Eye surrounded by a wide fleshy wattle; depth of bill at nostril about two-thirds of its width; rictal bristles strong; first primary more than one-half of second and less than one-half of third; fourth, fifth, and sixth subequal; tarsus equal to exposed culmen; rectrices strongly graduated; color nearly uniform, bright reddish brown, or blue.
Mus-ca-dór ca-né-lo, Manila.
Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Cuming, Heriot, Möllendorff, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
Adult male.—Entire plumage rich chestnut-rufous with inner webs of primaries and secondaries seal-brown near their tips. Iris, eyelids, and bill blue; bill edged and tipped with black; legs and nails lighter blue. Wing, 87; tail, excepting central rectrices, 85; central rectrices, 100 to 190; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 13; tarsus, 16.
Adult female and immature.—Lighter in color and with lower breast, abdomen, and tail-coverts whitish; central rectrices not greatly lengthened.
“In Jour. für Orn. (1891), 294, Hartert very properly calls attention to the fact that confusion evidently exists as to the distribution of the two rufous species of Zeocephus, and he even seems to question the distinctness of the two species. We have some suggestions to offer, after looking over our series of thirty-one specimens from Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi Tawi. First, the young immature birds of Z. rufus have the white belly and general coloring of Z. cinnamomeus. They are not to be distinguished from birds of the latter species. Second, out of fifteen specimens from the south, seven do not show a trace of white on the belly, and are of a uniform deep rufous color. Third, we have a male bird in breeding plumage from Cebu which is indistinguishable, so far as shade of rufous is concerned, from Basilan birds. The confusion between the two species is thus readily understood. Are they then distinct? We think that they are for the following reasons: The average fully adult bird from the northern islands is very much darker in color than the darkest of the southern birds. The northern birds have the tail much more strongly graduated than that of the birds from the south. None of our specimens from the south show any special elongation of the central tail-feathers. In one specimen from Tablas and another from Sibuyan the central tail-feathers exceed the rest by fully 75 millimeters. Other birds collected at the same time and place do not show nearly so strong a development of these feathers, but the fact remains that nothing even approaching it is shown by our specimens from the south.
“The dark tips of the tail-feathers described by Dr. Sharpe as characteristic of Z. cinnamomeus are simply a sign of immaturity, as is the white of the belly.
“Zeocephus rufus, then, inhabits the northern and central Philippines, and is to be distinguished from Z. cinnamomeus by its darker color when fully adult, and by its more strongly graduated tail, which has the central feathers at least 75 millimeters longer than the others when the birds are in perfect plumage.
“Four males from Cebu average: Length, 223; wing, 93; tail, 116; culmen, 23; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 18. Five females, length, 201; wing, 86; tail, 106; culmen, 23; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 18. A male from Sibuyan with elongated tail-feathers measures 283 in length; wing, 94; tail, 162; culmen, 24; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 19. Iris almost black; legs and feet blue; nails black, sometimes showing a little blue; bill and eye-wattles bright blue. Breeding in Cebu in June.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
A set of three eggs was collected by Whitehead at Cape Engaño, Luzon, on April 24, 1895. The eggs and nest are described as follows:
“Shape ovate. Ground-color pure white, with a decided zone of small blotches and spots round the pole of the larger end; upper-markings brown-lake, and under-markings lilac. Two of the eggs have small dots of the darker color thinly scattered over the whole shell, while in the third these markings are almost entirely confined to the zone. Measurements 22 mm. by 16 mm.
“Nest much like that built by Hypothymis azurea, and placed in similar positions, but within the brown lining is a second lining of fine black fiber taken from the base of the palm-leaves.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
Basilan (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Mindanao (Koch & Schadenberg, Goodfellow, Celestino); Sulu (Platen, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
Adult.—Very similar to X. rufus, but lighter in color and with the central rectrices not greatly exceeding the next pair. See also the notes under X. rufus.
Young.—Not distinguishable from the young of X. rufus.
