Bill very large; culmen curved, its basal part expanded into a hollow casque, or else the sides of the bill deeply chiseled; eyelids with large lashes; wings short and rounded; tail-feathers long and broad; outer and middle toes united for basal two-thirds, inner and middle toes united for basal joint; plumage harsh and rough; large noisy birds of heavy flight. The Philippine species are all well-marked and easily identified.
Bill and casque very large, the latter flat on top, overhanging on each side and its posterior border overhanging and extending to above the ear; bill smooth except for a few shallow furrows on base of lower mandible; chin and throat feathered; a small bare space about the eye.
Ca-lao, Manila; reloj del monte, Spanish name.
Luzon (Meyer, Möllendorff, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.).
Adult.—Chin, upper throat, a band from throat to eye, and feathers above eye, all black, followed on throat by a white space which shades gradually into the dull chestnut-brown of lower throat and sides of neck and head; breast and sides black; abdomen, thighs, and crissum dull chestnut; back, rump, and wings brown, the rump lighter; primaries and most of the secondaries black, some of the latter edged with pale buff; tail-feathers pure white when fresh but soon becoming yellow or dirty buff. Entire casque and bill bright red. “Naked skin round eye yellow; iris red; feet brownish red; nails black.” (Everett.) Length of male, about 950; wing, 410; tail, 350; bill from nostril, 160; greatest length of casque, 160; greatest width of casque, 52; tarsus, 60.
“Adult female.—Similar to the male. Length, 914; wing, 381; tail, 295; tarsus, 56.
“Young.—Cheeks and upper parts of head blackish; rest of head and neck, rump, thighs, crissum, and under tail-coverts yellowish white mixed with rufous; breast and belly yellowish white mixed with blackish gray; back, wing-coverts, scapulars, and outer secondaries reddish brown, the wing-coverts tipped and the scapulars and secondaries margined with buff; primaries and rest of secondaries brownish black, margined on the outer web and tipped with buff; basal two-thirds of tail-feathers reddish brown, margined in all except the middle pair with black. Bill and casque dark black, except the base of the lower mandible and the extreme tip of the bill, which are blood-red.” (Grant.)
The three Philippine species of Hydrocorax do not differ in colors but they are easily distinguished by the color and shape of the bill and its casque. These large hornbills frequent forest, where they feed on fruits, usually in high trees. Their call is loud and penetrating and may be heard at a great distance. Their flight is rather labored and produces a great noise.
Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino).
Adult.—Plumage as in H. hydrocorax but casque much narrower and bill with distal two-thirds white. “Naked skin round eye sooty black, yellow just before the eye, gular skin yellow; iris light yellow (light green in living bird); feet coral-red; nails dark brownish gray.” (Everett.) Length of male, about 915; wing, 390; tail, 300; bill from nostril, 155; greatest length of casque, 136; greatest width of casque, 42; tarsus, 52. Length of female, 863; wing, 365; tail, 290; bill from nostril, 136; greatest length of casque, 124; greatest width of casque, 39; tarsus, 48.
“Young.—Upper part of head and cheeks black; feathers on chin and breast white, blackish gray at base; rest of head, neck, rump, belly, flanks, and tail-coverts white mixed with rufous; back, upper wing-coverts, scapulars, and outer secondaries brown, the three latter widely tipped, and the last named also widely margined on both webs with white; rest of secondaries and primaries blackish brown, with a white margin on the outer web, gradually increasing in width on the outer secondaries; under wing-coverts brownish buff; middle feathers of tail have basal two-thirds brown, and the rest the basal half dull chestnut; the remainder of the feathers white; casque rudimentary. Bill black, yellowish at the tip; naked skin round eye and on gular region yellow; legs gray-green (in skin).” (Grant.)
“Habits like those of H. semigaleatus. Eyes yellow to brown in female, light bluish gray in male; legs and feet red; bill scarlet on basal half, rest yellowish white; bill of young birds black. A male measures 927 in length; wing, 393; tail, 312; tarsus, 54; middle toe with claw, 66.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cao, Bohol.
Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Panaon (Everett); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).
