This genus is intermediate between Cyanomyias and Hypothymis; from the former it differs in lacking the greatly lengthened crest and the antrorse loral plumes, and from the latter it differs in having the feathers of crown and crest scale-like, instead of soft and velvety.

414. CAMIGUINIA HELENÆ (Steere).
HELEN’S MASKED FLYCATCHER.

Camiguin N. (McGregor); Mindanao (Celestino); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead.)

Adult male.—General color light azure-blue; rump and upper tail-coverts lighter; breast darker; frontal line, chin, lores, and a narrow circumocular line velvety black, forming a mask which is narrowly bordered behind with bright silvery cobalt-blue, widest behind forehead and chin; middle of lower breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, wing-lining, and axillars white; wings and tail black, the exposed edges of feathers dark azure-blue, except first and second primaries; two outermost pairs of rectrices narrowly tipped with white in old birds only. Iris brown; the narrow eyelids light blue; bill blue, except edges and tip which are black; legs and feet blue; nails blackish. Length, 154; wing, 67.5; tail, 67; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 16. In the slightly immature, but fully feathered, male the crest is less developed, the feathers of the crown are less scale-like, and the upper parts are darker blue than in the fully adult male.

Adult female.—General color dull verditer-blue; head, neck, and sides of head brighter; forehead dull cobalt; chin whitish, bordered by dull cobalt; throat, breast, and sides grayish, washed with dull azure-blue, shafts white; abdomen, flanks, under tail-coverts, and middle of lower breast white; wings and tail blackish brown, edged with dull verditer-blue. Wing, 64; tail, 64; culmen from base, 14; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 17.

Young in first plumage.—Above smoky gray; below white; a dusky band across fore breast; wings and tail blackish brown; primaries and secondaries edged with verditer; outer webs of rectrices washed with verditer.

“Rare in Samar. Always found in company with other flycatchers. Four males average: Length, 137; wing, 63; tail, 62; culmen, 13; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 13. A female, length, 130; wing, 59; tail, 55; culmen, 13; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 13. Iris nearly black; legs and feet slaty blue; nails usually black, in one case bluish slate; bill blue, with black tip; eye-wattles blue. Breeding in August.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

The specimens from Camiguin Island, north of Luzon, on which was based Camiguinia personata, are slightly larger than specimens from Mindanao and the latter are probably Cyanomyias helenæ of Steere. There appears to be no ground for retaining C. personata.