524 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



fulvous-broAvii of the head and the uniform fulvous of the back." 

 (Steere.) 



''Habits similar to those of P. hasilanica. Our specimens all show the 

 differences pointed out by Dr. Steere Ijetween the Mindanao and Basilan 

 birds, and we consider the two birds to l)elong to distinct species. 



A njale from Mindanao measures: Length, 174; wing, 75; tail, 51; 

 culmen, 22 ; tarsus, 27 ; middle toe with claw, 27. A female, length, 152 ; 

 wing, 69; tail, 4G; culmen, 20; tarsus, 27; middle toe with claw, 26. 

 Iris light yellow or nearly white; legs, feet, and nails drab; upper man- 

 dible black, lower gray." (Bourns and Worceslcr MS.) 



502. PTILOCICHLA MINUTA Bourns and Worcester. 



.. LESSER GROUND BABBLER. 



Ptilocichla minuta Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. 

 Paper (1894), 1, 24; Grant, Ibis (1897), 230; Sharpe, HandList 

 (1903), 4, 40; McGkegor and Worcester, Handlist (1906), 81. 



Samar {Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Leyte ( Whitehead). 



'"Sexes alike. — Feathers of the head and nape black, with heavy rufous- 

 brown shaft-lines; feathers of back and upper Aving-coverts bright red- 

 dish bro-«Ti, Avith conspicuous, nearly white shaft-markings for their 

 entire length; tips of feathers black; the elongated feathers of back, 

 which reach to tail-coverts, with white shafts and white shaft-markings 

 broad at base and narrowing at tip, edges and extreme tips of feathers 

 being dark rich fulvous-brown; upper tail-coverts rufous-brown; tail- 

 feathers fulvous-brown edged with rufous-brown ; lores white ; supercil- 

 iary line white, extending as far as hind neck; ear-coverts fulvous with 

 light shaft-stripes, the latter becoming nifous on hind neck, malar stripe 

 black; chin and throat pure white; feathers of breast and abdomen have 

 very broad white shaft-stripes, giving a streaked appearance to the under 

 surface; feathers of flanks much elongated, light fulvous-brown with 

 distinct white shaft-stripes, broadest at base; under tail-coverts colored 

 like flanks; under surface of wing fulvous-brown, brighter on coverts. 



"Readily distinguished from P. basilanica by having all the feathers 

 of back, head, rump, and upper wing-coverts with prominent shaft-lines, 

 by the darker color of the long feathers of the back, and by its much 

 smaller size. Exceedingly rare. Length, 136 ; wing, 69 ; tail, 42 ; 

 culmen, 19; tarsus, 24." (Bourns and ]yorccster.) 



''Iris dark reddish browTi; legs, feet, and nails dark brown; bill black, 

 except base of lower mandible, which is yellow." (Bourns and Worcester 

 MS.) 



" 'This bird is always found on the ground ; when moving it does not 

 hop like the thrush-tribe, but has a most decided walk like the starlings. 

 Its note is a 'chic-chic-chic'; it is most shy and veiy difficult to obtain. 

 Iris dark brown, tip of upper mandible black, lower light gray; feet 

 brown.'— .7. ir." (Grant.) 



