Adult (male and female).—Forehead and crown rufous-chestnut or reddish auburn, some of the feathers with yellowish shaft-stripes; occiput, back, and lesser and median wing-coverts dark brown with pale yellow shaft-stripes; rump and tail-coverts slightly olivaceous and without shaft-stripes; lores, ear-coverts, and cheeks ashy with whitish shaft-stripes; chin and throat chestnut, washed with light yellow; remainder of under parts very pale yellow; sides and flanks gray; wings brown, the outer webs edged with lighter brown, inner webs edged with white; rectrices brown, all but the middle pair tipped with white which increases on each pair toward the outermost, the outer webs of which are entirely white. A male from Mindanao measures: Length, 147; wing, 69; tail, 60; culmen from base, 16; bill from nostril, 10; tarsus, 18. A female, wing, 67; tail, 60; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 9.5; tarsus, 18.5.

“Not uncommon in the deep forest of Basilan, where it is usually found in company with Macronous, Hypothymis, and other birds. Seventeen males average: Length, 143; wing, 67; tail, 61; culmen, 18; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Eleven females, length, 141; wing, 67; tail, 60; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 16; culmen, 16. Iris reddish brown; legs and feet drab, with a greenish tinge; feet and nails yellowish; bill almost black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

511. ZOSTERORNIS NIGROCAPITATUS (Steere).
BLACK-CROWNED TREE BABBLER.

Bohol (McGregor); Leyte (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead).

Adult (male and female).—Forehead, lores, and crown black, on each side behind eye a small patch of dark chestnut; remainder of upper parts ashy gray with lighter shaft-stripes; tail-coverts slightly olivaceous; ear-coverts and sides of head and neck like the back; chin and throat clear saffron-yellow, extending faintly onto fore breast; a short stripe of dark chestnut on each side of throat; middle of lower breast and abdomen and tail-coverts white; sides, flanks, and thighs gray; quills brown, externally edged with dull olivaceous, internally with white; median and lesser coverts like the back; rectrices brown, all but the middle pair tipped with white which increases on each pair toward the outermost, the outer webs of which are entirely white. Length, about 145. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 68; tail, 62; culmen from base, 14.5; bill from nostril, 9; tarsus, 17. A female, wing, 65.5; tail, 59; culmen from base, 15; bill from nostril, 9.5; tarsus, 17.

“Professor Steere originally described this bird as a Mixornis, but the structure of the nasal opening, as well as the shape of the wing, clearly shows that it is a species of Zosterornis, most nearly allied to Z. dennistouni Grant from Luzon. Young birds have the top of the head brownish and the interscapular region darker than in the adult, and both these parts have well-defined whitish shaft-stripes; the color of the chin and throat is also paler than in the adult, while the outer webs of the primary-quills are pale sandy.

“(The black-headed babbler is common in Samar and Leyte, and frequents the higher branches of the undergrowth. Iris two-colored, having an outer ring of red and an inner one of pale yellow; bill black; legs dull lead-blue.—J. W.)” (Grant.)

“Fairly common in the deep forest of Samar. Never seen in any other locality by us. Seven males average: Length, 140; wing, 66; tail, 59; culmen, 17; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Five females, length, 139; wing, 67; tail, 57; culmen, 16; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris varies from light brown to brick-red, in young birds it is dull yellow; legs and feet light olive-brown, often with a wash of yellow; nails brown to yellow; bill black. Breeding in July and August.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)