“Both this and Z. rufus are strictly deep woods forms, never seen about open country. Eight males from Basilan and Tawi Tawi average: Length, 187; wing, 87; tail, 85; culmen, 24; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 18. Two females, length, 182; wing, 85; tail, 80; culmen, 23; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 18. Iris bright slaty blue to black; nails black; bill blue to black; eye-wattles blue.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Steere, Lempriere, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White).
Male.—General color grayish cobalt or smalt-blue; chin, lores, a small spot at base of lower mandible, and a narrow frontal line velvety black; primaries and secondaries black, edged with blue; rectrices black below and their shafts black. “Eye black; bill and legs cobalt-blue; inside of mouth bright green.” (Whitehead.) Length, about 215; wing, 93; tail, 100; culmen from base, 23; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 17.
Female.—Similar to the male, but abdomen and crissum whitish. Wing, 93; tail, 95; culmen from base, 22; bill from nostril, 14; tarsus, 16.
Young.—Similar to the adult, but lores and forehead blue; back buffy brown; remiges and rectrices largely buffy brown; under tail-coverts white washed with buff.
“Quite common both in Palawan and the Calamianes. A forest form. Four males average: Length, 220; wing, 96; tail, 100; culmen, 25; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 18. Five females, length, 200; wing, 89; tail, 89; culmen, 23; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 17. Iris black; legs and feet blue; nails black; bill blue, deepest at base, tip sometimes black; eye-wattles blue.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
“A new genus of Muscicapidæ most nearly allied to Arses, which it resembles in having a disk-like wattle formed by the prolongation of the eyelid, which entirely surrounds the rather large eye. As in Terpsiphone, there is a large, full, occipital crest, and the tarsi and toes are short and slender; but the tail is like that of Rhipidura, wedge-shaped and composed of twelve feathers, the outer pair being two-thirds of the length of the middle pair. The first flight-feather is half the length of the second, which is about equal to the tenth; the fourth being slightly the longest.” (Grant.)
Luzon (Whitehead).
“Adult male.—General color deep black with a slight purplish gloss, especially on the back and breast; the middle of lower breast and belly white, the under tail-coverts being edged with the same color. Wattle surrounding the eye, bill, and feet said to be pale blue. Length, 216; wing, 89; tail, 114; tarsus, 15. The only specimen sent home by Whitehead was not of his own collecting, but purchased in Manila and, as I understand, said to have been obtained in that vicinity. The color of the soft parts and sex are, I fancy, only given on the authority of the collector from whom the bird was obtained.” (Grant.)
Bill large and depressed; rictal bristles numerous, coarse, and long; head with a full occipital crest; eye surrounded by a wide fleshy wattle; rectrices graduated. The sexes are similar in plumage during the first two years and the birds breed in this immature condition. In the third year the male develops a distinctive plumage and his central rectrices grow to twice the length of the second pair.
Luzon (Cuming). Malay Peninsula, eastern Himalayas, Indo-Chinese Provinces, Assam, Sumatra, Java, Borneo.
“Adult male.—General color pure white, with shaft-lines of black, especially distinct on the greater coverts; quills black, externally edged with white, the inner secondaries white, with longitudinal black centers to the feathers; tail-feathers white, with blackish edges and with distinct black shafts; head, sides of face, and entire throat greenish black, without much metallic gloss; remainder of under surface of body, including the under wing-coverts, pure white; quills blackish below, broadly white along the inner web. Length, 411; culmen, 19; wing, 91; tail, 132; middle tail-feathers, 330; tarsus, 15.
“Adult female.—General color orange-rufous, brown on the mantle and scapulars; rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail chestnut; wing-coverts like the back, the greater series orange-rufous, dusky brown on the inner webs; alula, primary-coverts, and primaries black, with a narrow edging of orange-rufous, the secondaries more broadly margined, the innermost being entirely orange-rufous, with longitudinal blackish centers; crown and a moderate crest glossy steel-blue; sides of face and a narrow collar around the hind neck and entire throat and breast ashy gray; remainder of the under surface yellowish buff, sides of the body washed with orange, as also the under tail-coverts, which are slightly more rufous; under wing-coverts rufescent, whiter at base; quills dark brown below, rufous along the inner web. Length, 198; culmen, 22; wing, 90; tail, 105; tarsus, 15.