Adult.—Colors of plumage as in the two preceding species, colors of bill as in H. mindanensis, but the casque abruptly contracted in front and its upper outline, in front, continuous with that of the culmen. “Naked skin round eye darkest sepia, almost black; gular skin dark indian-yellow; iris light yellow (light green in living bird); feet coral-red; nails dark brownish gray.” (Everett.) Length of male, about 890; wing, 400; tail, 320; bill from nostril, 153; greatest width of casque, 53; tarsus, 53.
“Adult female.—Does not differ in plumage from the male. Length, 787; wing, 350; tail, 279; tarsus, 53.
“Young.—Similar to that of H. mindanensis, except that the outer tail-feathers have not the basal half chestnut, although the middle feathers are the same.
“In older examples of both sexes, when the adult plumage has been nearly attained the bill is jet-black, the yellow tip of the young having disappeared, and the anterior part of the casque is distinctly raised above the line of the culmen.” (Grant.)
“Extremely abundant on the hills back of Catbalogan in Samar. Sometimes comes down into the mangrove swamps near the town. In damp weather its hoarse cry can readily be heard a mile. Usually frequents very lofty trees, but may be readily called down by imitating its note. We secured a fine series of specimens in this way. In a few cases we observed H. semigaleatus feeding in low brush, and even on the ground. This species has a highly developed oil-gland the secretion from which is gamboge-yellow. When the feathers are well oiled the color of the whole bird is changed. Feeds on fruit.
“Two males measure, 883 in length; wing, 385; tail, 305; tarsus, 57; middle toe with claw, 74. Six females, length, 830; wing, 361; tail, 298; tarsus, 53; middle toe with claw, 71.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Casque small, compressed and rounded on top, its outline gently curved, rounded and vertical behind, and continuous with culmen in front; very fine striæ near base of bill; chin and upper throat partly feathered.
Sulu (Montano & Rey, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
Adult (sexes alike).—Tail white; remainder of plumage black; back and wings slightly glossed with green. A female measures: Wing, 290; tail, 260; bill from nostril, 101; tarsus, 52. This species has been described as having the tail entirely white but in a female specimen collected in Tawi Tawi, November 2, 1891, by Bourns and Worcester, two rectrices on one side have the outer web black for about three-fourths of the distance from base to tip and one feather on the other side of the tail has the outer web black to a less extent; the inner webs, also, are black for a short distance on two of these feathers. More specimens are necessary to determine whether this is an individual variation or a normal character, perhaps dependent upon age, which has been previously overlooked.
“We were fortunate enough to secure a series of fourteen specimens of this rare hornbill from Sulu and Tawi Tawi. The tail is pure white; all other parts black, the feathers of the back and wings glossed with dark green. The bill in adult birds is coal-black; all of our adult males had the iris nearly white, while in the adult females it was dark brown; legs and feet dull leaden, nails black. Young birds have the tip of the bill white or pale horn.
“Common on the hills back of the town of Sulu, and very abundant in Tawi Tawi where it occurs in great flocks, but very wild and extremely difficult to approach. The cry of this bird is the most peculiar bird-note we have ever heard. It begins with a series of notes precisely like the ‘song’ of a common hen magnified about fifty-fold, and ends with an indescribable combination of cackles and shrieks.
“Two males from Tawi Tawi measure, 717 in length; wing, 293; tail, 243; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 59. Six females from same locality measure: Length, 672; wing, 268; tail, 224; tarsus, 51; middle toe with claw, 55. A male and two females from Sulu are slightly smaller. Eyes vary from nearly white to nearly black, the females usually having the darker eyes; bare skin of head black; bill black. Food fruit.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Casque large, compressed, and fairly smooth, its top rounded, outline gently curved, overhanging behind and abruptly truncated in front; no chiseling on sides of bill; chin, upper throat, and large space around eye entirely nude.
Balabac (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Marche, Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Celestino).
Adult male.—Rectrices pure white, their shafts pale yellow; remainder of plumage black, glossed with dark green. A male from Palawan measures: Length, about 710; wing, 290; tail, 240; bill from nostril, 111; greatest length of crest, 106; tarsus, 52.
“Adult female.—Resembles the male, but the casque is less developed and the size smaller. Length, 610; wing, 264; tail, 216; tarsus, 53.” (Grant.)
