Part 228

Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard, Mearns). Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo.

Male (Cagayan Sulu).--Forehead, crown, chin, entire sides of face, and ear-coverts chestnut-rufous; back dark gray; under parts gray, lighter on abdomen; wings dark brown, edged with lighter brown; tail with an indistinct, dark subterminal band.

"Adult male.--General color above clear ashy gray; the crown, sides of head, including the cheeks, ear-coverts, and chin bright cinnamon-rufous, the hinder crown and occiput gradually shading off into brown as they approach the hind neck; throat, neck, and under parts generally ashy gray; the center of the abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white; thighs deep cinnamon-rufous; under wing-coverts washed with rufous, as also is the edge of the wing; lower surface of quills dark brown, edged along the inner web with rufous-white; wings above brown, somewhat washed with olive and not so gray as the back, the primaries narrowly edged with whity brown; tail light brown, with paler brown margins, the outer feathers tipped with white, before which is a tolerably distinct subterminal bar of dark brown; bill in skin light horn-brown, the under mandible paler and more yellowish. 'Legs pale warm brown; iris naples-yellow.' (Everett). Length, 119; culmen, 14; wing, 47; tail, 44; tarsus, 19.

"Female.--Differs from the adult male in being white below, without the gray throat, although indications of the latter are generally seen in the grayish shade more or less observable on the lower throat and sides of breast. The cinnamon-color of the chin is also difficult to trace, being so faintly pronounced.

"Young.--General color above olive-brown; quills brown, externally washed with olive-green; tail brown, tipped obscurely with whity brown, with a subterminal shade of black, scarcely forming a spot; ear-coverts pale rufescent; under surface of body dull yellowish white, the thighs obscure fawn-color; center of the body pale yellowish, the sides of the breast and flanks obscurely washed with greenish." (Sharpe.)

561. ORTHOTOMUS CINEREICEPS Sharpe.

ASHY-HEADED TAILORBIRD.

Orthotomus cinereiceps Sharpe, Ibis (1877), 113, pl. 2, fig. 2; Trans. Linn. Soc. 2d ser. Zool. (1877), 1, 337; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 222; Hand-List (1903), 4, 192; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 88.

Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester).

Adult.--Entire top of head, lores, and hind neck dark ashy gray; a large white patch on ear-coverts; remainder of upper parts olive-green, lighter on tail-coverts; wing-feathers blackish, edged with green; rectrices olive-brown, edged with green; cheeks, chin, and throat black; fore breast ashy gray; center of lower breast and abdomen white; sides, flanks, thighs, and crissum washed with yellow. A male from Basilan measures: Wing, 47; tail, 55; culmen from base, 16.5; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 21.

Young.--The immature bird resembles the corresponding plumage in O. nigriceps, having more or less white on the chin and throat.

"Very common in Basilan. Eight from Basilan measure: Length, 126; wing, 47; tail, 76; culmen, 18.5; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 17.5. Six females, length, 111; wing, 45; tail, 41; tarsus, 19.5; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris brown; legs, feet, and nails very light brown, in some cases almost white; upper mandible nearly white, lower very light brown. Breeding in Basilan in August." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

562. ORTHOTOMUS NIGRICEPS Tweeddale.

BLACK-HEADED TAILORBIRD.

Orthotomus nigriceps Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 828, pl. 85; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 222; Hand-List (1903), 4, 192; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 88.

Mindanao (Everett, Celestino).

Adult.--Loral feathers white with black tips; ring around eye and superciliary stripe to above ear-coverts white; remainder of head, hind neck, sides of neck, chin, throat, and chest black; back, rump, and tail-coverts olive-green; wing-feathers blackish, edged with green, brighter and more yellow on greater coverts and bend of wing; rectrices brown, edged with green; middle of breast and abdomen smoky gray; sides, flanks, thighs, and crissum olive-green. Length, about 125. A male from northern Mindanao measures: Wing, 46; tail, 45; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 22.

Young.--In immature birds the cheeks, chin, throat, and breast are white.

563. ORTHOTOMUS SAMARENSIS Steere.

YELLOW-BREASTED TAILORBIRD.

Orthotomus samarensis Steere, List Birds & Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 20; Grant, Ibis (1897), 228; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 220 (habits); Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 192; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 88.

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

Adult male.--Entire head, neck, chin, throat, and middle of fore breast black; back and rump dull olive-green brighter around the neck; rump and tail-coverts dull russet-brown; wing-feathers blackish, edged with olive-green, the bend of wing and tips of greater median coverts yellow; rectrices brown, edged with russet; breast, sides of breast, and of neck, and abdomen lemon-yellow becoming olivaceous on sides, flanks, and crissum; thighs dull chestnut. The black of fore breast is sharply defined against the yellow, and does not extend over the sides of the chest as it does in O. nigriceps, but is confined to the central parts of the chest, its posterior outline being rounded. All the specimens known have more or less white on the chin and malar region, but this is variable in extent and is probably a sign of immaturity as it is in O. nigriceps. A male from Bohol measures: Length, 127; wing, 44; tail, 39; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 21.

The female is unknown.

"Iris light brown; bill brownish black, mandible pinkish brown; legs yellowish flesh-color. This bird has a sweet and powerful song and in this respect it differs from the other species. It is very shy and difficult to obtain." (Whitehead.)

"The yellow-breasted tailorbird is extremely rare. A single specimen was secured by the Steere Expedition, and we were able to secure but one more. Both birds were shot in deep forest close to the bank of a stream. Our specimen, a male, measures: Length, 114; wing, 42.6; tail, 40; culmen, 19; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 18. Iris chocolate-brown; legs, feet, and nails very light brown; bill black. Breeding in August." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus CISTICOLA Kaup, 1829.

Bill small, slender, and sharply pointed; culmen gently curved in its terminal half; bill from nostril equal to hind-toe without claw; wing somewhat rounded and flat; difference between the length of primaries and of secondaries less than first primary; first primary slender, much less than one-half the second, the latter nearly as long as third; fourth and fifth equal and longest; rectrices long, much graduated, their tips rounded; the tail is similar to that of Orthotomus, but the feathers are much wider; tarsus and feet well developed, the outstretched toes reaching to or beyond tip of tail. Birds of this genus present puzzling seasonal changes of plumage. The tail is longer in the winter than in the breeding season, and the female is somewhat smaller than the male. The seasonal variation in color is great and has led ornithologists to name several species which do not exist. It is not certain that the smaller species found in the Philippines is really C. exilis, and it may be either C. erythrocephala Jerdon or C. semirufa Cabanis.