Bill short, rather broad at the base; cutting edges of both mandibles finely serrated for at least the distal third; first primary usually wanting; tail short and square. Birds of this family resemble the Nectariniidæ and differ from all other Passeriformes in the finely serrated tomia. The species are all small resident birds. Some are brightly marked with red or yellow, while others are plainly colored. They feed about flower or fruit trees or vines in the manner of the sunbirds.
The genus Dicæum is distinguished by the slender and sharply pointed bill, by the comparatively short tail, and by always lacking the first primary. The shape of the bill alone is enough to distinguish Dicæum from either Prionochilus or Piprisoma, for while the base of the bill is stout in all three genera, in Dicæum its distal portion is much compressed, slender and sharply pointed, and the outline of the gonys is but very slightly convex.
Luzon (?);81 Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Everett, McGregor).
Male and female.—Upper parts, including wings and tail, black with a slight blue gloss; a collar of scarlet-vermilion on hind neck; lores dead black; sides of head, chin, throat, and breast dull black with a small scarlet-vermilion patch in center of upper throat on line with the eyes; abdomen, flanks, thighs, crissum, and sides of breast white, mixed with gray on the sides; in the middle of lower breast an oblong scarlet-vermilion patch which is surrounded by black. A male measures: Length, 100; wing, 53; tail, 27; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 13.5. A female, wing, 50; tail, 26; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8.5; tarsus, 14.
“Fairly abundant in Mindoro. Found both in the forest and in the coconut groves. Three males average: Length, 91; wing, 53; tail, 27; culmen, 13; tarsus, 12.7; middle toe with claw, 13.4. A female, length, 97; wing, 50; tail, 25; culmen, 15; tarsus, 14.4; middle toe with claw, 13. Iris dark reddish brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black. Breeding in Mindoro in the month of April.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Guimaras (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay, Celestino); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester).
Male.—Upper parts, including wings and tail, black with a slight blue gloss; cheeks, sides of head and of neck black; no red on the neck; under parts white; sides and flanks washed with ashy; a slate-black band or patch across fore breast; a broad band of scarlet-vermilion on middle of breast and abdomen. A male from Panay measures: Wing, 53; tail, 29; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 7.5; tarsus, 14.
“Young.—Differs from the adult in being slaty gray above, the wings and tail being blacker, with grayish margins to the feathers; under surface of body ashy whitish, washed with yellowish on the abdomen and with grayish on the sides of the body.” (Sharpe.)
“Found in deep woods, also in coconut groves and about flowering trees in the open. Frequently found feeding side by side with D. dorsale. Fourteen males average: Length, 94; wing, 56; tail, 29; culmen, 14; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 14. Thirteen females, length, 93; wing, 53; tail, 27; culmen, 14; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 14. Iris very dark brown; bill, legs, and nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Whitehead collected one fresh egg of this species at the base of Canlaon Volcano, Negros, on March 19, 1896. It is described as follows: “Shape ovate. Ground-color very pale greenish white, profusely spotted towards the larger end with rather heavy clouded lilac under-markings and olive-brown specks, which are distributed sparingly over the rest of the shell. Measurements 17 mm. by 12 mm. The only nest found was suspended from the end of a branch some distance from the ground.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
Pi-pit pu-ña-la-da, Manila.
Basiao, off Samar (Bartsch); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Samar (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor).
Male and female.—Above black with a slight slate-blue gloss; lores and ear-coverts black; chin, throat, and crissum white; remainder of under parts cinereous, whitish on middle of lower abdomen; a wide scarlet-vermilion line down center of breast and abdomen. Iris red; bill, legs, and claws black. A male from Basilan measures: Wing, 56; tail, 31; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 14. A female from Lubang, wing, 50; tail, 25; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 14.
Young.—Upper parts and sides of head and of neck dull smoky brown; under parts dirty cinereous, slightly lighter on throat and tail-coverts.
