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Show 1877.] ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF THE PHILIPPINES. 755 1. Contributions to the Ornithology of the Philippines.- No. II. On the Collection made by Mr. A. H. Everett in the Island of Zebu. By ARTHUR, Marquis of TWEED-DALE, F.R.S., President of the Society. [Received November 2, 1877.] (Plates LXXVI.-LXXVIII.) In the month of March last Mr. Everett, with the intention of extending his exploration of the Philippines, quitted Luzon1, and proceeded to the island of Zebu, where he remained during April and the first few days of May engaged in collecting zoological specimens. Since 1872, when Zebu was visited for the first time by a zoological collector (Dr. A. B. Meyer2, who then obtained eighteen species of birds), only two parties "of naturalists (Dr. Steere and those attached to the 'Challenger' Expedition) have landed there; and they increased the number of known Zebu species to twenty-three. Of the important collection made by Mr. Everett during the few weeks he remained on the island I now propose to offer an account. Most of the birds collected in March were obtained by him near some coal-mines situated about 12 miles to the north of the port of Zebu, and some 6 miles inland. Mr. Everett writes, " The station is not very favourable for birds as compared with Luzon. Both the species and the number of individual birds seem less numerous.. .. Tanygnathus luzonensis and Cacatua hcematuropygia are very abundant here, both flying wild in flocks. I saw neither of these birds in the neighbourhood of Manila. I am told of another Cockatoo, similar to C. hcematuropygia, but with a red splash on the breast; but I have been unable to secure a specimen." The birds collected in April were, I presume, obtained in the vicinity of the port of Zebu itself. Mr. Everett expresses himself dissatisfied with the results of his labours in the island, an attack of fever having confined him for some time to the house. Notwithstanding this, he has very considerably extended our knowledge of the avifauna of Zebu, having succeeded in securing 282 specimens of birds, representing 75 species. When Mr. Everett commenced his researches in Zebu, only 23" species of birds had been recorded as being inhabitants of that island. Yet he was able during the short period of his stay to add 54 species to our lists of its avifauna. These 54 species include 6 hitherto undescribed, viz.:- Oriolus assimilis. Prionochilus quadricolor. Phyllornis fiavipennis. Turnix nigrescens. Zosterops everetti. Megapodius pusillus. 1 Antea, p. 686. 2 Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 125. 3 18 given in m y memoir (I. ci), 1 obtained by Dr. Steere (Sharpe, Tr. L. S. ser. 2, Zool. i. p. 309), and 4 by the ' Challenger' Expedition (antea, p. 538). I enumerated {I. ci) only 3 additional Zebu species, having through an oversight omitted Numenius phceopus. |