is so marked in the male, only the breeding dress being described, in which the whole of the hind neck and under parts, as well as the general color of the upper parts, are black. In the fully adult male before me the whole of the under parts from the throat downward are pale buff with rather fine, somewhat wavy, brownish black bars, except on the middle of the belly, which is paler and nearly devoid of markings; the under tail-coverts have the ground-color more rufous-buff; the rest of the plumage also resembles that of the female. The latter does not appear to have any different breeding plumage, or, if she changes, the feathers are very similar to those of the autumn dress." (Grant.)

"Abundant about paddy-fields in some localities. It nests on the ground in these fields, and the natives found a number of nests for us while cutting rice. They call the bird tug-túg from its note." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

In an adult male from Sibuyan, June 7, 1904, the head and mantle are light slate-gray with dark centers to the feathers and the lower parts are pale slate-gray with numerous light colored cross-lines. Frontal shield and bill to proximal edge of nostril scarlet; base of lower mandible scarlet; rest of bill pea-green; legs dull green; nails dark gray. Length, 432; wing, 241; tail, 86; bill from gape, 37; bill from nostril, 21; tarsus, 81; middle toe with claw, 94.

In an adult male from Guindulman, Bohol, June 3, 1906, the head, face, and lower parts are largely black and except on top of head, the greater number of the feathers are fringed with pale buff or white. Length, 419; wing, 235; tail, 87; bill from gape, 36; bill from nostril, 19; tarsus, 77; middle toe with claw, 94.

Genus PORPHYRIO Brisson, 1760.

Bill stout and very deep; nostrils circular; frontal shield broad, covering the entire forehead, its posterior border square; legs and toes very long and heavy.

71. PORPHYRIO PULVERULENTUS Temminck.

PHILIPPINE BLUE GALLINULE.

Porphyrio pulverulentus Temminck, Pl. Col. (1826), 5, pl. 405;
Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 207; Hand-List (1899),
1, 109; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 18.

Ac-bag', Manila; ca-rab' a-bu-hon', Bohol.

Bohol (McGregor); Luzon (Steere Exp., McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns);
Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.--General color hoary blue, lighter on head, neck, and fore breast; much darker, nearly navy blue on abdomen; crissum white; scapulars and upper back rich olive-brown or russet-brown, the feathers edged more or less with blue; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts duller brown; primaries black, their outer webs verditer-blue; short under wing-coverts blue, the longer ones black; tail blackish edged with verditer-blue.

In a male from the Manila market, March 24, 1903, the bill and shield were dusky cardinal; a space back of nostril and at base of lower mandible whitish; iris reddish brown; legs and feet reddish brown, joints dusky; nails brown. Length, 432; tail, 88; culmen from posterior margin of shield, 74; bill from gape, 41; bill from nostril, 32; tarsus, 93; middle toe with claw, 108.

Adult female.--Similar to the male. A female from Guindulman, Bohol, June 20, 1906, measures: Length, 394; wing, 236; tail, 88; culmen from posterior margin of shield, 67; bill from gape, 35; bill from nostril, 28; tarsus, 83; middle toe with claw, 99.

"Young.--Differs from the adult in being slightly duller in color, in having the quills externally washed with olive, and the breast and abdomen obscured by hoary whitish edgings to the feathers." (Sharpe.)

"Enormously abundant in the reeds about Lake Naujan in Mindoro, but a shy bird, and one not easily obtained except by snaring." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Subfamily FULICINÆ.

Genus FULICA Linnæus, 1758.

Anterior toes with a number of rounded lobes on each side; frontal shield rounded.

72. FULICA ATRA Linnæus.

BLACK COOT.

Fulica atra Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 152; Sharpe,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 210; Hand-List (1899), 1, 109;
Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 129; McGregor and Worcester,
Hand-List (1906), 19.

U-luc' di-á-blo, Manila.

Luzon (Heriot, McGregor). Europe, Indian Peninsula, Mediterranean
countries, northern and central Asia, China, Java, Sumatra,
Celebes.