“The occurrence of this species in Masbate is somewhat surprising. We should naturally expect to find D. hæmatostictum there. D. papuense is, however, abundant, and D. hæmatostictum apparently does not occur. Habits similar to D. hæmatostictum, and never occurs in the same island with it so far as known. Eight males average: Length, 93; wing, 56; tail, 29; culmen, 13; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 14. Five females, length, 93; wing, 52; tail, 27; culmen, 13; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 13.4. Bill, legs, feet, and nails black. Breeding in Samar and Mindanao in August; in Cebu in June.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cu-si-ti, Benguet.
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor).
Adult male.—Upper parts, including exposed edges of wing-feathers and rectrices, glossy steel-green; lores black; sides of head and of neck black slightly glossed with green; chin very pale yellow; throat and chest scarlet-vermilion; breast and abdomen white, washed with pale yellow and with a slaty black line down the middle; sides and flanks olivaceous; thighs black mixed with white; crissum saffron-yellow; rectrices and wing-feathers black; wing-lining white. Iris brown; bill, legs, and nails black. Length, about 95; wing, 56; tail, 29; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6; tarsus, 12.
“The female resembles the female of D. ignipectus, but the top of the head and back are very distinctly glossed with metallic green as in the male, though the gloss is much less pronounced. In some females of D. ignipectus the head is slightly glossed, but the back is always olive-green. Length, 86; wing, 46.5; tail, 28; tarsus, 12; culmen, 11.4.” (Grant.)
Young.—Above mouse-gray washed with olive-green; under parts gray washed with dull olivaceous; abdomen, crissum, and middle of breast washed with light yellow. The first indication of the adult plumage consists of a few red feathers on the throat.
The Luzon flowerpecker is abundant in the mountains of Benguet Province and appears not to occur in the lowlands.
Mindanao (Waterstradt).
Diagnosis.—“Differs from D. luzoniense Grant in having the sides of the head glossy greenish black, instead of slaty, the vent and under tail-coverts brighter yellow, and the sides of abdomen darker olive-green.” (Hartert.)
This species is known only from Mount Apo, Mindanao.
Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, Celestino); Panay (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester).
Male.—Above dark plumbeous or slate-blue; wing-feathers and rectrices black, edged with slate-blue; a patch of feathers in the middle of upper back orpiment-orange; sides of head and neck slate-blue; lores black; under parts bright lemon-yellow, becoming cadmium-yellow on abdomen and orpiment-orange on breast; inner webs of quills white; axillars and wing-lining white, washed with yellow. Iris light brown; bill and nails black; legs dark slate-blue. A male from Masbate measures: Wing, 50; tail, 23; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 13.
“Female.—Different from the male; above olive-green, the rump more yellowish; sides of the face uniform with the head; under surface of body bright yellowish; breast and under wing-coverts richer in color. Length, 94; culmen, 12.7; wing, 48; tail, 22.8; tarsus, 14.” (Sharpe.)
“True D. dorsale is confined to Panay, Negros, and Masbate, where it is abundant both about flowering and fruiting trees in the forest, and in coconut groves. Five males average: Length, 89; wing, 49; tail, 24; culmen, 13; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 13. Six females, wing, 48; tail, 24; culmen, 14; tarsus, 12.4; middle toe with claw, 13. Iris very dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Male.—Similar to D. dorsale, but the upper parts and sides of head and of neck lighter, nearly indigo-blue; feathers of occiput and neck fringed with olivaceous; under parts more uniform in color and the orange of breast less rich. Males with the appearance of maturity have the base of the bill dull yellow. Length, about 90; wing, 50; tail, 25; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 7.5; tarsus, 14.
Female.—Above olive-green; below tea-green; chin, middle of breast and of abdomen, and crissum bright lemon-yellow. Wing, 48; tail, 22; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 13.
“Measurements of eleven males: Length, 89; culmen, 14; wing, 49; tail, 26; tarsus, 13. Of four females: Length, 84; wing, 48; tail, 25; tarsus, 12.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“Iris brown; legs, feet, and nails dark brown; bill black. Breeding in July.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Luzon (Everett, Whitehead); Marinduque (Steere Exp.?)82 Mindoro (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Polillo (McGregor).
Male.—Rump bright lemon-yellow, otherwise scarcely different from the male of D. dorsale. A male from Mindoro measures: Wing, 47; tail, 19; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 11.