“We saw this bird on several occasions in Palawan, but always in very high trees, and it was so extremely wild that we did not succeed in securing any specimens from that island. In the Calamianes Islands we found it both common and tame. On several occasions we saw it feeding in low fruit trees within a few feet of the ground.
“Iris brown; legs and feet leaden; nails black; bill white except base of lower mandible; bare skin of head white. A female measures, 610 in length; wing, 263; tail, 204; tarsus, 46; middle toe with claw, 58.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Casque small, compressed, ridged on top, its outline curved, posteriorly falling away gently to the culmen; abruptly or obliquely truncate in front; basilateral portion of both mandibles with deep oblique chiseling; part of chin naked but feathered in the middle.
Ta-ric′-tic, Ticao; ta-ric′, Masbate.
Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp.); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Panay (Sonnerat, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Male.—Head, neck, and breast pale buff; cheeks, ear-coverts, and a band across neck black; back and wings black, glossed with dark green; abdomen rufous; crissum, thighs, and upper tail-coverts chestnut; tail light rufous, terminal third black, slightly glossed with green. Iris red; bare skin of face white; legs dark brown; bill and casque dull red, base of upper mandible with six or seven vertical ridges, separated by pale yellow grooves; base of lower mandible with several oblique grooves. Length, 650; wing, 290; tail, 275; bill from nostril, 97; tarsus, 48.
Female.—Black; neck, wings, and back glossed with dark green; tail as in the male but outer web of outermost feather entirely black and inner web black at base; next feather with outer web black at base. Iris red; bare skin of head bluish; legs and nails black; bill black, casque dark red; grooves on upper mandible light yellow. Length, 600; wing, 260; tail, 245; bill from nostril, 78.
“Young female (without casque and only one ridge developed on the base of the upper mandible).—Differs from the adult in having the upper tail-coverts chestnut and the middle of the basal part of the tail-feathers with more black. ‘Naked skin round eye and on throat white, faintly tinged with bluish; iris dull chestnut-brown; feet dark lead-gray with faint greenish cast, nails black; bill brown, with olive-green tinge.’ (Everett.)” (Grant.)
“Very common in many parts of Panay, Guimaras, Negros, and Masbate, but curiously enough absent in Cebu. A very noisy bird, called ‘ta-ric-tic’ by the natives from its note. Food fruit and occasional beetles. Iris brownish red; legs and feet slate-color; nails black; bare skin of head white.
“Four males from Masbate measure, 652 in length; wing, 260; tail, 228; tarsus, 45; middle toe with claw, 52. Four females from same locality, length, 607; wing, 252; tail, 216; tarsus, 44; middle toe with claw, 47.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
A set of three eggs of the Panay tarictic taken in Ticao, May 9, 1902, measure: 48.5 by 32.5; 46.7 by 33.7; 45.7 by 33. In color they are dull white with no markings except a few nest stains; their surface is chalky with occasional minute lumps. The eggs were deposited in a cavity in the trunk of a large tree. The entrance was plastered up by the birds, leaving but a narrow slit through which the female was fed by her mate. The female remains within the cavity during the whole period of incubation. As she molts at this time she is probably unable to fly even if liberated.
Ta-lic-tic, native name in vicinity of Manila.
Luzon (Cuming, Meyer, Everett, Heriot, Marche, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.).
“Adult male.—Top of the head and neck yellowish white; cheeks, ear-coverts, and feathered part of throat black; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings brown, more or less glossed with dull green, most of the primaries, the secondaries, and their coverts narrowly margined with buff on the outer web; breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, tinged with buff; basal half of tail dark brown, succeeded by a wide white band (stained rufous) followed by a terminal black band glossed with green; the outer web of the outer tail-feathers is uniform black; naked skin round eye and on chin and throat white. Iris crimson; feet and nails dull black; casque transparent horn-brown; bill dark brown; the base of the upper mandible with five transverse ridges, that of the lower with about four oblique ridges separated by ocher-colored grooves. Length, 525; wing, 233; tail, 188; tarsus, 43.
“Young male differs from the adult in having the upper tail-coverts chestnut and the buff edges to the quills and coverts much wider.