Adult male.--General color above slate-gray, lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail blackish; head, neck, chin, and throat black; under side of body pale slate or smoke-gray; crissum black; edge of wing and of first primary white; under wing-coverts and axillars smoke-gray. "'Bill very pale lavender, with a pinkish tinge; frontal shield ivory-white; tarsi and feet pearly gray, with a greenish tinge on the sides of the tarsus; garter orange-yellow; iris dark brown' (R. B. S., MS). Length, 368; culmen from base of shield, 34; wing, 218; tail, 56; tarsus, 33; middle toe and claw, 78." (Sharpe.)

Adult female.--Similar to the male. In a specimen from Laguna de Bay, Luzon, December 29, 1901, the following colors were noted: Iris dull red; frontal shield and bill white, tip pale horn-brown; feet slate; legs slate with a wash of pale green on middle of tarsi; garter-ring next to feathers dull orange. Wing, 209; tail, 61; culmen including frontal shield, 47; bill from nostril, 15; bill from gape, 32; tarsus, 59; middle toe with claw, 87.

"Young.--Much browner than the adult, feathers of head dusky blackish edged with white; lores, eyebrows, and sides of face white; under surface of body ashy whitish, browner on the flanks." (Sharpe.)

The black coot is fairly abundant on the Laguna de Bay, Luzon, and doubtless occurs in Mindanao. This bird frequents lakes and ponds and is seldom seen on land.

Order COLYMBIFORMES.

GREBES.

Water birds with tarsus extremely flattened and legs set far back on body; neck long; plumage dense; tail-feathers very short and soft; toes lobed; toes and nails very broad and flat; hind toe small and elevated. Eggs with a white chalky surface; nest a mass of reeds near the water often floating on the water.

Family COLYMBIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Genus TACHYBAPTUS Reichenbach, 1849. [9]

Characters same as those given for the Family.

73. TACHYBAPTUS PHILIPPENSIS (Bonnaterre).

PHILIPPINE GREBE.

Colymbus philippensis Bonnaterre, Tabl. Encycl. Meth. (1790), 1,
58, pl. 46, fig. 3.
Podicipes philippensis Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898),
26, 511.
Podicipes philippinensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 113; Oates,
Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 133; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 19.

Su-li-a'-sit, Manila; ga-mao', Bohol.

Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.);
Luzon (Jagor, Heriot, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead,
McGregor, Stafford); Mindanao (Mearns); Panay (Clarke). [10]
Borneo, southern China, Burmese provinces, Formosa, Hainan.

Adult in breeding plumage.--Above dark, glossy seal-brown; chin, fore throat, and cheeks blackish; throat, sides of neck, and ear-coverts chestnut; breast and abdomen silvery white, mixed with a little blackish brown and gradually shading into blackish brown on fore breast, sides, flanks, and lower belly; thighs blackish mixed with a little light chestnut; wings black; under wing-coverts, axillars, and tips of short secondaries white. "Iris straw-yellow; bill black, whitish at the tip; naked skin at base of bill and between rami of the mandible pale greenish yellow; legs blackish gray, with a slight tinge of green." (Swinhoe.) A male from Calayan, November 15, 1903, measures: Length, 280; wing, 107; culmen broken; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 48.

The following data are from a female taken at Jala Jala, Laguna de Bay, Luzon, January 5, 1902. Feet bluish black; angle of mouth and base of lower mandible clear, pale pea-green; bill black with a light spot at tip. Wing, 100; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 49. A female from Sevilla, Bohol, March 24, 1906, measures: Length, 254; wing, 102; exposed culmen, 23; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 49.

The non-breeding bird has the chin and throat white and the chestnut reduced in extent and lighter in shade.

Young.--A half-grown downy young was obtained at Laguna de Bay, August 24, 1904. Above seal-brown with white tips to much of the down; middle of crown mottled with chestnut; a white line over eye; two diagonal white lines on each side of occiput, the anterior line continued along side of neck; chin, throat, and face mottled with white, black, and dark gray; fore breast, sides, and lower belly gray; middle of breast and belly white. Bill pale yellow mottled with blackish brown, tip gray; legs black. Length, 203.

