“Both this and Z. rufus are strictly deep woods forms, never seen about open country. Eight males from Basilan and Tawi Tawi average: Length, 187; wing, 87; tail, 85; culmen, 24; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 18. Two females, length, 182; wing, 85; tail, 80; culmen, 23; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 18. Iris bright slaty blue to black; nails black; bill blue to black; eye-wattles blue.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
426. XEOCEPHUS CYANESCENS Sharpe.
LARGE BLUE FLYCATCHER.
- Zeocephus cyanescens Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. 2d. ser. Zool. (1877), 1, 328; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1879), 4, 343; Hand-List (1901), 3, 262; Whitehead, Ibis (1893), 49; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 74.
Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Steere, Lempriere, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White).
Male.—General color grayish cobalt or smalt-blue; chin, lores, a small spot at base of lower mandible, and a narrow frontal line velvety black; primaries and secondaries black, edged with blue; rectrices black below and their shafts black. “Eye black; bill and legs cobalt-blue; inside of mouth bright green.” (Whitehead.) Length, about 215; wing, 93; tail, 100; culmen from base, 23; bill from nostril, 15; tarsus, 17.
Female.—Similar to the male, but abdomen and crissum whitish. Wing, 93; tail, 95; culmen from base, 22; bill from nostril, 14; tarsus, 16.
Young.—Similar to the adult, but lores and forehead blue; back buffy brown; remiges and rectrices largely buffy brown; under tail-coverts white washed with buff.
“Quite common both in Palawan and the Calamianes. A forest form. Four males average: Length, 220; wing, 96; tail, 100; culmen, 25; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 18. Five females, length, 200; wing, 89; tail, 89; culmen, 23; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 17. Iris black; legs and feet blue; nails black; bill blue, deepest at base, tip sometimes black; eye-wattles blue.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)