Female.—Rump pale lemon-yellow, otherwise similar to the female of D. dorsale. A female from Mindoro, wing, 46; tail, 20; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6; tarsus, 11.
“Two males average: Length, 82; wing, 47; tail, 21; culmen, 13; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 13. Iris dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Romblon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
Male.—Upper parts, including sides of head and of neck, and exposed edges of wing-feathers and rectrices slate-blue, or dark indigo-blue; patch on center of back orpiment-orange; rump faintly washed with olive-green; lores black; chin and throat light ashy gray faintly and uniformly washed with pale yellow; remainder of under parts bright yellow inclining to orange on middle of breast. Iris brown; bill, legs, and nails black. Wing, 51; tail, 25; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 14.
Female.—Above mouse-gray faintly washed with dull olive-green; below tea-green, becoming pale yellow on middle of breast and abdomen and on crissum. Base of bill whitish. Wing, 51; tail, 24; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8.5; tarsus, 14.
“Four males average: Length, 94; wing, 52; tail, 26.5; culmen, 14; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 15. Three females, length, 92; wing, 49; tail, 26; culmen, 14; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 14. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails dark brown; bill brown to black, yellowish at base.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Male.—Similar to the male of D. intermedium, but the rump more heavily washed with olive-green; chin and throat clear ashy gray without the yellow wash. Iris brown; bill black; legs and nails dark steel-blue. Wing, 56; tail, 26; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 14.
Female.—Similar to the female of D. intermedium. Wing, 52; tail, 24; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 14.
“Average measurements from nine males: Length, 99; culmen, 15; wing, 53; tail, 26; tarsus, 13. From two females: Length, 97; culmen, 15; wing, 50; tail, 24.6; tarsus, 14.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
“Adult male.—Above exactly like D. sibutense, but chin, throat, and fore breast very much lighter than sides of face, being clear ashy gray, as in D. trigonostigma. As Dr. Sharpe expressly states that this is not the case in S. sibutense, but that the latter species has the throat like the sides of the face and head, it is evident that the Sulu and Tawi Tawi (?) birds belong to a distinct species having the back of D. sibutense and the under surface of D. trigonostigma.
“Adult female like that of D. sibutense, but with the throat, upper breast, and sides of face light ashy gray, uniformly washed with yellow. The plate in Ibis seems to show a faint orange mark on the back of the female of D. sibutense, though no such marking is described in the text. If this is the case, the female of D. sibutense differs from that of every other Philippine representative of the genus.
“A male from Sulu measures 89 in length; culmen, 13; wing, 52; tail, 24.6; tarsus, 13.4. Two females from the same locality measure 84 in length; culmen, 12.7; wing, 50; tail, 24.6; tarsus, 12. We have only females from Tawi Tawi and can not be quite sure of the identification.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
Sibutu (Everett).
“This is an interesting species, new to science. Like D. trigonostigma, it has a slate-colored throat, but the latter is blackish slate-color, like the sides of the face and head, and not lighter gray as in D. trigonostigma. The Sibutu bird, moreover, resembles D. dorsale in having an orange patch in the center of the back, the lower back and rump being slaty gray, slightly washed with olive, and not orange-yellow as in D. trigonostigma. The female, as might be expected, closely resembles that of D. trigonostigma, but is tinted with olive-green on the rump, and has not the orange shade of the hen of the last-named species.” (Sharpe.)83
The figure of the female of D. sibutuense in The Ibis has a pale yellow patch on the back, a character which is found in no other Philippine species of the genus.
Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).
Male.—Somewhat similar to D. intermedium, the rump slate-blue like the back; chin lemon-yellow; throat lightly washed with yellow; entire breast orpiment-orange. Bill, legs, and nails black. A male from Bohol measures: Length, 89; wing, 48; tail, 23; culmen from base, 11.5; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 12.5.
Female.—Above mouse-gray; rump washed with olive-green; lores blackish; cheeks, line around eye, and a narrow frontal band washed with yellow; chin light yellow; under parts ashy gray, washed with yellow on sides and flanks, and with a band of yellow down middle of breast and abdomen; under tail-coverts yellow. A female from Bohol, wing, 47; tail, 21; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 12.