“Male in second plumage.—Very similar to the foregoing, but with a longer tail, the gray on the throat and breast darker, and the white on the belly purer and less fulvous. Length, 246; wing, 89; culmen, 22: tail, 102; middle tail-feathers, 208; tarsus, 15.” (Sharpe.)
“Included in this list with some doubt on the strength of a specimen mentioned by Hartert.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Ti-uay-uay, Batan.
Batan (McGregor).
Adult male (type).—Black, with a slight purplish blue gloss; middle of abdomen white; under tail-coverts black with white bases and with traces of clay-brown along the edges; wings and tail black with some purplish blue gloss on exposed margins. Iris brown; bill, legs, and wide fleshy eye-wattle bright blue; nails paler blue; inside of mouth pale green. Length in flesh, 383; wing, 91; central rectrices, 282; second pair of rectrices, 131; outermost and shortest pair of rectrices, 65; culmen from base, 19; bill from nostril, 13; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 15; longest crest-feathers, 15.
Nearly adult male.—Similar to the adult, but some feathers of lower back and a few of the inner remiges edged with chestnut; middle of lower breast, axillars, and wing-lining mottled with white; abdomen white; under tail-coverts terra-cotta yellow with small dusky patches. Length, 376; wing, 90; tail-feathers: longest, 267; second, 127; shortest, 80; culmen from base, 19; bill from nostril, 13; tarsus, 16.5; middle toe with claw, 16.5; longest crest-feathers, 16.
Male, first year.—Head, neck, throat, and breast glossy black; mantle, back, and rump bright chestnut; upper tail-coverts chestnut and glossy black (mixed plumage); lower breast gray; abdomen white; flanks dull chestnut; under tail-coverts white washed with terra cotta; alula, primaries and primary-coverts blackish brown; primaries and secondary-coverts edged with chestnut; secondaries edged with rusty brown; rectrices dark brown, slightly chestnut, the outer pair minutely tipped with white. Length, 190; wing, 85; tail, 85; outermost rectrices, 71; culmen from base, 18.5; bill from nostril, 13.
Adult female.—Differs from the adult male, first year, in having mantle, back, tail-coverts, and secondary-coverts reddish brown instead of chestnut. Length, 190; wing, 85; tail, 81; outermost rectrices, 74; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 13. Another female is duller, having the mantle, back, and rump decidedly grayer. Length, 189; wing, 85; tail, 88; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 12.
First plumage.—Above dull brown; top of head, back, and tail dull reddish brown; post ocular band dull ocherous; chin, throat, and breast gray, the latter crossed by an ocherous band; lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, slightly washed with ocherous; wings blackish, primaries edged with dull reddish brown; primary-coverts blackish; secondaries and their coverts edged with dull rusty ocherous taking the form of terminal spots on median coverts. Bill dull brown; legs pale blue; nails white.
Apparently this species breeds in its second year but does not reach its most perfect plumage until its fourth year.
A nest taken in Batan Island, May 29, 1907, was saddled securely in the fork of a small branch. The single egg was heavily incubated and measured 15.4 by 20.3. The egg was dull white, sparsely spotted with dark umber-brown.
The black paradise flycatcher is abundant in Batan. Its flight is easy and graceful but rather slow. The call is harsh and cat-like; the song is simple and of limited range, consisting of several clear notes uttered in rapid succession.
The short-tailed black males of this flycatcher agree with the description of Callaeops periopthalmica, but the identity of the two species has not been established.
Tip of bill overhanging, with a notch near the tip; bill depressed at nostril; rictal bristles moderate; first primary little more than one-half of second which is less than third, fourth longest; tarsus slender, equal to less than one-third the length of tail; bill from nostril more than one-half the length of tarsus.
