TURDINUS. 521 



Total length, 196; alar expanse, 313; wing, 66; tail, 90; culmen (chord), 

 16.5; bill from nostril, 10.3; from occiput to tip of bill, 43; tarsus, 88; 

 middle toe with claw, 35. 



"This bird was usually found in hollows under mossy logs. Its note 

 resembles the alarm call of the American Pipilo ftiscus mesoleucus." 

 {M earns.) 



Genus TURDINUS Blyth, 1844. 



Bill stout and deep ; tip of upper mandible strongly curved and form- 

 ing an overhanging hook; rictal bristles well developed, the longest 

 nearly as long as bill from nostril ; wing moderate in length, not greatly 

 curved, longer than tail by about one-half the tai-sus; tarsus strong and 

 slightly longer than culmen from base. 



498. TURDINUS RUFIFRONS ( Tweeddale ) . 

 RUFOUS-HEADED BABBLER. 



Trichostoma rufifrons Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 616, pi. 38 

 (Trichostomus on plate). 



Turdinus rufifrons Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 546; Hand- 

 List (1903), 4, 33; McGeegob and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 81. 



Balabac (Everett) ; Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns 

 & Worcester, Celestino) . 



Adult. — Above fulvous-brown, the feathers of head more rufous and 

 with dark shafts and tips; back more ashy, rump more rufous; lores, 

 line imder eye, and line over eye to occiput ashy gray; cheeks and ear- 

 coverts fulvous; under parts wliite; chin and throat with a few dusky 

 shaft-lines; fore breast, sides of breast, and under tail-coverts washed 

 with ocherous; flanks and thighs light brown; wings brown, edges of 

 primaries and secondaries lighter and slightly olivaceous; rectrices bark- 

 brown, the edges rusty brown. Length, 185 to 300. A male from 

 Palawan measures: Wing, 86; tail, 81; culmen from base, 33; bill from 

 nostril, 14 ; tarsus, 85. A female, wing, 83 ; tail, 73 ; culmen from base, 

 30 ; bill from nostril, 13 ; tarsus, 84. 



''Common in the deep woods of Palawan, where it is found in the 

 tops of low trees and in tangled vines. It hides cleverly and is difficult 

 to see. It is a great whistler, and can be readily called up b}' imitating 

 its note. 



"Six males average: Length, 304; wing, 85; tail, 78; culmen, 33; 

 tarsus, 34; middle toe with claw, 34. Four females, length, 191; wing, 

 83; tail, 64; culmen, 31; tarsus, 84; middle toe with claw, 33. Iris 

 pale straw-color; legs and feet light slate; nails lighter than feet, their 

 tips white; upper mandible black, lower liglit slate.'' {Bourns and 

 Worcester MS.) 