“Five males average: Length, 86; wing, 49; tail, 23.6; culmen, 12; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 12. Two females, length, 82.5; wing, 45; tail, 20.5; culmen, 12.7; tarsus, 11; middle toe with claw, 12. Iris dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black. Breeding in Samar in August.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Three sets of eggs of this flowerpecker were collected by Whitehead near Paranas, Samar, in July, 1896. These eggs are described as rather long, ovate in shape, pure white, and measuring 15 mm. by 12 mm.
“Nest round, pocket-shaped, with the entrance at the side, suspended from slender boughs or to the stem of a large leaf. The outside of the nest is made of green moss bound together with spider’s webs, the inside lined with the dark brown down stripped from the young fern-fronds. A favorite site is a neglected native clearing some distance from the forest.” (Grant and Whitehead.)
Pis-pis, Siquijor.
Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
Male.—Similar to the male of D. cinereigulare, but the throat clear ashy gray, not washed with yellow; rump with a slightly yellow wash. Wing, 52; tail, 27; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 14.
Female.—Plumbeous above; rump, tail-coverts, and center of back greenish yellow; chin pale yellow; throat and chest ashy gray; middle of breast and of abdomen and tail-coverts rich lemon-yellow; sides and flanks ashy gray, washed with tea-green; primaries edged with cinereous. Wing, 50; tail, 25; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 13.
“Eighteen males average: Length, 142; wing, 52; tail, 26; culmen, 14; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 14. Fifteen females, length, 140; wing, 50; tail, 25; culmen, 14; tarsus, 12.7; middle toe with claw, 13. Legs, feet, nails, and bill black. Breeding in February.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cebu (Burger).
Description.—Head, upper back, and wing-coverts greenish black, with somewhat of a luster; wing-quills blackish brown; secondaries with glossy greenish borders to the outer webs; lower back and tail-coverts dark slate-color; tail black; front and sides of throat white, lower throat and chest as well as sides of lower body light ash-gray; at the middle of the latter a beautiful cadmium-yellow stripe, up to 6 mm. wide (Ridgway-cadmium-yellow, pl. VI, 6), becoming white toward vent; under tail-coverts, axillars, and under wing-coverts white, outer ones with a blackish spot in the middle; thighs externally white, blackish behind; feet brown; bill black, strong.84
Pi-pít dá-po, Manila.
Balabac (Everett); Bohol (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer); Leyte (Everett, Whitehead); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Bartsch); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Everett, McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino,85 White); Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Ticao (McGregor).
Male.—Above glossy steel-green heavily washed with yellow on lower back, rump, and tail-coverts; lores blackish; sides of head, of throat, and of breast dark cinereous; middle of chin, throat, and chest white faintly washed with yellow and interrupted in the middle of breast by a cinereous patch; middle of abdomen and tail-coverts light buff; sides and flanks olive-green; rectrices black, edged with metallic green; wings black; secondaries and greater coverts edged with olive-yellow; alula, lesser coverts, and median coverts edged with glossy green. A male from Cebu measures: Wing, 46; tail, 23; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6.5; tarsus, 11.
Female.—Above somewhat similar to the male, but lighter and greener and with less metallic gloss; wing-feathers edged with olive-yellow; all the under parts lighter and paler than in the male. A female from Cebu, wing, 43; tail, 21; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 11.
“The pygmy flowerpecker is the smallest and most widely distributed of Philippine Dicæidæ. Invariably found by us in the deep woods. A very fearless bird. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails dark brown to coal-black; bill black, except base of lower mandible, which is yellowish to gray. Breeding in Palawan in December and in Samar in July. Four males average: Length, 92; wing, 46; tail, 25; culmen, 13; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 12. Three females, length, 83.5; wing, 45; tail, 24.6; culmen, 13; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 12.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Mindanao (Mearns, Celestino).
