A Manual of Philippine Birds. Richard C. McGregor
webs of first and second primaries very slightly attenuated; tarsus feathered in front for half its length. This genus is remarkable for its coloration; parts of the wings and tail, slate or black, the rest of the plumage pale creamy white.
42. MYRISTICIVORA BICOLOR (Scopoli).
NUTMEG PIGEON.
Columba bicolor Scopoli, Del Flor. et Faun. Insubr. (1786), 2, 94.
Carpophaga bicolor Cassin, Ornith. Wilkes Exped. (1858), 265, pl. 28.
Myristicivora bicolor Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 227; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 67; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs (1901), 1, 86; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 12.
Ca-má-su, bá-lud blan′-co, in general use.
Balabac (Steere, Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Malanipa (Murray); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Nipa (Everett); Palawan (Bourns & Worcester, White); Sakuijok (Everett); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); West Bolod (Mearns). Siam, Cochin-China, Malay Peninsula, Tenimber and Indo-Malayan Islands, Andamans, Nicobars, and Moluccas.
Adult (sexes alike).—General color pale creamy white; head and sides of head more or less ochraceous-yellow; wing-coverts and edge of wing white; alula, primary-coverts, primaries, and most of the secondaries black; outer web of longer primaries mealy; basal half, or more, of rectrices and under tail-coverts light yellow, the coverts in some specimens spotted with black; end of tail marked with a wide black band which is widest on middle rectrices. Iris dark brown; bill dull blue with a black tip; eyelids, legs, and feet dark blue; nails black. Length, about 380; a male from Ticao measures: Wing, 229; tail, 127; culmen from base, 25; tarsus, 27; a female from Cresta de Gallo, wing, 229; tail, 127; culmen from base, 24; tarsus, 29.
The camaso, or balud blanco, being a very conspicuous bird, is well known to both natives and Spaniards and can not be mistaken for any other species of Philippine pigeon. The species is irregular in distribution; it is often abundant on a small island and rare, or entirely wanting, on a larger neighboring island. Worcester and Bourns found it especially abundant in Siquijor. No specimens were taken by Whitehead and it is unrecorded from Luzon, although there seems to be no reason why it should be absent from that island.
Family COLUMBIDÆ.
Tarsus slender, feathered at base; bill slender, gape small, and nostril covering conspicuously swollen; tail nearly square or greatly graduated; colors blackish or reddish brown.
Subfamilies.
a1. Tail moderate, nearly square; plumage mostly blackish with purple and green metallic reflections. Columbinæ (p. 51)
a2. Tail greatly elongated and graduated; plumage mostly chestnut or rufous-brown with little metallic color. Macropyginæ (p. 52)
Subfamily COLUMBINÆ.
Genus COLUMBA Linnæus, 1758.
Bill comparatively slender; membrane behind nostril greatly swollen and bulging out on the side; first primary very slightly scooped on inner web; tarsus feathered at the base. The only Philippine species is almost entirely black, glossed with green and purple.
43. COLUMBA GRISEOGULARIS (Walden and Layard).
GRAY-THROATED PIGEON.
Ianthœnas griseogularis Walden and Layard, Ibis (1872), 104, pl. 6.
Columba griseigularis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 313; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 72; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13.
Bá-lud mai-tim, Manila; bá-duc, Batan.
Basilan (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Batan (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Guimaras (Layard, Meyer); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Gevers, Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Platen, Goodfellow); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Everett, Whitehead); Romblon (McGregor); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (McGregor); Sulu (Burbidge); West Bolod (Mearns). Northern Borneo.
Adult (sexes alike).—General color slate-black with metallic purple or green tips to the feathers; chin, upper throat, and sides of face below eyes pale gray; head, neck, back, breast, abdomen, and tips of wing-coverts, and upper and under tail-coverts glossed with metallic purple changing to green; remiges and rectrices black without metallic reflections, their coverts largely black with only the tips metallic; colors change greatly with the angle at which the specimen is held. Iris bright yellow; base of bill dark red, tip light yellow; feet and bare space about eye red. Length, 380 to 430; two males, wing, 248; tail, 161; exposed culmen, 22; tarsus, 28.
Young.—Differs from the adult in having metallic edges of feathers narrower on body, and wanting on wing-coverts; throat and breast blackish brown, each feather tipped with cinnamon.
Although of wide distribution, this species does not occur in great numbers except on the Island of Batan in the Batanes group where many individuals are caught with bird-lime and sold to visiting ships.
Subfamily MACROPYGINÆ.
Genus MACROPYGIA Swainson, 1837.
Bill small and rather slender; upper part of tarsus slightly feathered; tail long and greatly graduated; longest and shortest rectrices differing in length by about half the wing.
Species.
a1. Smaller and lighter, without a vinous wash on breast and abdomen; dark rufous-brown above. tenuirostris (p. 52)
a2. Larger and darker, a faint vinous wash on breast and abdomen; blackish brown above. phæa (p. 53)
44. MACROPYGIA TENUIROSTRIS Bonaparte.
SLENDER-BILLED CUCKOO DOVE.
Macropygia tenuirostris Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Avium (1854), 2, 57; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1893), 21, 346; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 491; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 74; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 13.
Macropygia eurycerca Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 288 (young).
Ba-tic′-la-uin′, Manila; i-bu-oo, Benguet Igorot.
Balabac (Everett); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro