Bill stout, conical, and pointed; culmen and cutting edge gently curved; nostril about half way between base and tip of upper mandible; wings very long and pointed; tarsus short, its anterior face with about five plates; powder-downs present.
Mandible with a slight notch near tip; rictal bristles much less than bill from nostril; first primary very small and slender, not longer than culmen from base; second primary longest, the wings when folded reaching beyond the middle of tail; tail short and square, the rectrices broad and square; plumage compact. Colors white and gray.
Git-git, Ticao, Lubang, and Manila; it-it, Bohol.
Bantayan (McGregor); Banton (Celestino); Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Buluan (Mearns); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Caluya (Porter); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Murray, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett, Bartsch); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Papahag (Bartsch); Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Burbidge, Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester, Bartsch); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Australia, Papuan and Andaman Islands, Malay Archipelago.
Adult (sexes alike).—Upper tail-coverts pure white; remainder of upper parts with wings and tail slate-gray; mantle and back decidedly browner; primaries and rectrices blacker; loral and nasal plumes black; sides of head and neck slate-gray; chin, throat, and fore part of chest blackish slate; remainder of under parts, axillars, and wing-lining pure white. Iris dark; bill light blue, its tip black; legs and nails black. Length, 190 to 200. A male from Siquijor measures: Wing, 136; tail, 67; culmen from base, 21; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 16.5. A female from Luzon, wing, 137; tail, 66; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 14; tarsus, 15.
Young.—Four large nestlings taken in Benguet, Luzon, April 19, 1903, resemble the adult in having the breast, abdomen, and crissum white. but the throat is light gray; chin, cheeks, and jaw dark smoky gray; upper parts light seal-brown with some ocherous-colored fringes to the feathers of back and inner wing-coverts; upper tail-coverts white; primaries, secondaries, and rectrices slate-blue with wide edges of gray or white. Iris brown; bill brown, yellowish along cutting edge; legs and feet blackish; nails black.
The nestling down is light buff.
“The swallow shrike is one of the commonest Philippine birds and it seems probable that this species occurs on every island of the group. It hawks after insects during the day, and may sometimes be seen hunting in great flocks just at sundown. Hundreds often roost together on the leaves of coconut trees. Called ‘git-git’ and ‘ala-git-git’ by the natives. We found it nesting in the coconut trees as a rule, but a nest in Negros was placed on the broken top of the trunk of a cotton-tree. The nest is composed of small grass-stems, twigs, and similar materials loosely woven together, and is lined with fine grass and with fibers from the bark of the cabo negro palm. The cavity of the nest is broad and shallow, measuring 75 to 100 mm. in width and 25 to 40 mm. in depth. The exterior dimensions vary greatly in different nests. Three or four eggs are deposited. Their ground-color is pale creamy white, usually very heavily marked with spots and blotches of very pale lilac and light chocolate-brown. These markings are usually more numerous at the larger end where, in rare cases, they almost entirely conceal the ground-color, while in others they are replaced by fine dots and small spots. The eggs are remarkably uniform in shape. They vary from 22.8 to 24.8 mm. in length and from 17.2 to 18 mm. in breadth.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
This attractive species was found breeding in abundance along the Baco River, Mindoro, in April, 1904. The nests were usually placed among the upturned roots of fallen trees which had become stranded in the river.
Bill strong, either compressed or at least as high as broad at nostril, never depressed; upper mandible with a notch, or with a notch and a tooth near tip; nostrils partly hidden by antrorse frontal plumes, the shafts of which are produced; wing moderate in length, flat, and somewhat rounded; first primary one-half of third or less, the second falling between the first and third; rectrices twelve, either long, or else moderate in length; front of tarsus covered with distinct plates; hind toe with claw less than culmen from base.
Bill strongly compressed, hooked, and with a strong tooth and deep notch on each side of upper mandible; inner webs of primaries slightly emarginate; rectrices graduated, usually as long as, or longer than, wing.
The only species of Enneoctonus known to occur in the Philippine Islands may be recognized by its barred mantle.
Sulu (Platen). Korea, China, Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, and Borneo.
“Adult male (summer plumage).—Crown of head, hind neck, and upper part of the mantle clear bluish gray; mantle, scapulars, the whole back and the upper tail-coverts reddish brown, each feather with several transverse black bars; lesser wing-coverts like the back, the rest and the secondary quills chestnut-brown with submarginal black lines; primary quills uniform brown, with no white at the base whatever; tail uniform chestnut-brown, with faint subterminal bars and whitish tips to the outer rectrices; a frontal band, the loral and ocular region, and the ear-coverts deep black; all the under parts white, washed with cream-color, especially on the throat, breast, and edge of wings; some of the under wing-coverts with submarginal blackish brown bars. ‘Bill bluish black; feet pale leaden, with a fleshy tinge; iris blackish brown.’ (Swinhoe.)
“Winter plumage.—The gray of the head and neck is washed with brownish; the frontal band and ear-coverts are brownish black, so that the head has lost its beautiful appearance; cheeks, sides of breast, and flanks with a few subterminal brown vermiculations; bill and feet horny brown. Length, 168; culmen, 19; wing, 81; tail, 76; tarsus, 22.8.
“Adult female.—Very similar to the adult male in winter plumage, but generally with ‘a large creamy patch on the lores, and a white half-eyebrow in rear of the eye-line’ (Swinhoe); bill bluish black. The measurements are the same as in the male.
“Observation.—Consul Swinhoe observes ‘that the sexes are alike, the males being more richly colored.’ This, however, holds good only with old females in breeding plumage, since in winter (as proved by all the specimens from Malacca and Borneo) the female closely resembles the young and immature birds, the black frontal band and the gray of the head and neck being replaced by the reddish brown black-barred coloration of the back, while the region above the ear-coverts and above the eye is creamy instead of reddish brown.
“Immature bird.—General color of the whole upper surface of the body reddish brown, which color is more fulvous and grayish on the head and neck, passing into chestnut-brown on the rump and upper tail-coverts; each feather has several very distinct black or dark-brown cross-bars, and is mottled with small creamy or almost white spots; again, the shafts of the feathers being white, the upper parts of the body, especially the mantle and neck, exhibit a rather densely spotted aspect, thus differing from the adult female in summer plumage; no frontal band; the forehead, the region round the eye, and ear-coverts whitish mottled with brownish; throat, middle of abdomen, under tail- and under wing-coverts uniform cream-color; all the rest of the under parts and sides of the neck densely marked with blackish brown vermiculations. Bill pale horny brown; feet more bluish.” (Gadow.)
“The tiger shrike is included in this list solely on the authority of Blasius. As it occurs in Borneo its presence in the Sulu group would not be surprising, but we failed to find it.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Forehead black; crown either black or dark slate-gray; without a white eyebrow.75
Luzon (Whitehead, Worcester, McGregor); Mindoro (Whitehead).
Adult male.—Upper parts slate-gray, pale gray on forehead and over eye; frontal band, lores, ear-coverts, and line above and below eye black, forming a broad band to side of neck; under parts white; flanks cinnamon-buff, crissum faintly washed with buff; thighs black; wings blackish; inner secondaries margined with white on outer webs; rectrices blackish, the two or three outer pairs narrowly tipped with white. Bill and nails black; legs blackish brown; iris dark brown. Length, about 210; wing, 87; tail, 97; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 24.
“Adult female.—Differs slightly in having the black on the sides of the face paler and absent on the forehead, which is whitish gray; the whitish gray margins to the superciliaries are more marked; the margins to the secondaries are rufous-buff, and the thighs are gray. Length, 200; wing, 86; tail, 89; tarsus, 25; culmen, 23.” (Grant.)
Young.—Young birds, in first plumage, have the upper part smoky gray; frontal band, lores, and band through eye black; chin, throat, and middle of abdomen white; thighs black; remainder of under parts tawny-buff; breast and malar region speckled with smoky brown, but no bars on the under parts; wings and tail blackish brown; greater secondary-coverts, inner secondaries and nearly all the remiges edged with tawny-buff.
The strong-billed shrike is fairly abundant in Benguet Province, Luzon.
Ta-rat San Diego, Manila.
Bohol (Steere Exp., McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cebu (Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Luzon (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Koch & Schadenberg, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Everett); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Panay (Sonnerat, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino). Northern Borneo.
Adult.—Entire top and sides of head, hind neck, and sides of neck black; mantle light gray shading into ocherous buff on scapulars, back, rump and tail-coverts; under parts white; sides and flanks ocherous buff; crissum light buff; thighs white; wings and tail black; inner webs of wing-quills edged with white; fifth to eighth primaries with a small white spot near base of outer webs; inner secondaries more or less edged and tipped with pale buff or white; edge of wing, of first alula quill, and of first and second primaries white; rectrices narrowly tipped with pale buff or white, two outermost pairs edged with pale buff or white; all the rectrices fringed with pale buff at base. Iris brown; bill, legs, and nails black. Length, 240 to 245. A male from Siquijor measures: Wing, 88; tail, 125; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 26. A female, wing, 88; tail, 124; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 26.
“Quite common in some localities, especially in Siquijor, but less abundant than O. lucionensis. Habits the same, and frequents precisely the same localities. Three males from Mindanao average: Length, 240; wing, 88; tail, 120; culmen, 21; tarsus, 26; middle toe with claw, 23. Two females from Culion, length, 228; wing, 87; tail, 113; culmen, 20; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 23. Iris dark brown to black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester, Mearns.)
Adult male.—“Whole top [of head] and sides of neck, and hind neck black; mantle gray (No. 10 Ridgway), fading to pale cream-buff on back; scapulars pale cream-buff, broadly bordered with white; rump and upper tail-coverts pinkish buff; primaries black with an exposed spot of white, formed by white bands crossing the external webs of third to seventh primaries opposite the end of the alula; secondaries black, tipped and edged externally with white; tail black, with outer feathers gray at base, tipped with grayish white; chin, throat, breast, thighs, axillars, and lining of wings pure white; side buff; abdomen pinkish vinaceous; under tail-coverts buffy white. Length (of skin), 240; wing, 95; tail, 135; culmen, 17; depth of bill at angle of gonys, 8.7; tarsus, 28.
“In size and color pattern this species closely resembles Lanius nasutus Scopoli from which it may be distinguished by the pale color of the scapulars, back, and rump, as well as by the pinkish vinaceous color of the abdomen.” (Mearns.)
The long-tailed shrikes collected in Sulu by Bourns and Worcester and by Guillemard were probably of this species. I have not seen a specimen from Sulu.
The Philippine species of Otomela may be recognized by the nearly uniformly colored upper parts, narrow, white or pale buff, superciliary stripe, and short tail; wing and tail about equal in length.76
Ta-ga-pa-ri, Ticao; ti-cong, Cagayancillo; te-ti-bi-as, Bantayan; ti-ba-las, Siquijor; ta-rat or ca-bi-so-te, Manila.
Agutaya (McGregor); Balabac (Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Caluya (Porter); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Everett, Bartsch); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Möllendorff, Meyer, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Platen, Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Palawan (Whitehead, Everett, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panaon (Everett); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp.); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Celestino, Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Mongolia, northern China, Korea, Formosa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Malay Archipelago; southern India in winter.
Adult male (Bohol, April).—Lores, a narrow frontal line, and a broad band through eye to side of neck black; forehead delicate pearl-gray, shading gradually into earthy brown on the back and becoming more reddish brown on the lower back and rump; chin, throat, jaw, and middle of abdomen white; thighs pale gray; remaining under parts buff; wing-feathers blackish; primaries whitish at their bases; axillars and inner edges of wing-quills white; rectrices earthy brown, narrowly tipped with whitish and obsoletely barred. Bill, legs, and nails black. Wing, 88; tail, 87; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 23.
Most of the specimens taken in the Philippines, autumn and winter, have the under parts whitish with varying amounts of dusky vermiculations. This plumage appears to be characteristic of both young and winter specimens.
Young birds differ from the adults in the color of the upper parts, which are “brownish rufous, brighter on the upper tail-coverts; no gray on the head; loral region and a superciliary streak dingy white or cream-color; head, hind neck, mantle, and upper tail-coverts showing faint dark vermiculations; wing-coverts and secondary quills brown, broadly edged with rufous, each feather with a dark brown submarginal line; ear-coverts and a small spot in front of the eye dark brown; chin, throat, middle of abdomen, and the under wing-coverts, axillars, and edge of wing pale creamy white; all the rest of the under parts more strongly washed with creamy or even with rufous, and marked with numerous dark brown cross-vermiculations; bill brown, lighter at base.” (Gadow.)
“One of the commonest of Philippine birds. Doubtless occurs on every island of the group. Found in open fields, where it perches on stones, weeds, bushes, etc. It is a very noisy, quarrelsome bird, and a vicious fighter when snared or wounded. Five males average: Length, 186; wing, 85; tail, 84; culmen, 20; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 22. Five females, length, 188; wing, 86; tail, 82.5; culmen, 20; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 21.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Asia, from the Yenesei to Kamchatka and Dauria, and from Yarkand to the east coast of China; wintering in India, Ceylon, the Andamans, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, and as far south as Java. (Dresser.) Borneo and Philippine Islands in winter. (Sharpe.)
“Male adult (Dauria).—Upper parts reddish brown, more rufous on the crown; wings dark brown margined with rufous, the lesser wing-coverts like the back; no white alar speculum; tail reddish brown, paler at the tip; lores and a patch passing through the eye and extending over the ear-coverts black; forehead, supercilium, cheeks, chin, and throat white; rest of the under parts rufous-buff. Bill pale plumbeous, the upper mandible from the nostril, and the tip of the lower mandible dark horn; legs bluish brown; iris dark brown; eyelids plumbeous. Culmen, 17.7; wing, 89; tail, 91; tarsus, 25.4.
“The female has the supercilium creamy white, the under parts isabelline, the flanks rufous-buff, these and the breast faintly vermiculated, and the young have the upper parts distinctly barred and the under parts vermiculated with dark brown.” (Dresser.)
The Island of Sagahalien, Askold and Japan; wintering in the Malay Peninsula, Philippines, and Java. (Dresser.)
“Male adult (Japan).—Differs from L. cristatus in having the upper parts much brighter, usually rich fox-red, the forehead and fore crown and a broad supercilium pure white; wings blackish, externally margined with rufous; tail fox-red tipped with dull white. Culmen, 17.7; wing, 89; tail, 94; tarsus, 21.” (Dresser.)
Bill at nostril as broad as it is high, compressed toward the tip; a well-marked notch near tip of bill; feathers of chin and jaw with their shafts produced and hair-like; rectrices nearly uniform in length; tail decidedly shorter than wing.
Characters same as those given for the Subfamily.
Luzon (Meyer, Whitehead, McGregor).
Adult.—Top of head and hind neck olive-brown, shading into dull olive-green on back; lighter olive-green on rump, tail-coverts, and edges of wing-feathers and rectrices; lores and ear-coverts drab; chin, throat, and malar region white; chin-feathers with black shafts; throat with obscure drab shaft-lines; sides of fore breast olive-yellow; remainder of under parts bright lemon-yellow. Iris brown; bill black; legs and nails flesh-color. Length, about 150. A male from Bataan Province, Luzon, measures: Wing, 84; tail, 69; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 19. A female from the same locality, wing, 81; tail, 66; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 20.
Pbe’a-oi-toi, Bagobo of Mount Apo.
Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Mearns); Bohol (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester, Mearns, Goodfellow, Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
Adult.—Similar to H. philippinensis, but the bill decidedly smaller and the back bright olive-green. A male topotype measures: Wing, 82; tail, 68; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 18.5. Specimens from Bohol differ in having larger bills. A male measures: Wing, 75; tail, 62; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 10. A male from Siquijor measures: Wing, 84; tail, 69; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11.
Whitehead found a set of two eggs of the Mount Apo thickhead near Paranas, Samar, in June, 1896. The eggs are thus described: “Shape ovate. Ground-color brownish cream-color, shading into a zone of deeper color round the larger end; the zone is ornamented with spots of pale sienna-brown and larger underlying markings of bluish gray. Measurements 23 mm. by 17 mm.
“Nest cup-shaped, very similar to that constructed by Iole philippensis, and composed of similar materials—fine roots and dead leaves. It was situated in the undergrowth of old forest in a small tree about three meters from the ground, and the female bird was obtained.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
Sa-mot ba-sit, Calayan.
Calayan (McGregor).
Adult.—Top of head hair-brown washed with olive-green; remainder of upper parts, including exposed edges of wing-feathers and rectrices, dark olive-green; ear-coverts drab; chin and throat white with distinct dusky shaft-lines, bordered posteriorly by a crescentic, dusky band of drab, washed posteriorly with olive; breast, abdomen, and crissum yellow, pale for the greater part, but bright lemon-yellow on crissum; sides of breast and flanks dusky olive-green; feathers of thighs gray, tipped with yellow; edge of wing, under wing-coverts, and axillars white washed with yellow; inner webs of quills edged with white. Bill black; legs plumbeous; nails flesh-color. Measurements of male cotype: Length, 152; wing, 83; tail, 64; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 21. Female cotype, wing, 79; tail, 67; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 21.
Immature.—Sides of face and pectoral band washed with faint reddish brown; edges of wing-quills reddish brown. Bill dark brown, lower mandible lighter.
Camiguin N. (McGregor).
Adult.—Similar to Hyloterpe fallax, but slightly larger; breast and flanks more strongly suffused with yellow. Male type, length, 183; wing, 93; tail, 75; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 21. Female, wing, 86; tail, 67; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 22.
Young.—A young bird taken in June has most of the head and body covered with vinaceous-cinnamon down, darker on the back; under tail-coverts pale yellow; wing-feathers and rectrices blackish brown, edged with olive-green; innermost secondaries and secondary-coverts washed with vinaceous-cinnamon.
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Mindoro (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Adult.—Above dull olive-green, brighter on the rump, wings, and tail; sides of head and ear-coverts slightly washed with olive; chin, throat, and chest hair-brown streaked with white and slightly washed with olive; abdomen white faintly washed with yellow; sides and flanks more dusky; crissum pale lemon-yellow; axillars and wing-lining white faintly washed with yellow. Length, about 165. Male, wing, 82; tail, 70; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 22. Female, wing, 79; tail, 66; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 9.5; tarsus, 22.
Young.—A very young bird taken in April resembles the young of H. illex. Above dark walnut-brown; below vinaceous-cinnamon; three or four outer primaries edged with pale gray; the inner primaries edged with olive-green, some of them washed with reddish brown.
“Very rare in Mindoro. But a single female specimen obtained. It measures 165 in length; wing, 78; tail, 66; culmen, 17.8; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 19.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, Everett, Celestino, White).
Adult.—Upper parts hair-brown; edges of wing-feathers and of rectrices slightly more ashy brown; auriculars and sides of neck hair-brown; throat white with faint drab-gray streaks; chest drab-gray; remainder of under parts white. Male, wing, 79; tail, 62; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 19. Female, wing, 78; tail, 65; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 18.
“Quite rare in the localities collected in by us. A male measures, length, 149; wing, 80.5; tail, 60; culmen, 17.5; tarsus, 18.8; middle toe with claw, 16. A female, length, 159; wing, 82; tail, 62.7; tarsus, 18.5; middle toe with claw, 17.5; culmen, 22. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails light slate; bill black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, Celestino); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Adult.—Top of head vandyke-brown; back, rump, and edges of wing-feathers and of rectrices reddish brown (near mars-brown of Ridgway); auriculars slightly lighter; sides of neck and of breast similar to the back; under parts white; chest, flanks, and thighs washed with hair-brown. Iris brown or dark red; bill black; legs and nails pale blue or slate-gray. Length, about 170 mm. A male from Cebu measures: Wing, 94; tail, 74; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 23. A male from Ticao, wing, 88; tail, 68; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 20. A female from Sibuyan, wing, 86; tail, 68; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 22.
“Quite common in the forests of the islands named. Rather a shy bird. Has a pleasant whistling note, and may be readily called up. Three males from Negros measure as follows: Wing, 82; tail, 69; culmen, 18.5; tarsus, 20.5; middle toe with claw, 19. Three females from Panay, wing, 81; tail, 66.5; culmen, 17.5; tarsus, 20.5; middle toe with claw, 18. Length measurement not taken in the flesh on any of the above. Two males from Masbate average 165 in length, and a female from same place measures 162. Bill black; iris brown; legs, feet, and nails light slate.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bongao (Everett); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Platen, Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
Adult.—Upper parts, including margins of wing-feathers and rectrices, reddish brown (walnut-brown of Ridgway); head slightly darker; sides of neck like the back; auriculars vinaceous-cinnamon; under parts white; chin, throat, and fore breast streaked with cinnamon; sides of breast and flanks cinnamon; crissum washed with pale canary-yellow. A male from Tawi Tawi measures: Wing, 84; tail, 66; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 20. A female, wing, 74; tail, 62; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 20.
“Common in Tawi Tawi, less so in Sulu. A deep woods bird; tame and easily shot. Feeds on insects, and usually keeps some distance above the ground. Six males average: Length, 157; wing, 81; tail, 64; culmen, 17.8; tarsus, 19.5; middle toe with claw, 18. Four females, length, 150; wing, 77; tail, 63; culmen, 17.8; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 17.8. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails light brown; bill black. Breeding in Tawi Tawi in the month of September.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)