Male.—Above, including the edges of wing-feathers and of rectrices, glossy steel-green; lores, sides of head and of neck black; chin and middle of throat white faintly washed with yellow and interrupted by a black patch on breast; sides of breast black; sides of abdomen and flanks olive-yellow; under tail-coverts and middle of lower abdomen light buff-yellow; axillars and wing-lining white; edge of wing black. A male from northern Mindanao measures: Wing, 44; tail, 21; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 10. The female is unknown.
Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Siasi (Everett); Sulu (Guillemard).
Male.—Upper parts, including sides of head and of neck deep black; under parts white; wing-lining and axillars white. A male from Basilan measures: Wing, 53; tail, 24; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 13.
Female.—Above mouse-gray faintly washed with olive-green except on tail-coverts where the green is heavier; secondaries and greater coverts edged with olive-green; under parts white. Wing, 50; tail, 24; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 13.
“Found by us in the deep woods. Stated by Guillemard to frequent coconut groves. Three males average: Length, 89; wing, 53; tail, 27; tarsus, 12; middle toe with claw, 12.7. Iris reddish brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Basilan (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Murray); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).
“Adult male (type of species).—General color above sooty brown, washed with olive, grayer on the rump, the head washed with a little yellower olive; lesser wing-coverts like the back; remainder of wing-coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dark brown, externally edged with olive; upper tail-coverts washed with light olive; tail-feathers blackish, edged with olive, with a narrow white fringe at the end of the inner web of the three outermost feathers; lores, feathers round the eye, sides of face, ear-coverts, and cheeks sooty black; throat and under surface of body white, washed with ashy on the fore neck, breast, and flanks; under tail-coverts white, with an olive-yellow tinge; under wing-coverts and axillars white, with a slight tinge of yellow; edge of wing sooty brown; quills dusky below, white along the edge of the inner web. Length, 81; culmen, 14; wing, 48.2; tail, 25.4; tarsus, 12.7.” (Sharpe.)
“So far as we can judge from the figure in The Ibis, Dr. Sharpe has confused D. mindanense with D. hypoleucum. The two species occur together in Basilan and Sulu, and probably also in Tawi Tawi. Seven males average: Length, 90; wing, 52; tail, 26.6; culmen, 14, tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 13. Eight females, length, 87.6; wing, 50; tail, 24; culmen, 14.4; tarsus, 12.7; middle toe with claw, 13. Iris brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black. Breeding in Basilan in the month of September.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Bohol (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Panaon (Everett); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).
“Adult male (type of D. modestum).—General color above dark olive-brown, the head uniform with the back; lesser and median wing-coverts like the back; bastard-wing and primary-coverts uniform dark brown; greater wing-coverts and quills dark brown, edged with yellowish olive, more distinct on the secondaries; upper tail-coverts brown, washed with olive; tail black; lores, sides of face, and ear-coverts dusky olive-brown, the cheeks lighter olive-ashy; throat and fore neck ashy gray, olive-yellow on the chin, a tinge of the latter color also pervading the throat; breast and abdomen pale whitish tinged with yellow; sides of body, flanks, and under tail-coverts pale olive-greenish; under wing-coverts and axillars white, with a faint tinge of yellow; quills dusky brown below, ashy whitish along the edge of the inner web. Length, 80; culmen, 11.4; wing, 48; tail, 24; tarsus, 12.7 (Mus. R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay.)
“Observation.—I have compared the types of D. modestum and D. everetti in Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay’s collection, and can not find any specific difference between them.” (Sharpe.)
“Quite common in Samar, and so far as our observation goes, a strictly deep woods bird. A male measures: Length, 89; wing, 50; tail, 24; culmen, 11; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 13. Two females, length, 84; wing, 46; tail, 22.6; culmen, 12.7; tarsus, 11.6; middle toe with claw, 12. Iris brown; legs, feet, and nails dark brown; bill black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor).
Male and female.—Above olive-brown, with a wash of green on rump and tail-coverts; wing-feathers and rectrices blackish brown, edged with olive-green; inner webs of quills edged with white; under parts gray, washed with sage-green and with a light streak on middle of breast and of abdomen. Iris light brown; upper mandible dark brown; lower mandible light brown; legs and nails about the same color as lower mandible. Length, 88 to 96. A male measures: Wing, 54; tail, 27; culmen from base, 12.5; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 15. A female, wing, 51; tail, 24; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 15.
