Part 208

Dasycrotapha speciosa Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 114, pl. 9; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 574; Hand-List (1903), 4, 51; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 81.

Negros (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

Male.--"Head crested; forehead with dense short plumes covering the base of the maxilla; circle round the eye, whole space before the eye, tuft on the side of the base of mandible, chin and uppermost part of throat pure lemon-yellow; crown of the head black; post occipital plumes yellow; nape yellowish green tipped with black; a lengthened tuft of plumes springing from above the eye bright orange; a line immediately below this tuft black; a tuft of stiff decomposed feathers springing from below the eye and extending over the ears white or grayish white; an irregular band across the throat black; dorsal feathers gray with light olive-green tips and white shafts; uropygium yellowish green; upper tail-coverts the same, tinged with rufous; lower throat and upper breast bright yellow, most of the feathers with black terminal drops; lower breast and rest of under plumage duller yellow tinged with green on the flanks; quills brown margined with yellowish olive-green, inner margin of quills pale yellow; wing-coverts dull olive-green, carpal edge and wing-lining yellow; tail dull rufous. 'Iris crimson; bill orange-yellow.' (Everett.) Wing, 66; tail, 60; tarsus, 22; culmen, 19." (Tweeddale.)

"Only three specimens of this rare bird were obtained by us. They were all secured in the deep forest, where they were feeding among the leaves of low trees. We feel quite confident that we saw D. speciosa in Panay on one occasion, but the one individual observed escaped us. Three specimens average as follows: Wing, 66; tail, 57; culmen, 17; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris reddish brown; legs and feet olive-yellow, nails nearly white; bill yellow." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus ZOSTERORNIS Grant, 1894.

Bill slender and pointed; rictal bristles small, less than bill from nostril; nasal opening oval with a large overhanging membrane; wing pointed, not greatly curved, and slightly exceeding the tail; rectrices well developed; tarsi and feet slender, and moderate in length; tarsus about twice the bill from nostril. Some species in this genus resemble species of Mixornis, but in the latter there is no flap above the nasal opening and the feathers of the back are long and fluffy.

"This genus is most nearly allied to Cyanoderma, but there is no naked space around the eyes, which, on the contrary, are encircled by a ring of short white feathers perfectly similar to that of a true Zosterops. From Mixornis it differs in having the nostrils long and covered by a large membrane. The tail is composed of twelve feathers. The fifth primary is slightly longer than the fourth and sixth; first, short, half the length of the second." (Grant.)

Species.

a1. Outer tail-feathers not tipped with white.

b1. Under parts heavily streaked with black. ... striatus (p. 527) b2. Under parts not heavily streaked with black.

c1. Larger; wing, 60 mm. or more; forehead and sides of head chestnut; crown gray; under parts light yellow. ... whiteheadi (p. 528) c2. Smaller; wing, 56 mm. or less; forehead and sides of face not chestnut; under parts white.

d1. Forehead and crown brown with pale shaft-stripes; upper parts olive-brown with indistinct pale shafts; throat and chest gray with white shaft-stripes; rest of under parts white. ... pygmæus (p. 529) d2. Head, neck, and breast reddish brown with white shaft-stripes. ... plateni (p. 530)

a2. Outer tail-feathers widely tipped with white.

b1. Forehead, crown, chin, and throat not uniform in color.

c1. Forehead and crown red-brown or auburn. ... capitalis (p. 530) c2. Forehead and crown black.

d1. Chin and throat lemon-yellow with a patch of dull reddish brown on each side. ... nigrocapitatus (p. 531) d2. Chin and throat lemon-yellow, washed with reddish brown. ... affinis (p. 532)

b2. Forehead, crown, chin, and throat golden yellow; back and under parts washed with lighter yellow. ... dennistouni (p. 529)

505. ZOSTERORNIS STRIATUS Grant.

STRIPED TREE BABBLER.

Zosterornis striatus Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1894), 4, 2; Ibis (1895), 111, pl. 4, fig. 1; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 222 (habits). Zosterornis striata Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 51; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 82.

Luzon (Whitehead).

"Male and female adult.--In general appearance this new species resembles Mixornis montana Sharpe, from Mount Kina Balu, but it is readily recognizable as forming a second species of the genus Zosterornis by the shape of the nostrils and the peculiar ring of white feathers which surrounds the eye, as well as the absence of rufous-brown or dark chestnut on the wings so characteristic of the genus Mixornis.

"The general color of the upper parts is dull olive, tinged with brownish on the upper tail-coverts: quills dark brown, edged on the outer web with olive, and on the inner with yellowish white. A marked ring of white plumes surrounds the eye; lores and fore part of cheeks whitish, tinged with yellow; a well-marked black eyebrow stripe from the nostril to the posterior margin of the orbit, and a second less distinct band below the eye; hind cheek and ear-coverts dull olive like the crown; chin and throat uniform white, tinged with yellow and bordered on either side by a black malar stripe; rest of the under parts yellowish white, each feather with a wide black shaft-stripe; tail-feathers brown, margined with olive towards the edges of the outer webs.

"Types of the species.--Male adult: Length, 140; wing, 60; tail, 52; tarsus, 18; culmen, 16. Female adult: Length, 140; wing, 61; tail, 52; tarsus, 18; culmen, 16." (Grant.)

The striped tree babbler is known only from the mountains of northern Luzon.

506. ZOSTERORNIS WHITEHEADI Grant.

WHITEHEAD'S TREE BABBLER.

Zosterornis whiteheadi Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1894), 3, 40; Ibis (1894); 510, pl. 15, fig. 1; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 222 (habits); Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 51; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 82.