Part 231

Phylloscopus xanthodryas Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863), 296; Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 5, 42. Acanthopneuste xanthodryas Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 217; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 90.

Apo (Celestino); Basilan (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Luzon (Celestino); Mindanao (Celestino); Palawan (Everett). Mongolia, Japan, Kamtchatka, and the Kurile Islands; in winter to southern China and Borneo.

"Spring plumage.--General color of the upper parts olive, slightly yellower on the rump; eye-stripe well defined, narrow, yellowish white, extending to the nape; lores and the feathers behind the eye to the nape dark olive; wing-coverts olive, the median wing-coverts with narrow, and the greater wing-coverts with broad yellowish white tips, forming an obscure upper wing-bar and a conspicuous lower wing-bar; quills brown, narrowly tipped with grayish white, the outside web edged with green and emarginated as in the preceding species; tail-feathers brown, the outside web margined with green, and the inside web with a narrow well defined grayish white margin; general color of the under parts greenish yellow, grayer on the breast and flanks; axillars, under wing-coverts, and thighs pale yellow; inner margin of quills grayish white. Bill acrocephaline; upper mandible dark brown, under mandible pale; legs, feet, and claws brown; third and fourth primaries longest; second primary usually intermediate in length between the sixth and fifth, sometimes slightly shorter than the sixth; bastard [first] primary measuring 12.7 to 15.2 mm. Length of wing, male, 72.1 to 68.5; female, 68.5 to 66; tail, male, 53.3 to 49.5; female, 49.5 to 45.7; culmen, 12.9 to 13.9; tarsus, 20.3.

"The changes of plumage in this species are similar to those of the preceding species, but at all seasons of the year the general color of the under parts is much paler in color in P. borealis (Blasius). The smaller size and smaller first primary of the latter species serve, however, to distinguish even birds of the year from the present species, though they approach each other very closely." (Swinhoe.)

The yellow willow warbler is undoubtedly much rarer in the Philippines than the next preceding species, but upon a careful examination of available material I find it necessary to refer to this species a number of specimens which were previously recorded as A. borealis. These changes will be found in the list of localities under each species.

570. ACANTHOPNEUSTE LUGUBRIS (Blyth).

MOURNING WILLOW WARBLER.

Phyllopneuste lugubris Blyth, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1843), 12, 98. Phylloscopus lugubris Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 5, 48. Acanthopneuste lugubris Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 217; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 90.

Basilan (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Steere); Samar (Steere Exp.). Western China to Chuan-che, eastern Himalayas; in winter to eastern Bengal and Burmese provinces.

"Coloration.--Very similar to A. magnirostris, but rather darker and smaller, and differing also in the proportions of the primaries. Upper mandible dark brown, lower one yellowish, somewhat dusky on the terminal half; iris brown; mouth yellow; legs brown; claws horn-color. Length, 127; tail, 53; wing, 66; tarsus, 19; bill from gape, 15.7; the second primary is intermediate in length between the ninth and tenth, and sometimes equals the tenth; the first primary is very long, being sometimes 20.3 mm. in length." (Oates.)

I have not seen a full description of this species; it is usually compared with A. magnirostris, but its very long first primary would seem to be a character sufficient to prevent its being mistaken for either of the other species found in the Philippine Islands.

Genus HORORNIS Hodgson, 1845.

Bill short and stout with a small notch near the tip; rictal bristles few and well developed, a few short bristles in front of them; some feathers of forehead and chin with long bristle-like shafts; wing moderate to short, somewhat pointed, or else rounded, either shorter or longer than tail; first primary well developed but much (one-third to one-half) shorter than second, the latter considerably shorter than third; tail strongly rounded; tarsus and feet strong, hind toe and claw heavy; bill from nostril, less than one-half the tarsus, and equal to the hind toe without claw. Colors earthy brown, buff, and white; spots and bars entirely wanting.

Species.

a1. Larger, wing more than 70 mm. ... canturians (p. 587) a2. Smaller, wing less than 65 mm.

b1. Fourth and fifth primaries nearly equal and longest; wing longer and about equal to tail. ... minutus (p. 587) b2. Fifth and sixth primaries nearly equal and longest; wing shorter and much shorter than tail ... seebohmi (p. 588)

571. HORORNIS CANTURIANS (Swinhoe).

CHINESE BUSH WARBLER.

Arundinax canturians Swinhoe, Ibis (1860), 52. Cettia canturiens Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 5, 141; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 211 (winter). Horornis canturians Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 236; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1905), 4, 238. Horornis canturiens McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 90.

Apo (Celestino); Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor). Southern Ussuri Land to Lake Chanka, Formosa; in winter to Cachar and southern China.

Adult.--Above nearly uniform wood-brown; lighter on rump and tail-coverts; a dusky spot before and behind eye; eyelids white; a whitish line from bill over eye to nape; cheeks and ear-coverts buffy brown; under parts white, washed with buff on sides, flanks, crissum, and across fore breast; thighs slate-gray; wings brown, the feathers edged with russet; tail brown; axillars, wing-lining, edge of wing, and inner edges of quills white. Iris brown; bill dark brown above and light below; legs light horn. A male from Calayan measures: Length, 170; wing, 77; tail, 75; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 27.

572. HORORNIS MINUTUS (Swinhoe).

LITTLE BUSH WARBLER.

Arundinax minutus Swinhoe, Ibis (1860), 52. Cettia minuta Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 5, 141. Horornis minuta Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 236; McGregor, Bull. Phil. Mus. (1904), 4, 30; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 91.

Calayan (McGregor). Hainan, Askold Island, southern China.

Adult.--This species differs from H. canturians in being much smaller, and the tail-feathers appear to be less pointed. Length, about 145. A male from Calayan measures: Wing, 62; tail, 61; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 22. A female, wing, 62; tail, 60; culmen from base, 13; bill from nostril, 8; tarsus, 22. Exposed portion of first primary little more than one-half of second; fourth and fifth equal and longest.

In the Philippine Islands the little bush warbler is known only as a winter visitant to Calayan Island.

573. HORORNIS SEEBOHMI (Grant).