This neutral-colored flowerpecker, which appears to be confined to the mountains of Luzon, is difficult to describe, but it may be easily recognized by its dull coloration.
Mindanao (Waterstradt, Mearns).
Male and female.—Head, nape, and ear-coverts greenish yellow; lores and a line under eye and ear-coverts blackish; mantle and sides of neck sepia-brown; lower back, rump, and tail-coverts greenish yellow; chin, fore part of throat, abdomen, and middle of breast white; throat and breast ash-gray; flanks and crissum bright yellow; wings and tail blackish brown; primaries edged with white; the other feathers edged with greenish yellow. A female measures: Wing, 52; tail, 27; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 14.
This is a very distinct species which is found only in the mountains of Mindanao.
Bill short and stout, very wide at base; gonys decidedly convex; first primary less than one-half the second or wanting. The Philippine species that are usually placed in this genus are not uniform in generic characters. P. johannæ has a short first primary and a moderately stout bill; it resembles P. ignicapillus and is probably a typical Prionochilus. P. olivaceous has a short first primary and the bill somewhat stouter than P. johannæ. Prionochilus quadricolor, P. bicolor, and P. inexpectatus resemble one another in having the bill short and very stout and the true first primary absent.
Balabac (Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Steere, Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Celestino, White).
Male.—Upper parts slate-blue; center of crown scarlet; rump lemon-yellow; wing-feathers and rectrices black, edged with slate-blue; lores black; sides of head, of neck, and of breast slate-blue; a white included line on jaw; under parts rich lemon-yellow, fading to white on thighs and crissum; a scarlet patch on center of chest; axillars, wing-lining, edge of wing, and inner webs of quills white. A male measures: Wing, 52; tail, 25; culmen from base, 12; bill from nostril, 7.5; greatest width of upper mandible, 6; tarsus, 14.
Female.—Upper parts including exposed edges of wing-feathers and rectrices olivaceous; band on tail-coverts lemon-yellow; center of crown with a dull yellow patch; sides of head and neck gray, washed with olivaceous; jaw with an obscure cinereous streak; chin and throat white, washed with yellow; breast and abdomen lemon-yellow, lighter posteriorly; sides and flanks gray, washed with greenish yellow; crissum white. Wing, 48; tail, 24; culmen from base, 11; bill from nostril, 7; tarsus, 14.
“Abundant both in Palawan and the Calamianes Islands. Found about fruit trees in or near the woods. Eleven males average: Length, 93; wing, 53; tail, 28; culmen, 12.7; tarsus, 13.7; middle toe with claw, 13.7. Ten females, length, 92; wing, 50; tail, 26; tarsus, 13.4; middle toe with claw, 14; culmen, 13. Specimens from the Calamianes average very slightly smaller. Legs, feet, and nails black; bill black except base of lower mandible, which is yellow or gray.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Male.—A large triangular mantle-patch scarlet-vermilion, the black bases of the feathers showing somewhat; lower back ochraceous tinged with green; remainder of upper parts, including sides of head and neck, wings, and tail, glossy blue-black; under parts cinereous; chin, a narrow line on middle of breast, center of abdomen, crissum, thighs, axillars, wing-lining, and inner webs of quills white; flanks washed with light olive. Length, 90; wing, 53; tail, 25; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6; greatest width of bill, 7; tarsus, 14.
“Adult female.—Above brown, head faintly washed with olive; back, wing-coverts, and outer webs of secondaries heavily washed with olive-yellow, rump almost entirely of the latter color; entire under surface grayish white faintly tinged with olive-yellow, lighter along center of breast and abdomen; under wing-coverts, axillars, and inner webs of quills pure white.
