“First it is to be noted that in three fully adult birds beginning to molt the under surface is pale dirty yellowish, the throat white.
“In two of the birds a few scattered yellow feathers are appearing in the white of the throat. This then is the worn-out plumage of old birds.
“A male with rich yellow under surface and white throat has some of the scapulars entirely black, tipped with blue, the remainder being tipped with lilac. Some of the wing-coverts are black, tipped with blue. No rufous on primaries except on outer web of first.
“Another bird has chin and throat pure white, the breast mottled with golden yellow and light cinnamon-rufous. Feathers of abdomen nearly white, tips washed with rufous. Under wing-coverts and axillars cinnamon-rufous. A little more black in the scapulars than the preceding. Tail with broad black shaft-stripes on apical half of under surface of feathers.
“Another specimen has chin and throat pure white. Sides of face, breast, flanks, under wing-coverts, and axillars cinnamon-rufous, deepest on the breast. Abdomen nearly white. A few golden-yellow feathers appearing on breast, flanks, and abdomen. Scapulars, except a few of the smallest, black quite broadly tipped with blue; tail with tips of all its feathers black.
“Finally, a single specimen has under surface as in preceding except that yellow feathers have not begun to appear. Scapulars and inner third of inner secondaries black, the former tipped with blue, the latter with rufous washed with lilac. Tail with apical two-thirds of feathers black washed with rufous on edges of webs. The bill of this last bird shows signs of immaturity, being blackish toward the tip instead of clear scarlet.
“We were at first greatly puzzled by these birds, as the black scapulars with their blue tips form a striking marking and with a single exception the bills of our specimens showed no sign of immaturity. After carefully examining the whole series, however, we are convinced that the cinnamon-rufous under surface, tail-feathers tipped with black, and black scapulars tipped with blue are themselves signs of immaturity, the black gradually disappearing with age, and yellow feathers appearing on the outer surface until the plumage first described by us is reached. This finally becomes worn and soiled giving the dirty yellowish under plumage already noted. Our Tawi Tawi birds were shot late in October and early in November, Palawan birds in December, and Calamianes birds in January and February.” (Bourns and Worcester.)
“Usually found along the banks of fresh-water streams in the forest, not, however, strictly confined to banks of streams, but sometimes met with in the woods away from water.
“Iris very dark brown; bill, legs, and feet scarlet. Food shrimps and insects, in one case small lizard and crabs. Eighteen specimens average as follows: Length, 140; wing, 58; tail, 24; culmen, 37; tarsus, 8; middle toe with claw, 16.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)