Part 204

"The guava bulbul is one of the commonest of Philippine birds; it is called 'cul-cul' by the natives. Very abundant about fruit trees and bushes in the open fields, and in scrub and second growth; much rarer in deep forest. Four male birds average: Length, 189; wing, 84; tail, 84; culmen, 19; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 21. Iris dark brown; bill, legs, and feet black; one specimen had been eating insects." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Two eggs were collected by Whitehead near Paranas, Samar, on June 24, 1896. Steere took three eggs at Dumaguete, Negros, February 11, 1888, and four eggs in Marinduque, May 12, 1888. The two eggs from Samar are thus described: "Shape ovate. Ground-color pale pinkish white, very thickly mottled all over with light red and underlying grayish lavender blotches. Measurements 21 mm. by 15 mm.

"Nest cup-shaped, built of fine roots, and placed in a low tree about five feet [1.5 meters] from the ground in an open situation." (Grant and Whitehead.)

493. PYCNONOTUS CINEREIFRONS (Tweeddale).

ASHY-FRONTED BULBUL.

Brachypus cinereifrons Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 617. Pycnonotus cinereifrons Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 6, 153; Hand-List (1901), 3, 332; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 80.

Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor, Celestino, White).

Adult (sexes alike).--Above dull olive-green; feathers on top of head with dark centers and gray edges; ear-coverts brown with distinct whitish shaft-lines; cheeks brown, streaked with gray; chin and throat whitish; breast and sides ashy brown, slightly washed with olivaceous; abdomen buffy white; flanks brown; thighs and crissum buff; wings and tail brown, most of the feathers edged with dull olive-green; wing-coverts entirely olive-green; axillars and wing-lining light yellow. Length, about 190. A male measures: Wing, 84; tail, 76; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 19. A female, wing, 80; tail, 73; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 20.

"Four males from Calamianes average: Length, 190; wing, 86; tail, 78; culmen, 22; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 20. Three females, length, 189; wing, 83; tail, 79; culmen, 20; tarsus, 19; middle toe with claw, 20. Both males and females from Palawan average slightly less in length; other measurements are about the same. Bill nearly black; iris, legs, feet, and nails brown." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Family TIMELIIDÆ.

Bill slender, rarely decidedly strong, never broad; culmen more or less ridged, curved at tip; a slight notch near tip of upper mandible; gonys slightly to somewhat strongly curved; culmen from base less than tarsus; nostril opening covered by a flat scale or partly closed by a membrane; rictal bristles evident, but seldom greatly developed; wings short, rounded, and curved to the body; first, second, and third primaries very unequal and much shorter than longest quill; tarsus and toes long; tarsus booted or with obsolete divisions.

Subfamilies.

a1. Male and female similar in colors; plumage, especially of back and rump, lax and decomposed; tarsus stouter. ... Timeliinæ (p. 518) a2. Male and female very unlike in colors; plumage not noticeably decomposed; tarsus more slender. ... Brachypteryginæ (p. 538)

Subfamily TIMELIINÆ.

Tarsus rather stout; plumage of back, rump, and flanks lax and decomposed, the feathers of the back often lengthened and overhanging the rump and tail-coverts.

Genera.

a1. Tail much longer than wing; rectrices pointed, their shafts stiff, and their webs decomposed. ... Pseudotharrhaleus (p. 518) a2. Tail shorter than wing; rectrices usually not pointed, their shafts not very stiff, and their webs not decomposed.

b1. Tail very short, only one-half to two-thirds as long as wing; tarsus long, the outstretched feet reaching beyond the end of tail.

c1. Tail but little longer than tarsus; wing twice the tarsus. ... Anuropsis (p. 525) c2. Tail equal to tarsus and middle toe without claw; wing one and one-half times the tarsus. ... Ptilocichla (p. 522)

b2. Tail not very short, more than three-fourths as long as wing; outstretched feet not reaching end of tail.

c1. Bill very much deeper and stronger, the tip decidedly hooked; rictal bristles well developed, longer than bill from nostril. ... Turdinus (p. 521) c2. Bill more slender, the tip but slightly hooked; rictal bristles shorter.

d1. A tuft of lengthened feathers above each eye. ... Dasycrotapha (p. 526) d2. No lengthened feathers above eye; plumage soft and more or less decomposed.

e1. Feathers of back not greatly lengthened; nostril with an overhanging membrane ... Zosterornis (p. 527) e2. Feathers of back greatly lengthened, decomposed, and overhanging the tail-coverts; nostril opening without an overhanging membrane.

f1. Long feathers of back without greatly stiffened shafts. ... Mixornis (p. 533) f2. Long feathers of the back with shafts conspicuously stiffened. ... Macronous (p. 534)

Genus PSEUDOTHARRHALEUS Grant, 1895.

Bill slender, rictal bristles short and weak; wing very short, rounded, and curved to the body; fifth to eighth primaries nearly equal and longest; tarsus and feet strong; tarsus one and one-half times the culmen from base; hind toe with claw about equal to culmen; tail long; rectrices graduated, pointed, and with stiff shafts and decomposed webs.

Species.

a1. Smaller; wing, 61 to 63 mm.; tail, 70 to 80.