“Adult female.—Head and neck very dark brown; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings dark brown, glossed with dull green; under parts brownish gray, tinged with buff on the breast; tail as in the male adult; naked skin round eye and on chin and throat purplish. Iris brown; legs and feet dull black; bill and casque as in the male. Length, 483; wing, 221; tail, 185; tarsus, 41.
“Young female with half developed casque differs from the adult in having the under parts buff, edges of both the webs of the tail-feathers margined with brown, and the upper tail-coverts and the ends of the feathers suffused with bright buff.” (Grant.)
Talisi, native name.
Luzon (van der Valk).
Adult male.—Appears to differ from P. manillæ in having no light edges to the primaries and in the banding of the tail-feathers which is as follows: Middle pair with a rust-colored cross-band, 25 mm. wide; on the pair next to the middle the band only one-half as wide; on the third pair only the inner web with small light rust-colored spots which form cross-bands; two outermost tail-feathers on each side uniform brownish black; upper mandible with four basal grooves. Length, 500; wing, 243; tail, 220; bill, 95.36
This species was described from an adult male collected in Cagayan Province, Luzon, February 23, 1892; if it is distinct from P. manillæ, as seems quite probable, we have the interesting case of two species of Penelopides resident in the same island. I have not examined birds referable to P. talisi and the diagnosis is taken from Finsch’s description which will be found in the footnote.
A hornbill collected in Albay Province, Luzon, and recorded by Grant as the young of P. manillæ, Ibis (1895), 261, is believed by Finsch to be P. talisi.
Ta-ric-tic, Mindoro.
Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, Everett, Whitehead, McGregor, Porter).
Male.—Crown, sides of neck, and under parts whitish; ear-coverts and band across throat black; hind neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings black, glossed with dark green, some of the wing-feathers edged with pale buff; tail chestnut, its terminal third black, outermost feather with entire outer web and most of the inner web black. Wing, 235; tail, 205; bill from nostril, 74.
Female.—Similar to the male but forehead blackish and black band on upper throat wider. Wing, 235; tail, 210; bill from nostril, 77.
“Adult male.—Is most nearly allied to P. panini, but differs from that species in having the belly and under tail-coverts white, the rump and upper tail-coverts black glossed with green, like the rest of the back, and the upper mandible only with transversely grooved basal plates. From P. manillæ and affinis it differs (and resembles P. panini) in having no black at the base of the tail. Length, 565; wing, 246; tail, 203; tarsus, 43.” (Grant.)
“Similar to P. manillæ, but black with bronze-green gloss instead of brown as in P. manillæ. The whole base of the tail is light ferruginous instead of this color being limited to a narrow bar as in P. manillæ, and the lower mandible is plain instead of being chiseled as in that species. The female of P. mindorensis has the feathers of the head white as in the male, thus differing from the other Philippines species, in all of which the females are black-headed.
“The males and females of P. mindorensis differ chiefly in the color of the bare skin about the eye and base of the beak, this in life being dark blue in the female and flesh-colored in the male.” (Steere.)
“Habits like those of P. manillæ. All the Philippine representatives of this genus have the peculiar undulating flight of woodpeckers when going for any considerable distance. P. mindorensis is exceedingly abundant in Mindoro.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Dinagat (Everett); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Goodfellow, Clemens, Celestino).
“Adult male.—Top of the head and neck yellowish white; cheeks, ear-coverts, and feathered part of throat black; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings black, glossed with dark green; breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, tinged with buff; tail white (stained rufous), with a wide terminal black band and some black at the base of the feathers, sometimes a band nearly as wide as at the extremity. ‘Naked skin round eye and on chin and throat white; iris crimson; feet greenish lead; nails grayish black; basal half of bill and casque dark brown, rest of bill pale brown; base of the lower mandible with three or four obliquely transverse yellow ridges separated by dark brown grooves.’ (Everett.) Length, 500; wing, 236; tail, 195; tarsus, 41.
“Young male (with undeveloped casque) differs from the adult in having the upper tail-coverts chestnut and the black band across the end of the tail suffused with rufous.
“Adult female.—Head, neck, and under parts dull black; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings black, glossed with dark green; tail resembles that of the male. ‘Naked skin round eye and on chin and throat dark blue: iris crimson, feet dark greenish leaden.’ (Everett.) Bill and casque brown, base of lower mandible with indistinct obliquely transverse grooves. Length, 500; wing, 218; tail, 175; tarsus, 41.