A full-grown young bird has upper parts light brown; sides of head and neck buffy brown, mottled and streaked with white; chin and upper throat white; a wide dull buffy brown band around neck; breast and abdomen pure white; thighs buff-brown.

"Comparatively rare. Several specimens were secured by the Steere Expedition in a little pond in Guimaras. Fairly common in the Laguna de Bay, Luzon, but we failed entirely to find it in the Laguna de Naujan, Mindoro." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Order PROCELLARIIFORMES.

PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS.

Bill strong and moderately long, terminating in a strong, sharp, overhanging hook or nail; nostrils impervious and tubular, opening forward or upward; feet moderate; toes webbed; hind toe small and elevated, rarely absent. Oceanic birds of strong flight and wandering habits; colors black, brown, and white. Eggs white, deposited in burrows or among piles of loose stone; young covered with down and fed for some time before leaving the nest.

Families.

a1. Smaller; wing less than 150 mm. ... Procellariidæ (p. 84) a2. Larger; wing more than 300 mm. ... Puffinidæ (p. 84)

Family PROCELLARIIDÆ.

Nasal tube prominent, vertically truncated and with a thin partition.

Subfamily PROCELLARIINÆ.

Genus Oceanodroma Reichenbach, 1852.

Wing less than 180 mm.; tarsus not longer than middle toe with claw; tail emarginate or slightly forked; tarsus less than twice as long as culmen.

74. OCEANODROMA species McGregor.

PETREL.

Oceanodroma sp. McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 12;
McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

Luzon (McGregor).

The only specimen representing this genus and known to have been taken in the Philippines is in very poor condition and can not be determined specifically. It came aboard ship near Mariveles, Luzon, during a storm on July 28, 1903.

Family Puffinidæ.

Nasal case low and broad; end of lower mandible hooked like the upper.

Subfamily PUFFININÆ.

Genus PUFFINUS Brisson, 1760.

Nasal tube obliquely truncate, its partition thick.

75. PUFFINUS LEUCOMELAS Temminck.

SIEBOLD'S SHEARWATER.

Puffinus leucomelas Temminck, Pl. Col. (1836), pl. 587;
Ridgway, Man. North Am. Bds. (1887), 62; Salvin, Cat. Birds
Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 370; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 123;
McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 19.

Luzon (Cuming). Japan and Korea south to Australia.

"Adult male.--Upper surface brown, feathers of body and wings with paler dusky edges; anterior portion of crown, forehead, sides of head, and neck white, each feather with a dark disk, which is narrow on the forehead and sides of the head and neck, giving a streaked appearance; entire under surface white; under wing-coverts white, interior ones with dark shafts, those near the edge of wing with dark disks; axillars pure white; tail brown, the inner webs of the lateral rectrices near the base white; primaries black throughout. Bill horn-color; feet flesh-color, the outer toe a little darker. Length, about 480; wing, 330; outer rectrices, 102; central rectrices, 142.

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

"Lower parts white; top and sides of head white, spotted and streaked with blackish. Wing, 286 to 318; tail, 149 (graduated for about 46); culmen, 47; tarsus, 47; middle toe with claw, 33." (Ridgway.)

The only record of this species for the Philippine Islands is based on the specimen collected by Cuming.

Order LARIFORMES.

TERNS AND GULLS.

Nostrils pervious, the opening linear or oval; wings long, strong, and pointed; first primary longest; legs and feet moderate; hind toe small and elevated; anterior toes fully webbed. Plumage of the adult simple in color, being white, black, and pearl-gray, rarely brown, usually in large areas. Young gray or mottled, very different in color from the adult. Usually found in flocks and never far from water. Eggs two to four, highly colored; nests usually on the ground or on cliffs; young downy at birth and fed in the nest for some time. [11]

Family LARIDÆ.

Characters same as those given for the Order.

Subfamilies.

a1. Tail more or less forked (except in Anous); bill slender; terminal portion of culmen straight or but slightly curved; angle of lower mandible not prominent. ... Sterninæ (p. 86) a2. Tail even; bill stouter; terminal portion of culmen decidedly curved; angle of lower mandible distinct. ... Larinæ (p. 95)

Subfamily STERNINÆ.

