THE BIRDS OF THE NATUNA ISLANDS 



bb 



' Measured in the flesh by the collector. 



Type. 



Family MUSCICAPIDAE 



MUSCITREA GBISOLA SECEDENS (Stresemann) 



Pachycephala grisola secedens Stresemann, Nov. ZooL, vol. 20, no. 2, p. 355, 

 June 17, 1913. ("Sirhassen" [Natuna Islands].) 



Since this bird was only briefly characterized by Doctor Stresemann 

 in the original description, it may be worth while to add the following 

 full description, from an adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174802, taken on 

 Sirhassen Island, June 3, 1900: 



Pileum dark hair brown; cervix between hair brown and drab; back, 

 scapulars, and rump rather grayish Prout's brown ; upper tail coverts 

 rather rufous olive-brow^n ; tail dark hair brown, the feathers slightly 

 margined basally with olivaceous; wings chaetura drab, the margins 

 of the quills cinnamon brown, the superior wing coverts, except the 

 primary coverts, of the same color as the back; auriculars drab, the 

 remainder of the sides of the head and the sides of the neck and of 

 breast, between hair brown and drab; chin, throat, and breast, smoke 

 gray, pale smoke gray anteriorly, the remainder of lower parts dull 

 white, the sides and flanks slightly washed with grayish and with 

 obscure darker grayish streaks; lining of wing white with small 

 irregular spots of pale brownish exteriorly, these spots more evident 

 on the posterior portions. 



This seems to be a readily recognizable race, differing appreciably 

 from all the other forms of the species. Birds from Borneo, however, 

 are very little different from Natuna Islands specimens, too little, it 

 seems to us, for subspecific separation. 



Doctor Abbott collected the following 9 examples in the Natuna 

 Islands: 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174802, Sirhassen Island, June 3, 1900. 

 ■"Iris dull red; bill black; feet leaden blue; soles yellowish." 