“Young male.—Like female but lacks yellow wash on outer webs of secondaries, the wing and tail being black as in adult male.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“The locality Panaon, assigned to this species in the Catalogue of Birds, is a manifest error. The type specimen, an unsexed bird which was rightly supposed to be a male, was obtained in Cebu by Everett. No additional specimen seems to have been secured until 1892, when we again found it in Cebu. Ten males average as follows: Length, 90; wing, 52; tail, 26; culmen, 11.4; tarsus, 13.4; middle toe with claw, 13.7. Six females, length, 89; wing, 52; tail, 25; culmen, 11.6; tarsus, 13.4; middle toe with claw, 14. Iris chocolate-brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black. Breeding in June. Food fruit.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Leyte (Whitehead); Mindanao (Platen); Samar (Whitehead).
Male.—Above bright olive-green; wing-feathers and rectrices olive-brown, edged with olive-green; lores white; under parts smoke-gray; chin, a broad median line on throat, breast, and abdomen white, sides of abdomen and flanks streaked with white; thighs smoke-gray mixed with white; crissum white faintly washed with yellow; axillars and wing-lining white. Length, about 100. A male from Basilan measures: Wing, 56; tail, 26; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6.5; greatest width of bill, 6.5; tarsus, 15.
Female.—Similar to the male, but with the gray of under parts more ashy. A female from Basilan, wing, 54; tail, 25; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6.5; tarsus, 13.
“Found in the forest and second growth. Never seen about open fields. Feeds on seeds and fruits. Breeding in Basilan in August. Four males from Basilan average: Length, 97; wing, 56; tail, 29; culmen, 12.7; tarsus, 12.9; middle toe with claw, 14.7. Iris brownish red; legs, feet, and nails brown to black; bill black except base of lower mandible, which is ashy gray.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester).
“Adult male.—Entire upper surface deep black, with faint metallic blue gloss; entire under surface, including under wing-coverts, axillars, and inner webs of quills, white; bases of feathers of breast, flanks, and abdomen slaty black. Bill, legs, and feet black; iris red. Length, 82.5; wing, 50; tail, 24; culmen, 10.6; tarsus, 14. Found in the hills of Ayala, near Zamboanga.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Everett, Whitehead, McGregor); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, Everett, McGregor); Negros (Whitehead); Samar (Whitehead).
Male.—Above glossy blue-black; breast, sides, and flanks cinereous; chin, throat, median line of breast and abdomen, crissum, wing-lining, axillars, and inner webs of quills white. Bill, legs, and nails black. A male from Mindoro measures: Length, 90; wing, 49; tail, 23; culmen from base, 9; bill from nostril, 6; greatest width of bill, 6; tarsus, 10.
Female.—Above brown, washed with olive-green, brightest on rump, tail-coverts, and outer webs of secondaries; below similar to the male, but with a faint olivaceous wash. Wing, 51; tail, 25; culmen from base, 9; bill from nostril, 5.5; tarsus, 13.
“This recently-described species has now been met with in Samar and Leyte. It seems more than probable that it is not really distinct from P. bicolor Bourns and Worcester; but having no typical specimens of the latter form from Mindanao, I can not be certain.” (Grant.)
Bill very short and stout, its greatest width considerably more than bill from nostril; gonys strongly convex; wing long and pointed; first (outermost) primary wanting; second, third, and fourth primaries subequal and longest; tail extending beyond the end of middle toe. Upper parts light brown; breast and abdomen white, streaked with brown.
Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Everett); Romblon (McGregor); Sibuyan (McGregor).
Adult (sexes alike).—Above dark hair-brown, faintly washed with olive; rump and tail-coverts olivaceous; wing-feathers and rectrices blackish brown, edged with olivaceous; two outer pairs of rectrices tipped with white on inner webs; lores whitish; white malar line separated from throat by a hair-brown line; under parts white; breast, sides of throat and of abdomen, and flanks boldly streaked with hair-brown; under tail-coverts white with median, basal, brown markings. A male from Luzon measures: Wing, 66; tail, 37; culmen from base, 9; bill from nostril, 6; greatest width of bill, 6; tarsus, 14. A female from Luzon, wing, 60; tail, 33; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6; tarsus, 13.
Young.—Similar to the adult but the upper parts darker and clearer brown; stripes on under parts indefinite and almost obsolete; the whole plumage is gray rather than brown.
“Found in the forest only. Iris brick-red; legs, feet, and nails nearly black; upper mandible brown, lower gray.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)