The members of this subfamily afford no very tangible characters to distinguish them from the gulls other than those already mentioned. However, the terns are, as a rule, of more slender form and more airy and graceful flight. The wings, bill, and tail are proportionately longer and the body smaller than these parts in the gulls.

Genera.

a1. Tail more or less forked.

b1. Tail but little more than one-third of wing, its outer feathers
broad and rounded. ... Hydrochelidon (p. 86)
b2. Tail much more than one-third of wing, its outer feathers narrow
and pointed. ... Sterna (p. 88)

a2. Tail graduated; plumage sooty brown. ... Anous (p. 94)

Genus HYDROCHELIDON Boie, 1822.

Bill short and slender; legs and feet small; webs between the toes deeply emarginate; wings long, when closed, exceeding the tail; tail short, nearly square.

Species.

a1. Black or dark gray below (adults in summer).

b1. Upper tail-coverts and tail white; under wing-coverts
black. ... leucoptera (p. 86)
b2. Upper tail-coverts and tail gray; under wing-coverts
white. ... hybrida (p. 87)

a2. White below (adults in winter and young).

b1. Tail white. ... leucoptera (p. 86)
b2. Tail gray.

c1. Rump gray like back. ... hybrida (p. 87)
c2. Rump white (young). ... leucoptera (p. 86)

76. HYDROCHELIDON LEUCOPTERA (Meisner and Schinz.)

WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN.

Sterna leucoptera Meisner and Schinz, Vog. Schweiz (1815), 264.
Hydrochelidon leucoptera Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896),
25, 6; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 133; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs
(1901), 1, 174; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Mindanao (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Central and southern
Europe to central Asia and China; Australia, New Zealand, Africa
in winter.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Head, neck, and upper back dark, glossy black; coverts on the carpal joint pure white; greater wing-coverts pearl-gray; secondaries darker, passing into slate-gray; primaries frosted with pearl-gray, which soon wears off the outer quills, leaving the webs sooty black, with a well-defined narrow whitish streak down the middle of the inner webs of the four outer primaries; shafts white; back and rump grayish black; upper tail-coverts and tail pure white; under parts deep black; vent white; flanks, under wing-coverts, and axillars black. Bill livid red; feet orange-red; webs of toes much indented. Length, 236; culmen, 28; wing, 208; tail, 79; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 25.

"Adult in autumn and winter plumage.--In the latter part of July, when the molt begins (in Europe), the bird is curiously parti-colored, the new feathers of the head, neck, and under parts being white and those of the back gray (paler than in Hydrochelidon nigra). Later, the under parts, including the under wing-coverts and axillars, become white, the crown and nape being merely mottled with black; but by the following April the black color has reappeared to a considerable extent, especially in the axillars.

"Immature.--In birds which are not mature, though capable of breeding, the black of the under parts has a brownish tinge and the tail-feathers are pearl-gray, especially toward the tips. In winter like the adult.

"Young.--Similar to the winter plumage of the somewhat immature bird, but much mottled with dark brown on the upper parts, and the tail-feathers slightly darker gray with a brownish tinge toward the tips; upper tail-coverts always white.

"Nestling.--Ruddy fawn-color, mottled with black above, unspotted pale cinnamon-brown below." (Saunders.)

"Observed and shot by us in Mindanao, where it was flying over the rice-fields." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

77. HYDROCHELIDON HYBRIDA (Pallas).

WHISKERED TERN.

