Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lapac (Guillemard); Leyte (Everett); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Murray, Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Goodfellow, Celestino); Malanipa (Murray); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Murray, Bourns & Worcester); Salok (Meyer); Samal (Goodfellow); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Sibutu (Everett); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Burbidge, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Adult male.—Back, rump, wings, and tail as in P. gouldi, but head, neck, and entire under parts very much lighter in color, being pale ochraceous-buff. Wing, 155; tail, 92; culmen from base, 82; bill from nostril, 69.
Adult female.—Similar to the male. Bill bright scarlet, blackish at tip; iris brown; eyelids and legs scarlet; nails dark horn-brown. A specimen from Ticao measures: Length, 370; wing, 159; tail, 93; culmen, 88; tarsus, 18.
Immature.—Differs from the adult in having buff of lower parts darker and the breast-feathers narrowly edged with dark brown forming crescentic marks. The bill and legs are much duller than those of the adult.
“Abundant along the seashore and the banks of large fresh-water streams in the islands indicated. P. gigantea is a very tough bird, and will carry off a pretty good-sized load of shot. Ten specimens measure 379 in length; wing, 153; tail, 93; culmen, 83; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 35. Iris dark brown; feet red to dark red; bill dirty red to dark red.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus ALCEDO Linnæus, 1758.
Small, length less than 200 mm.; bill long; culmen slightly curved and rounded, not flattened, a slight groove on each side; tail shorter than bill; toes four.
Species.
- a1. Wings dirty green; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts greenish cobalt; head and wing-coverts spotted with greenish blue. bengalensis (p. [306])
- a2. Wings black; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts cobalt-blue; head and wing-coverts spotted with purplish blue. meninting (p. [307])