Part 210

"Not uncommon in the deep forest of Basilan, where it is usually found in company with Macronous, Hypothymis, and other birds. Seventeen males average: Length, 143; wing, 67; tail, 61; culmen, 18; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Eleven females, length, 141; wing, 67; tail, 60; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 16; culmen, 16. Iris reddish brown; legs and feet drab, with a greenish tinge; feet and nails yellowish; bill almost black." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

511. ZOSTERORNIS NIGROCAPITATUS (Steere).

BLACK-CROWNED TREE BABBLER.

Mixornis nigrocapitatus Steere, List Birds and Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 17. Zosterornis nigrocapitatus Grant, Ibis (1897), 232; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 223 (habits). Zosterornis nigrocapitata Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 51; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 82 (part).

Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).

Adult (male and female).--Forehead, lores, and crown black, on each side behind eye a small patch of dark chestnut; remainder of upper parts ashy gray with lighter shaft-stripes; tail-coverts slightly olivaceous; ear-coverts and sides of head and neck like the back; chin and throat clear saffron-yellow, extending faintly onto fore breast; a short stripe of dark chestnut on each side of throat; middle of lower breast and abdomen and tail-coverts white; sides, flanks, and thighs gray; quills brown, externally edged with dull olivaceous, internally with white; median and lesser coverts like the back; rectrices brown, all but the middle pair tipped with white which increases on each pair toward the outermost, the outer webs of which are entirely white. Length, about 145. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 68; tail, 62; culmen from base, 14.5; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 17. A female, wing, 65.5; tail, 59; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 9.5; tarsus, 17.

"Professor Steere originally described this bird as a Mixornis, but the structure of the nasal opening, as well as the shape of the wing, clearly shows that it is a species of Zosterornis, most nearly allied to Z. dennistouni Grant from Luzon. Young birds have the top of the head brownish and the interscapular region darker than in the adult, and both these parts have well-defined whitish shaft-stripes; the color of the chin and throat is also paler than in the adult, while the outer webs of the primary-quills are pale sandy.

"(The black-headed babbler is common in Samar and Leyte, and frequents the higher branches of the undergrowth. Iris two-colored, having an outer ring of red and an inner one of pale yellow; bill black; legs dull lead-blue.--J. W.)" (Grant.)

"Fairly common in the deep forest of Samar. Never seen in any other locality by us. Seven males average: Length, 140; wing, 66; tail, 59; culmen, 17; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Five females, length, 139; wing, 67; tail, 57; culmen, 16; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris varies from light brown to brick-red, in young birds it is dull yellow; legs and feet light olive-brown, often with a wash of yellow; nails brown to yellow; bill black. Breeding in July and August." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

512. ZOSTERORNIS AFFINIS McGregor.

RUFOUS-CHINNED TREE BABBLER.

Zosterornis nigrocapitata McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 82, (part). Zosterornis affinis McGregor, Phil. Journ. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 292.

Luzon (Celestino).

Male (type).--Forehead and crown black, the shafts obscurely whitish; a small patch of chestnut behind each eye next to the black crown; general color above dull olive-gray, feathers of neck and mantle with conspicuous, narrow, whitish shaft-lines; rump uniform; a narrow ring around eye, ear-coverts, and cheeks gray with pale yellow shaft-lines; chin, throat, and fore breast pale lemon-yellow, the chin heavily washed with chestnut-rufous which becomes gradually less on throat and disappears on breast; middle of breast and abdomen very pale yellow, their sides gray, overlaid with a faint yellow wash; under tail-coverts pale yellow; wings blackish brown, outer edges of quills lighter and inner edges whitish; median and lesser coverts with light shaft-lines; upper tail-coverts dull olive-brown; rectrices dark brown, except the outermost feathers, their outer webs edged with olive-brown, all but the center pair tipped with white, increasing in extent toward the outermost feather which has its outer web almost entirely white. Length, 152; wing, 68; tail, 61; culmen from base, 17; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 19.

This species is similar to Z. nigrocapitatus, but is slightly larger and the back is distinctly olivaceous; the reddish brown of chin and upper throat are diffused over these parts instead of forming a patch on each side. The only known specimen, a male, was taken in Bataan Province, Luzon, December 3, 1904.

Genus MIXORNIS "Hodgson" Blyth, 1842.

Rictal bristles nearly as long as bill from nostril; culmen from base a little shorter than tarsus; nasal opening oval and with no overhanging membrane; feathers of lower back long, decomposed, and hair-like, without stiff shafts, the longest reaching to tips of tail-coverts; entire body plumage soft and decomposed.

Species.

a1. Chin and throat light yellow, narrowly striped with black. ... woodi (p. 533) a2. Chin and throat white, broadly striped with black. ... cagayanensis (p. 534)

513. MIXORNIS WOODI Sharpe.

PALAWAN TIT BABBLER.

Mixornis woodi Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. 2d. ser. Zool. (1877), 1, 331; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 577; Hand-List (1903), 4, 53; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1905), 4, 49, pl. 2, fig. 9; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 82.

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

Adult (sexes similar).--Forehead, lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, and feathers around eye ashy gray, more or less streaked with black; crown dark chestnut; occiput, nape, sides of crown behind eye, sides of neck, and back olive-gray; long feathers of lower back dark ocherous brown; chin white; throat and fore breast light sulphur-yellow with narrow black shaft-lines; remainder of under parts light olive-gray, more yellowish along middle of breast and abdomen; wings, tail, and upper tail-coverts rusty chestnut; primaries and secondaries edged with white on inner webs; rectrices with narrow obsolete bars. Length, about 140. A male measures: Wing, 60; tail, 55; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 8.5; tarsus, 20. A female, wing, 62; tail, 56; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 21.

"Very common in the vines and thickets of forest and second growth in Palawan. Not found by us in the Calamianes. Four males average: Length, 137; wing, 61; tail, 56; culmen, 16; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 18. Seven females, length, 133; wing, 58; tail, 52; culmen, 16; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 17." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

514. MIXORNIS CAGAYANENSIS Guillemard.

CAGAYAN SULU TIT BABBLER.

Mixornis cagayanensis Guillemard, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1885), 419, pl. 25; Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 53; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 82.