Sterna hybrida Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. (1811), 2, 338.
Hydrochelidon hybrida Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896),
25, 10; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 307, fig. 70
(head); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 33; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs
(1901), 1, 175; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Luzon (Meyer, Murray, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Bourns &
Worcester, Mearns); Palawan (Whitehead, Steere Exp.); Negros
(Whitehead). Southwestern, central, and southern Europe to China,
Malay Archipelago, Australia, Africa.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Forehead, crown, and nape deep black; from the gape to the nape a conspicuous white streak; upper parts slate-gray, darker on the primaries, except when these are new and frosted; shafts white; inner webs of outer pairs of primaries white on the upper and greater part of the inner webs; upper tail-coverts gray; tail-feathers gray, with white outer webs to the outside pair; chin white or very pale gray; throat gray, darkening on the lower part; breast dark slate-gray, which deepens into black on abdomen and flanks; vent and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts white; axillars white with a faint tinge of gray. Bill blood-red; feet vermilion, drying to orange-color; webs deeply indented, but less so than in H. leucoptera. Length, 280; culmen, 35; wing, 235 to 241; tail, 96; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 29.

"Indian birds, which are probably almost sedentary, are slightly smaller in size. Some of the birds resident in South Africa are of a distinctly darker hue both above and below than northern examples; Australian specimens, on the other hand, are inclined to be paler.

"Adult female.--Similar to the male, or a trifle paler in general tint.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Upper parts of a paler gray than in the breeding season; forehead white; crown and nape streaked and mottled with black; under parts entirely white; bill and feet reddish brown.

"Young in first plumage.--Crown and nape blackish brown, mantle mottled with brown and with warm cinnamon-brown edges to inner secondaries; tail slightly mottled and edged with ash-brown; the rest like the adult in winter. By December the brown markings are considerably diminished.

"Nestling.--Down at the base of bill black, forehead ruddy fawn-color; upper parts paler fawn, mottled and streaked with black; under parts white, except the throat, which is sooty black for a few days." (Saunders.)

"Common about the Pasig River and Laguna de Bay. Several flocks were observed in Mindanao feeding over the paddy-fields." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus STERNA Linnæus, 1758.

Bill much as in Hydrochelidon but somewhat longer; toes completely webbed; tail always distinctly forked; outer rectrices usually much longer than the others.

Species.

a1. Crown black.

b1. Larger; wing, 240 mm. or more.

c1. Forehead black to base of culmen.

d1. Larger; tarsus yellow or red; bill red in summer. ... hirundo
(p. 89)
d2. Smaller; tarsus blackish, bill black at all
seasons. ... longipennis (p. 89)

c2. Forehead white.

d1. Lores white. ... boreotis (p. 90)
d2. Lores black.

e1. Wing, 265 mm.; mantle umber-brown. ... anæstheta (p. 91)
e2. Wing, 300 mm.; mantle deep black. ... fuscata (p. 92)

b2. Smaller; wing less than 200 mm. ... sinensis (p. 92)

a2. Crown white. ... melanauchen (p. 93)

78. STERNA HIRUNDO Linnæus.

COMMON TERN.

Sterna hirundo Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 137.
Sterna fluviatilis Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25,
54; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 135; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs
(1901), 1, 182; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Calayan (McGregor). Countries on both sides of Atlantic Ocean,
Indian and African coasts in winter, Brazilian coasts in winter.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Forehead, upper lores, crown, and nape black; mantle rather dark pearl-gray; secondaries narrowly margined with white; outer primary with a black outer web, and a broad streak (10 mm.) of very dark gray next the white shaft on inner web, rest of inner web white, except toward tip, where it is dark ash-gray; inner primaries paler gray, with white 'wedges' and dark gray margins to inner webs; rump whitish; tail-feathers white, with gray outer webs, those of the streamers darkest; chin and cheeks white; breast and belly pale, vinaceous-gray; under wing- and under tail-coverts white. Bill coral-red, the extreme tip horn-color; iris dark brown; tarsi and toes coral-red. Length, 362; culmen, 43; wing, 267; tail, 165; depth of fork, 82; tarsus, 22; middle toe with claw, 24.

"Female.--Similar to the male.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Like the above, but forehead and crown streaked and mottled with white; colors of bill and feet much duller from September onwards, under parts paler.

"Immature.--Like the above, but the forehead white; a dark gray band along upper wing-coverts; under parts distinctly white.

"Young (in August).--Mantle barred and mottled with ash-brown; outer webs of tail-feathers dark gray; band on wing-coverts more extended than in the immature bird; otherwise similar. In fledglings the upper parts are much marked with warm buff.

