Part 206

498. TURDINUS RUFIFRONS (Tweeddale).

RUFOUS-HEADED BABBLER.

Trichostoma rufifrons Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 616, pl. 38 (Trichostomus on plate). Turdinus rufifrons Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 546; Hand-List (1903), 4, 33; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 81.

Balabac (Everett); Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

Adult.--Above fulvous-brown, the feathers of head more rufous and with dark shafts and tips; back more ashy, rump more rufous; lores, line under eye, and line over eye to occiput ashy gray; cheeks and ear-coverts fulvous; under parts white; chin and throat with a few dusky shaft-lines; fore breast, sides of breast, and under tail-coverts washed with ocherous; flanks and thighs light brown; wings brown, edges of primaries and secondaries lighter and slightly olivaceous; rectrices bark-brown, the edges rusty brown. Length, 185 to 200. A male from Palawan measures: Wing, 86; tail, 81; culmen from base, 23; bill from nostril, 14; tarsus, 25. A female, wing, 82; tail, 73; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 24.

"Common in the deep woods of Palawan, where it is found in the tops of low trees and in tangled vines. It hides cleverly and is difficult to see. It is a great whistler, and can be readily called up by imitating its note.

"Six males average: Length, 204; wing, 85; tail, 78; culmen, 23; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 24. Four females, length, 191; wing, 82; tail, 64; culmen, 21; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 23. Iris pale straw-color; legs and feet light slate; nails lighter than feet, their tips white; upper mandible black, lower light slate." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus PTILOCICHLA Sharpe, 1877.

Bill moderate in size; culmen from base contained one and one-half times in tarsus; no bristles anywhere about the mouth; wings rounded and short; tarsus and feet stout, the outstretched toes extending to, or beyond, the end of tail; plumage lax and decomposed; feathers of the back long and overhanging the rump. Chin and throat white; breast and abdomen streaked with white.

Species.

a1. Back blackish brown; larger; wing, about 80 mm.; tail, 60. ... falcata (p. 522) a2. Back reddish brown; smaller.

b1. Shaft-lines on upper parts less prominent; wing, about 75 mm.; tail, 50.

c1. Above slightly darker and more reddish brown. ... mindanensis (p. 523) c2. Above lighter and slightly olivaceous. ... basilanica (p. 523)

b2. Shaft-lines on upper parts more prominent; wing, about 70 mm.; tail, 42. ... minuta (p. 524)

499. PTILOCICHLA FALCATA Sharpe.

PALAWAN GROUND BABBLER.

Ptilocichla falcata Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. 2d. ser. Zool. (1877), 1, 332, pl. 50, fig. 3; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 586; Hand-List (1903), 4, 40; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 81.

Balabac (Everett); Palawan (Steere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester).

"Adult male.--Top of the head and nape rufous-brown; sides of the forehead and a stripe behind the eye fawn-rufous; lores narrow and white; spot before the eye and ear-coverts black; cheeks and throat white, with a narrow malar streak of blackish; entire back blackish brown, the feathers broadly centered with fulvous; the feathers of the lower back long, but somewhat sickle-shaped and hanging over on each side, brown or black in color, broadly streaked with white; wings rufous-brown, the quills internally blackish; tail entirely rufous-brown; under surface of body blackish, the feathers broadly streaked with white down the middle; thighs, under wing-coverts, and under tail-coverts brown, streaked with fulvous. Bill yellowish horn-color, the mandible more yellow; feet dark brown. Length, 173; culmen, 24; wing, 81; tail, 61; tarsus, 33." (Sharpe.)

"Not rare in Palawan, but difficult to see, as it is shy and protectively colored. It seems to be a very pugnacious bird, and the males can be readily called by imitating their note. They come apparently prepared to do battle. We found P. falcata at a height of 760 meters on Mount Pulgar.

"A male measures: Length, 203; wing, 86; tail, 70; culmen, 26; tarsus, 33; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris reddish brown; legs and feet dark gray; upper mandible black, lower gray; breeding in January." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

500. PTILOCICHLA BASILANICA Steere.

BASILAN GROUND BABBLER.

Ptiocichla (?) basilanica Steere, List Birds and Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 18 (error). Ptilocichla basilanica Steere, Ibis, (1891), 312, pl. 7; Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 40; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 81.

Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

Adult.--Above dark or reddish brown, most of the feathers with lighter shafts, feathers of head darker and with blackish brown margins; lores white, some of the feathers tipped with black; line under eye white; line over eye extending to nape white; ear-coverts brown with light shafts, bordered below by a narrow white line which is separated from the white chin and throat by a black line; feathers of breast, abdomen, and tail-coverts with wide median white stripes and black edges; sides and flanks reddish brown with lighter shafts; thighs brown; primaries, secondaries, and rectrices blackish brown, their shafts black, and outer edges reddish brown; wing-coverts reddish brown with light shafts. A male measures: Wing, 70; tail, 47; culmen from base, 19; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 27. A female, wing, 70; tail, 46; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 27.

"Common in Basilan. Lives on the ground, or near it, and sometimes perches on stones, fallen trees, or roots. Note not in the least like that of P. falcata. Ptilocichla basilanica always seems loth to take flight, and one can readily secure it by following it carefully as it runs along the ground, uttering its complaining note at frequent intervals. Sooner or later one is sure to catch sight of it in some little open place, though the protective coloring makes it hard to see.

"Twenty-two males average: Length, 155; wing, 73; tail, 48; culmen, 20; tarsus, 27; middle toe with claw, 26. Fifteen females, length, 150; wing, 71; tail, 45; culmen, 20; tarsus, 26; middle toe with claw, 25. Iris chocolate-brown; legs, feet, and nails light brown; upper mandible black, lower ashy gray." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)