TURDINUS. 521 
Total length, 196 ; alar expanse, 212; wing, 66; tail, 90; culmen (chord), 
16.5; bill from nostril, 10.3; from occiput to tip of bill, 42; tarsus, 28; 
middle toe with claw, 25. 
“This bird was usually found in hollows under mossy logs. Its note 
resembles the alarm call of the American Pipilo fuscus mesoleucus.” 
(Mearns.) 
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 tarsus; tarsus strong and 
slightly longer than culmen from base. 
498. TURDINUS RUFIFRONS (Tweeddale). 
RUFOUS-HEADED BABBLER, 
Trichostoma rufifrons TWEEDDALE, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 616, pl. 38 
(Trichostomus on plate). 
Turdinus rufifrons SHARPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 546; Hand- 
List (1903), 4, 33; McGrecor and WorcEsTER, Hand-List (1906), 81. 
Balabac (Everett) ; Palawan (Hverett, 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 under eye, and line over eye to occiput ashy gray; cheeks and ear- 
coverts fulvous; under parts white; 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 200. A male from 
Palawan measures: Wing, 86; tail, 81; culmen from base, 23; bill from 
nostril, 14; tarsus, 25. A female, wing, 82; tail, 73; culmen from base, 
20; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 24. 
“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 by imitating 
its note. 
“Six males average: Length, 204; wing, 85; tail, 78; culmen, 23; 
tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 24. Four females, length, 191; wing, 
82; tail, 64; culmen, 21; tarsus, 24; middle toe with claw, 23. Iris 
pale straw-color; legs and feet light slate; nails lighter than feet, their 
tips white; upper mandible black, lower light slate.” (Bourns and 
Worcester MS.) 
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