Guimaras (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead.)
“Adult male.—General color above ochraceous brown, duller on head, much brighter on rump, becoming chestnut on the tips of upper tail-coverts; upper wing-coverts like back; quills nearly black, washed with rusty brown on outer webs, this wash changing to whitish on the primaries; upper surface of tail dull chestnut, the feathers becoming almost black at tips; lores gray; ear-coverts and sides of hind neck like crown; a ring of feathers round eye slightly lighter; chin and entire throat white; entire breast light olive-brown; flanks washed with same color; abdomen pure white; under tail-coverts white, light brown at tips; under wing-coverts, axillars, and inner webs of quills buffy white; bend of wing olive-brown.
“The white throat contrasts strongly with the brown of neck and breast and at once distinguishes this species from all other Philippine representatives of the genus. R. albigularis is a deep woods form and is extremely rare in the localities visited by us.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“One of the most interesting birds sent from Negros is this white-throated flycatcher, very nearly allied to R. pectoralis, which inhabits the south of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. The present species may, of course, be distinguished by its considerably larger size and the absence of the white patch in front of the eye, as well as by the more olivaceous brown cheeks and chest-band, which are not so strongly contrasted with the white of the throat. But these differences are really slight, and it seems very curious that the Negros and Guimaras birds should so closely resemble R. pectoralis from Borneo, while we find two distinct but closely allied species, R. ruficauda and R. ocularis, occurring in the intermediate islands. In Prof. Steere’s collection we have received the types of R. samarensis as well as two specimens collected at Ayala, Mindanao, which he considers to represent an undescribed species. They apparently differ from his R. samarensis only in having the culmen reddish brown instead of blackish brown; but this difference is due to immaturity, as is further proved by the subterminal buff spots on the innermost secondaries, which are undoubtedly remains of the first plumage. Again, Prof. Steere distinguishes his R. samarensis from R. ruficauda Sharpe, of which we have several examples. He says that the former differs ‘in having the cheeks brown, not olive, and in having the under surface washed with fulvous brown, this forming a white band across the chest.’ In comparing the type of R. samarensis with typical examples of R. ruficauda from Basilan, we fail to find any difference in the color of the cheeks, and the somewhat indistinct band across the chest, which can hardly be described as ‘broad,’ is equally well developed in a male from Basilan. There can be no doubt that the birds from Samar (R. samarensis Steere), Mindanao, and Basilan (R. ruficauda Sharpe) belong to one species and must stand as R. ruficauda Sharpe.” (Grant.)
Whitehead collected a nest and two eggs of this species in Negros on March 31, 1906. They are described as follows:
“Shape [of eggs] short ovate, one much blunter at the small end than the other. Ground-color very pale dull rufous, indistinctly mottled all over with darker shades of the same color. In general appearance these eggs strongly resemble one type laid by the common robin. Measurements 23 mm. by 17 mm.
“The nest, composed of moss and lined with fine roots, was placed in a hole in an old rotten tree about six feet [two meters] from the ground. The eggs were partially incubated, and the female was snared on the nest.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
Mindanao (Goodfellow).
“Adult female.—General color above, including the wings and tail, dark slate, shading into dull black on top of head and ear-coverts; a narrow white band across the base of bill, continued over lores in a narrow superciliary stripe; lores and feathers surrounding the upper eyelid black; chin, throat, middle of breast, belly, and under tail-coverts whitish; chest, sides, and flanks brownish-buff; axillars, under wing-coverts, and inner edge of quills whitish. ‘Iris dark reddish brown; bill black; feet ashy gray.’ Length, about 157; culmen, 21; wing, 89; tail, 68; tarsus, 21.
“This fine species appears to be quite distinct from all the members of the genus previously described, being at once recognizable by the dark slate-color of the upper parts.” (Grant.)
Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Goodfellow, Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead).
