“A male from Sulu measures: Length, 236; wing, 123; tail, 105; culmen, 26; tarsus, 22; middle toe with claw, 24. A female, length, 229; wing, 117; tail, 98; culmen, 26; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 22. Iris very dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and nails black. Quite rare and seems to be confined to the forest.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
457. EDOLISOMA MINDANENSE (Tweeddale).
MINDANAO CUCKOO SHRIKE.
- Volvocivora mindanensis Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 947.
- Edoliisoma mindanense Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1879), 4, 470; Hand-List (1901), 3, 297; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 77.
Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett).
Male.—Above bluish gray, becoming lighter on lower back, and pearl-gray on rump and tail-feathers; frontal band, lores, sides of face to above eyes, chin, throat, and fore breast glossy black; rest of under parts slate-gray; wings and tail mostly black; secondaries and wing-coverts broadly edged with ashy gray; a few of the primaries narrowly edged with ashy gray; two middle rectrices gray for three-fourths of their length and some of the outer ones tipped with gray. Length, about 230; wing, 122; tail, 100; culmen from base, 21; bill from nostril, 16; tarsus, 21.
Female.—Wings and tail as in the male, remaining plumage ashy gray or light slate-gray, becoming delicate pearl-gray on rump, abdomen, and upper and under tail-coverts. Iris dark brown; bill, legs, and nails black. Wing, 117; tail, 92; culmen from base, 21; bill from nostril, 16; tarsus, 22.
“Average length of three males, 218; wing, 115; tail, 92; culmen, 25; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 22. Two females, length, 227; wing, 115; tail, 91; culmen, 24; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 22. Iris, bill, legs, and nails black; food fruit and seeds in the individuals examined. This species is very similar to E. everetti.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)