"Up to about the end of September the colors of bill and feet become lighter, but afterwards they rapidly go back and become more or less horn-colored.

"Nestling.--Forehead and throat brown; upper parts stone-buff, spotted and streaked with black; under parts white; feet yellow." (Saunders.)

79. STERNA LONGIPENNIS Nordmann.

NORDMANN'S TERN.

Sterna longipennis Nordmann, in Erman's Reise (1835), 17;
Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 67; Blanford, Fauna
Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 319; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 135;
Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 185, pl. 14, fig. 4.

Basilan Straits (Mearns). Eastern Siberia, Kamtchatka, and Japan;
in winter China to New Guinea.

"Coloration.--Similar to that of S. fluviatilis [= hirundo], except that the bill is always black and the feet are blackish. Adults are darker in color, both above and below, but the difference is not great. All the measurements appear identical, or nearly so, except those of the bill, which is altogether smaller, and measures about 45 mm. from the gape." (Blanford.)

"Adult in winter.--Forehead flecked with white otherwise similar.

"Immature.--Like that of fluviatilis [= hirundo] from which it can hardly be distinguished except by the color of the bill and feet and the somewhat smaller size and more delicate shape of the latter." (Saunders.)

80. STERNA BOREOTIS (Bangs).

NORTHERN BERGIUS TERN.

Sterna bergii Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 89
(part); Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 136 (part).
Sterna bergii boreotis Bangs, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. (1901),
36, 256.
Sterna boreotis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20.

Ga-bi-o'-ta, general name for gulls and terns.

Agutaya (McGregor); Balabac (Steere); Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol
(Everett, McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Caluya
(Porter); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor);
Guimaras (Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Bourns &
Worcester); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Murray, Koch &
Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Porter);
Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen,
Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Pata
(Mearns); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Bourns
& Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns &
Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns &
Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Liu Kiu Islands and
Northern China Sea.

"Adult male in full breeding plumage (type).--Forehead, cheeks, lores, ear-coverts, neck all round, and whole under parts, including lining of wing and bend of wing, pure white; crown and long occipital crest glossy black; mantle, wings, rump, upper tail-coverts, and upper surface of middle rectrices dark smoke-gray, darkest on wings and middle of back, where the color is almost mouse-gray; primary quills white; first primary with outer web, a band along quill on inner web and tip blackish, with a silvery suffusion which is most marked toward center of feather; broad outer margin of inner web, below the black tip, white; second primary similar but black tip deeper in color and extending a short distance down outer margin of inner web, thus inclosing the white of inner web for a short distance; third, fourth, and fifth primaries like second, but black tip gradually growing deeper in color; outer rectrices above pale smoke-gray at tips and along shafts, pale grayish white toward base; second and third rectrices darker on the outer webs and at tip and whitish toward base of inner webs. Bill in dried specimen, dull yellow clouded with olive toward base; feet and tarsi blackish. Wing, 344; tail, 178; tarsus, 28; culmen, 62." (Bangs.)

"Very common throughout the group, especially abundant about the native fish-pens." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

This is much the largest tern found in the Philippines. Rather local in its distribution but usually found not far from fish-corrals or where schools of small fishes appear near the surface of the water.

Philippine records of this species are usually recorded under Sterna bergii, but the specimens probably belong to the variety S. bergii boreotis. The question can not be cleared up at present.

81. STERNA ANÆSTHETA Scopoli.

PANAYAN TERN.

Sterna anæstheta Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786),
1, 92; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 101; Sharpe,
Hand-List (1899), 1, 136; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1,
190; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 20. Worcester,
Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 275, pl. 1 (nesting place).

Didicas Rocks (Worcester); Panay (Sonnerat). African and Indian
seas to China, Japan, Moluccas, northern Australian, Pacific
Islands; Gulf of Mexico, Western Indies.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Loral stripe black; upper forehead, crown, and nape black; shoulders slate-gray, passing into dark grayish brown on mantle; no visible white on secondaries; primaries umber-brown, shafts black, the 'wedges' on inner webs very narrow and not sharply defined; rump and principal tail-feathers grayish brown like the mantle, but the streamers white on outer and upper portions of inner webs, and the next pair of rectrices whitish at their bases; abdomen and breast grayish white; under wing-coverts and throat pure white. Bill, tarsi, and toes black, the inner webs of the latter considerably excised. Length, 355 to 380; culmen, 45; wing, 262; tail, 190; depth of fork, 102; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 30. The sexes are alike in plumage.