Adult male.—Above rich olive-brown, darkest on the head; wing-feathers blackish, edged with olive-brown; tail-coverts and rectrices ferruginous; lores and ear-coverts pale gray, the latter washed with olive; under parts white, washed on sides of throat and of body with pale gray; thighs brown. Bill black; iris brown; legs light blue. Length of a male from Basilan, 152; wing, 74; tail, 57; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 18.
Adult female.—Similar to the male but lores obscured with brown and ear-coverts olive-brown. A female from Mindanao measures: Length, 152; wing, 71; tail, 54; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 16.
Immature.—Sides and flanks washed with brown and feathers of breast edged more or less with brown; greater and median wing-coverts tipped with spots of light ocherous brown.
See notes on this species under Rhinomyias albigularis.
“Not rare in deep forest on Basilan. An immature bird has feathers of head with rufous shaft-markings; feathers of back, and upper wing-coverts with large spots of same color edged with black; breast similarly but more faintly spotted.
“Five males from Basilan average: Length, 143; wing, 74; tail, 60; culmen, 17; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 21. Four females, length, 129; wing, 69; tail, 50; culmen, 16; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris dark brown; legs and feet light slate; nails same; bill black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
“Adult (sexes alike).—General color above uniform olive-brown, slightly brighter on the rump; tail dark chestnut, much brighter on outer webs of feathers which are very dull at tips; wing-coverts like back; quills brownish black washed with rusty brown, this becoming whitish on first two or three primaries; lores buffy white; ring of short feathers around eye chestnut; ear-coverts and sides of hind neck fulvous-brown, the former with lighter shaft-stripes; center of throat and fore breast white, grayish along sides; breast and flanks washed with light fulvous-brown; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the latter faintly tipped with brown; thighs olive-brown; under wing-coverts and axillars whitish; inner webs of secondaries edged with buffy white.
“The peculiar ring of feathers round the eye forms a noticeable character by which this species is readily distinguished from other Philippine representatives of the genus. Iris brown; bill light slaty brown.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“Fairly abundant in the forests of Sulu and Tawi Tawi. Food usually insects. Two specimens, however, had been eating fruit. Five males from Tawi Tawi measure: Length, 152; wing, 75; tail, 47; culmen, 17; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 18. Four females from Sulu, length, 154; wing, 78; tail, 50; culmen, 17; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 19. Iris brown; legs, feet, and nails pale slate to light brown; upper mandible dark brown, lower light brown.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor).
“Adult male and female.—The sexes of this extremely handsome flycatcher are perfectly similar to one another in plumage, and most nearly resemble R. gularis Sharpe, from Kina Balu, though the differences are remarkably striking. Upper parts olive, washed with sienna on the rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail; the superciliary stripes, chin, and throat-patch, middle of lower breast and belly, and under tail-coverts pure white; lores and fore part of the cheeks blackish; rest of cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of throat olive washed with rufous, the latter color gradually increasing in intensity on the chest and upper breast, and becoming clear rust-red on the sides and flanks. Quills washed with reddish olive instead of sienna. Adult male, length, 162; wing, 89; tail, 66; tarsus, 28. Adult female, length, 160; wing, 86; tail, 63; tarsus, 28.
“This species is evidently distantly related to R. albigularis from Negros and Guimaras and R. ocularis from Sulu and Tawi Tawi, described by Bourns and Worcester, Occ. Papers Minnesota Acad. (1894), 1, 27, 28. It resembles both these species in having the middle of the throat, belly, and under tail-coverts white, but may be at once distinguished by the strongly marked white superciliary stripes and clear rust-red of the sides and flanks.” (Grant.)
A male of this species from Benguet Province was 170 in length. Iris light brown; bill black; legs and feet lead-blue.
Bill short and depressed, its depth at nostril little more than one-half the width; oral bristles numerous, the longest reaching nearly to tip of bill; first primary more than one-half of second and less than one-half of third; fourth and fifth nearly equal and longest; tarsus slender, equal to twice the bill from nostril; plumage largely yellow.