“Young female (with undeveloped casque) differs from the adult in having chestnut upper tail-coverts and the black band across the end of the tail suffused with rufous.” (Grant.)
Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
“Much like P. affinis of Mindanao, but differs from it in having the rufous upon the tail reaching to and beneath the upper tail-coverts, so that the whole base of the tail appears rufous, though some specimens show some black at the bases of the feathers when they are uncovered. The sides of the mandible are also flesh-colored to their bases instead of being black behind as in P. affinis.” (Steere.)
“The differences enumerated by Steere between this species and P. affinis, though slight, occur in all the specimens secured by us. A male measured, 610 in length; wing, 231; tail, 205; tarsus, 45; middle toe with claw, 46. A female, length, 559; wing, 211; tail, 183; tarsus, 39; middle toe with claw, 45. Eyes red to umber-brown; legs and feet greenish slate-color; nails black; bill white at tip, black on crest, remainder mottled with reddish brown.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Tao-sí, Bohol.
Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp.); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).
Male.—Very similar to the male of P. affinis but upper tail-coverts very pale buff. Wing, 260; tail, 230; bill from nostril, 90.
Female.—Like the female of P. affinis. Wing, 235; tail, 225; bill from nostril, 72.
“A well-marked species. Five males average, 606 in length; wing, 232; tail, 208; tarsus, 42; middle toe with claw, 52. Eyes reddish brown; legs and feet slaty black; nails brown to black; bill dark brown, reddish at the tip and around grooves.
“It seems probable that Everett’s Dinagat birds were of this species, but they can, of course, be placed here only provisionally.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Jaw, entire chin, and a large space around eye naked and bright red; base of lower mandible deeply and obliquely chiseled, upper mandible smooth; casque high, greatly compressed, its outline gently rounded behind and abruptly truncated in front; in the female the casque is smooth and has a sharp ridge above, in the male it is somewhat rounded above, and the sides are distorted by deep vertical plications.
Camiguin S. (Cuming); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Clemens, Goodfellow, Celestino).
“Adult male.—Occiput, nape, and back of neck deep chestnut; rest of head, neck, and upper chest buff; tail white, with a terminal black band; rest of plumage black, glossed with dark bluish green. Naked skin round eye and on chin and throat fiery orange-red; iris crimson; feet dull black; bill and casque deep red; lower mandible crossed at the base by four or more obliquely transverse ridges, the basal one being dark red, the rest whitish and separated from one another by brown grooves; casque with numerous transverse folds. Length, 737; wing, 335; tail, 244; tarsus, 51.”
“Adult female.—Differs from the male in having the plumage of head and neck dark shining black, and the casque smooth. Length, 597; wing, 302; tail, 22; tarsus, 46.” (Grant.)
“Common in Mindanao. Seems not to occur in Basilan. Frequents the highest trees and feeds on fruit. Eyes red; legs black; tops of feet black, bottoms yellowish; bill dark scarlet. A male measures, 711 in length; wing, 319; tail, 232; tarsus, 50; middle toe with claw, 54.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
When new the tail-feathers are white but they soon turn light buff. The male is much larger than the female and has a larger casque. A male from northern Mindanao is 762 in length; wing, 360; tail, 235; bill from nostril, 126; length of casque at base, 76; tarsus, 50. A female is 620 in length; wing, 290;, tail, 220; bill from nostril, 89; length of casque at base, 57; tarsus, 49.
Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Negros (Steere Exp., Keay, Whitehead); Panay (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester).
“Adult male.—Head, neck, and chest dark chestnut, the feathers next the naked parts of the face and throat inclining to buff; tail white (stained rufous), the basal third and the tips of the feathers black; rest of the plumage black, the upper parts glossed with dark green; naked skin round the eye and on the throat yellow; iris red; legs and feet black; bill and casque red, except toward the end; base of the lower mandible covered by a plate with dark-colored oblique grooves; casque transversely folded. Length, 724; wing, 345; tail, 254; tarsus, 51.