"Adult in winter plumage.--Similar to the above, but the lores and crown mottled with white for a short time.

"Immature.--Generally similar, but with more white on the head; whitish tips to the feathers of the back, which, when fresh, are somewhat gray; a dark line along upper wing-coverts, and less white on outer rectrices. Full plumage is not attained until the bird is at least two years old.

"Young.--Head streaked and mottled with brownish black; feathers of upper parts dark brown with rufous tips, which subsequently become paler, approaching white, and finally wear away; under parts grayish white. Bill and toes brownish." (Saunders.)

82. STERNA FUSCATA Linnæus.

SOOTY TERN.

Sterna fuscata Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 228. [12]
Sterna fuliginosa Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25,
106; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 136; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs
(1901), 1, 191; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester). Tropical and juxtatropical seas
of the world.

"Adult in breeding plumage.--Similar to S. anæstheta; but larger, white frontal-band and superciliary stripe broader, the latter oblique and not reaching beyond eye, from which it is separated by a narrow continuation of the black loral stripe; upper surface sooty black, the wedges on inner webs of primaries a trifle paler than the rest; streamers dull white on the outer webs, remaining tail-feathers sooty black; under tail-coverts, abdomen, and flanks grayish white; breast and throat white. Bill and feet black with a slightly reddish tinge, the web between middle and inner toe nearly full, and far less excised than in S. anæstheta. Length, about 430; culmen, 53; wing, 298; tail, about 190; depth of fork, 102; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 28.

"Adult in winter.--Like the above, with white flecks on the lores and crown.

"Immature.--Brownish black above, darker on the upper wing-coverts; outer tail-feathers nearly as sooty black as the rest of the rectrices, except toward the tips; tarsi and toes reddish brown.

"Nestling and young.--The chick when about three days old is streaked with grayish brown and dull white on the upper surface, darkest on the forehead, and chiefly stone-white below; when half fledged, the feathers of the mantle are blackish, with broad white tips, which gradually wear down. When the bird is fully fledged these white tips are much narrower, the feathers of the upper parts are sooty brown, and the under parts are also somewhat paler brown, becoming lighter toward the vent. (In S. anæstheta the under parts are whitish). Bill and feet reddish brown." (Saunders.)

83. STERNA SINENSIS Gmelin.

WHITE-SHAFTED TERN.

Sterna sinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, pt. 2, 608. Saunders,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 113; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899),
1, 136; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 192; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.

Luzon (Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp.); Mindoro (Bourns &
Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead). Chinese and Indian seas to
Australia.

"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Lores black from base of bill to eye; forehead as far as a little beyond the top of eye white; crown and nape black; mandible pearl-gray; secondaries bordered with grayish white; shafts of primaries pure white in the outer, and pale gray in the upper ones; outer web of the outer primary and a broad line next the shaft on its inner web dark gray; on the succeeding primaries paler gray; upper portions and edges of inner webs white; rump pearl-gray; tail and under parts white. Bill gamboge-yellow, tipped with black; tarsi and feet orange-yellow. Length, 280 when the streamers are fully developed; culmen, 35; wing, 188; tail, 145; depth of fork, 86; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 20.

"Adult female.--Slightly smaller than the male and with less developed tail-streamers.

"Adult in autumn.--Similar, with more white on the forehead, and shorter tail-streamers; primaries darker on their terminal portions, owing to the disappearance of the frosting, until the new quills appear.

"Immature.--Like the above, but dull white on crown and the front of the lores; primaries still darker, the outer shafts always white, the other shafts dusky; upper wing-coverts dark gray; tail-feathers grayish, and the streamers not much prolonged; bill dark brown, tarsi and toes ochraceous.