Palawan (Platen). Khasi Hills, Indian Peninsula, mountains of northwestern Borneo, Malay Peninsula, Ceylon, Java.
Adult male.—Top of head smoky gray; lores and sides of head lighter; remainder of upper parts light greenish yellow, rump a trifle lighter; wings and tail brown, the edges of the feathers greenish yellow, edges of secondaries lighter and more yellowish; chin, throat, and fore breast ashy gray; remainder of lower parts including axillars and wing-lining bright yellow. “Upper mandible black; lower mandible pale fleshy; feet olive-brown; soles yellow.” (Abbott.) “Iris dark hazel; bill brown, paler at the base and gape; mouth yellow; legs yellowish brown; claws horn-color.” (Oates.) Length, about 125; wing, 60; tail, 48; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 12. Here described from a specimen collected by Abbott in Trong, Lower Siam.
Bongao (Everett); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Celebes, Banggai and Saleyer Islands.
Adult (sexes similar).—Above greenish yellow; feathers of crown with dusky centers; lores and sides of head lighter; a circle of feathers around eye bright yellow; under parts uniform bright yellow; wings and tail brown, the edges of the feathers greenish yellow, those of secondaries more yellowish. Upper mandible black; lower mandible pale yellowish, dusky along the edge; legs and nails dark brown. Length, 115. A male from Palawan: Wing, 59; tail, 48; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 13. Female, wing, 55; tail, 48; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 6; tarsus, 13.
Young.—Three nestlings collected in Benguet Province, Luzon, on June 1, 1903, resemble the adults, but the upper parts are darker and more greenish; rump and edges of secondaries and coverts pale yellow and entire lower parts pale yellow, brightest on the abdomen.
“The nine specimens collected by us in Tawi Tawi have the back slightly greener and show rather less yellow on the rump than do typical birds from the central Philippines. A deep woods bird with rather a pleasant song. Quite easy to obtain when once seen, as it is not at all shy.
“Three males from Tawi Tawi average: Length, 118; wing, 59; tail, 48; culmen, 14; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 11. Seven females, length, 113; wing, 54; tail, 44; culmen, 14; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 11. Iris nearly black; legs and feet dirty yellowish brown; upper mandible black, lower yellow.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bill slender, depth and breadth equal at nostril; nasal and rictal bristles few and weak; wing longer than tail by less than length of tarsus; first primary more than one-half of second and less than one-half of third; fourth and fifth nearly equal and longest; tarsus slender and more than twice the bill from nostril. Small, inconspicuous birds with olive and yellowish green plumage; sexes similar. Some of the species resemble the members of the genus Acanthopneuste, but the very short first primary in the latter genus serves to distinguish it.
Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Whitehead); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
Adult, male and female.—Entire upper parts olive-green; top of head and neck streaked with ashy gray; lores dusky, surmounted by a line of light greenish yellow; eyelids bright yellow; postocular band dusky, surmounted by a narrow whitish line; cheeks and ear-coverts yellowish green, streaked with pale yellow; under parts whitish, streaked with pale yellow; flanks washed with light olive-green; feathers of thighs dusky, tipped with light yellow; under tail-coverts uniform light yellow; wing-feathers brown, edged with olive-green; edge of wing and axillars clear light yellow; rectrices olive-green, the inner webs of two outermost pairs edged with light yellow. A male from Bohol measures: Length, 127; wing, 60; tail, 52; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 18. A female from Mindanao, wing, 52; tail, 42; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 18.
“Young birds have the crown olive-green like the rest of the upper parts, the chin and throat pale yellow, and the outer webs of the outer primaries olive-green like the rest of the quills.” (Grant.)