“Adult female.—Differs from the male in having all the plumage of the head and neck black, and the casque without transverse folds; naked skin appears to have been black mixed with yellow. Length, 673; wing, 310; tail, 218; tarsus, 48.” (Grant.)
“Hornbills, almost certainly of this species, were seen by the Steere expedition in Negros, but no specimens were obtained.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bill long, slender, pointed, and gently curved downward for its entire length; a well-defined ridge on culmen; tarsi short and unfeathered; fourth and third toes united to last joint; second toe united to middle toe for basal joint only; eggs white, deposited in holes in sandy ground, the birds usually nesting in colonies.
Tail moderate, composed of twelve feathers, middle pair slender and prolonged beyond the others; wing moderately long and pointed, first primary very short, second longest.
Pe-ric′, Manila; pi-ley pi-ley, Lubang.
Bohol (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Möllendorff, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Murray, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere, Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester).
Adult (sexes alike).—Above, from bill to and including mantle and sides of neck, bright chestnut; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts clear sky-blue; a band from corner of mouth through eye to ear-coverts black, bordered below by sky-blue; below apple-green, lighter posteriorly and more or less mixed with blue; under tail-coverts light blue; wings and coverts dark green; primaries and secondaries with dusky tips and dark ocherous-buff inner webs; long tertials tipped with dark blue; tail above dark cerulean-blue, the lateral feathers darker than middle pair which are broadly tipped with black; shafts black, tail brown below. Iris bright red; bill and nails black; legs dark flesh. Length, including long tail-feathers, about 300. Three males from Mariveles, Luzon, measure: Wing, 117 to 118; tail, without long feathers, 87; bill from nostril, 34 to 36.
“Young.—Differs from the adult in being duller and greener, the red of the head being overshaded with green and the mantle and upper back green; the under surface is paler, the throat and abdomen pale blue and the breast light green.” (Sharpe.)
“Nest.—Nests in level sandy strips of ground. The tunnel is some 50 mm. in diameter at its mouth and at first runs sharply downward. When a depth of 60 to 90 cm. has been reached it turns and slopes gradually upward for 120 to 150 cm. of its length, ending in an enlarged chamber in which the eggs are deposited on the bare sand. The eggs are pure white and highly polished. They are frequently nearly spherical. They vary from 21 to 24 in length by 18 to 20 in breadth.
“Sometimes feeds singly, but is more usually found in small flocks, and at times very large flocks gather, apparently attracted by swarms[missing text] 36; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 20. Eight females, length, 267; of bees. Six males average, 282 in length; wing, 114; tail, 100; culmen, wing, 112; tail, 91; culmen, 34; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 19.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Bazol (Everett); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cebu (Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere, Murray, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Meyer, Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Malay and Indian Peninsulas, Indo-Chinese Provinces, Ceylon, Celebes, Malayan islands.
Adult (sexes alike).—Above dark green mixed with a little dull chestnut; occasional touches of blue on head; rump and upper tail-coverts cerulean-blue; a narrow line of blue across forehead, ending on each side over posterior border of eye; a broad black band from nostril through eye to and including ear-coverts; chin light yellow; a wide chestnut band on throat; breast, sides, and abdomen green, mixed with ocherous-buff and touches of pale greenish blue; vent and under tail-coverts delicate sky-blue; wings and tail nearly as in Merops americanus. Iris red; bill, legs, and nails black. Length, with a full-grown tail, about 305. Measurements of three males from Luzon: Wing, 126 to 133; tail, without central pair of feathers, 89 to 93; bill from nostril, 35 to 36. Three females from Luzon: Wing, 124 to 125; tail, without long feathers, 89 to 91; bill from nostril, 31 to 33.
Young.—“Much duller in color generally, with the blue tail and rump of the adult, but without the blue eyebrow, this being replaced by a little lighter green shade than on the crown; cheeks pale green; throat pale brownish.” (Sharpe.)
“We can not agree with Dr. Steere that M. philippinus feeds only singly or in pairs, having repeatedly seen it feeding in large flocks, and even in company with M. americanus.
“Iris red; legs and feet dark brown; nails and bill black. Six males average, 255 in length; wing, 122; tail, 94; culmen, 36; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 20. Eight females, length, 240; wing, 124; tail, 94; culmen, 35; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 18.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)