“Not uncommon; met with by us in several islands in company with flocks of Phylloscopus. Seven males from various localities average: Length, 121; wing, 59; tail, 49; culmen, 15; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 15. Two females, length, 114; wing, 52; tail, 44; culmen, 15; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 14. Iris dark brown to black; legs, feet, and nails light brown; upper mandible dark brown to black; lower mandible yellow.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Adult (sexes alike).—Similar to Cryptolopha olivacea, but uniform olive-green above with no gray lines on head; lighter on rump and tail-coverts; chin and throat clear light yellow; cheeks and ear-coverts light greenish yellow; a band of olive-green from lores through eye to occiput, bordered above by a line of greenish yellow. Iris dark gray; upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible pale yellow; legs pale blue. Male: Length, 127; wing, 58; tail, 44; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 19. Female: Wing, 54; tail, 45; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 18.
“Only a single specimen collected, but it is so distinct from the allied forms that we have no hesitation in forming a species on the strength of it. Legs, feet, and nails very light brown; upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible light brown; breeding in Cebu in June.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Whitehead); Negros (Steere Exp., Whitehead).
Adult (sexes alike).—Above dull olive-green, darkest on crown, lightest on rump and tail-coverts; wings and tail brown, the feathers edged with olive-green; two outermost pairs of rectrices edged with white on inner webs; greater coverts tipped with greenish yellow forming a bar; lores and post-ocular band dark brown, surmounted by a greenish yellow line; cheeks and ear-coverts greenish yellow; below nearly uniform greenish yellow or light olive-green, lightest on abdomen and crissum; feathers of throat and breast with white shafts. Length of a male from Benguet Province, Luzon, 114; wing, 57; tail, 40; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 20. Female, wing, 52; tail, 37; culmen from base, 11; tarsus, 19.
Young.—An immature bird has the upper parts slightly duller and the line over the eye much paler than the adult; throat and breast very pale yellow; abdomen and crissum light yellow; the sides more dusky than the center of breast and abdomen; pale yellow tips of wing-coverts well-marked.
Behr-riss behr-riss, Bagobo (Mount Apo).
Mindanao (Goodfellow, Mearns).
Male.—Above rich olive-yellow; wings and tail brown, edged with olive-green; inner webs of two outermost pairs of rectrices white; no light bar on wing-coverts; lores bright greenish yellow; no dark line through eye and no light line above eye; under parts rich greenish yellow as in the female. Wing, 61; tail, 44; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 20. This description is taken from a specimen in poor condition, collected on Mount Apo by Mearns. The description of the type is added.
“Female.—Upper surface olive-green; remiges blackish brown, outwardly edged with the color of the back, inwardly with yellowish white; middle rectrices dusky brown, edged with olive-green, outermost pair with the inner webs white, except a brown patch near the base; basal half of outer webs pale sulphur-yellow, distal half, except a line near the shaft, dusky brown; the next pair similar, but with little more brown near the base, and the outer web throughout with dusky patches, the third pair from outside with an irregular white stripe near the shaft on the inner web and a narrow white border; a narrow brownish buff superciliar line, not very conspicuous; under side sulphur-yellow; fore neck and breast tinged with olive-green; under wing-coverts white, yellow near the edge of the wing; under tail-coverts yellow. Wing, 59.5; tail, 45; bill, 10; tarsus, about 18; (not quite certain, because both damaged by shot).” (Hartert.)
Palawan (Whitehead).
Adult.—Top and sides of head, ear-coverts, and hind neck chestnut; a broad band of black on crown from above eye to side of neck; lores yellowish; eyelids white; cheeks bright yellow, becoming rufous posteriorly; rest of upper parts dull olive-green; rump yellow; wings and tail brown, edged with olive-green; median and greater wing-coverts tipped with yellow, forming a double wing-bar; under parts, including under wing-coverts and axillars, bright yellow with a wash of rufous on sides of upper breast.
I have not seen a specimen of this flycatcher and no good description of it is available.60 The above description is compiled from that of C. montis. By an oversight C. montis has been credited to Palawan by Sharpe and by McGregor and Worcester; as the only specimen of flycatcher warbler from Palawan is the type of C. xanthopygia, the former species must be stricken from the list of Philippine birds.