Birds of the Philippine Islands. '225 



probably correct, for in the allied C. helence Messrs. Bourns 

 and Worcester point out a similar difference in the plumage 

 of the female. 



Mr. Whitehead obtained this bird in the first collection 

 from Samar, which was lost. 



16. Hypothymis samarensis, Steere, List Birds & Mamm. 

 Philippines, p. 16 (1890). 



The Blue-browed Flycatcher of Samar is represented from 

 both islands ; it has been well characterized by Prof. Steere, 

 and is quite distinct from H. super ciliar is, Sharpe, from 

 Mindanao and Basilan. The male and female are alike 

 in plumage. Mr. Whitehead considers that this bird 

 belongs to the genus Rhipidura, and is not a Hypothymis, as 

 Prof. Steere supposed. I think, however, that the present 

 species is better placed in the genus Hypothymis. Rhipidura 

 has the tail rounded, the outer feathers being much shorter 

 than the middle pair, which are considerably longer than the 

 wing ; but in the bird before us the measurements of the 

 wing and tail are exactly equal, and the outer tail-feathers 

 are scarcely shorter than the middle pair; this is exactly 

 what we find in Hypothymis azurea. The only reason I 

 can see for not placing H. samarensis in Hypothymis is the 

 strong bristles surrounding the upper and lower mandibles 

 exceeding the bill in length. 



[Iris and bill black, base of lower mandible whitish ; 

 feet brown, greyish blue at the joints of the scales. — J.W.] 



17. Rhinomyias ruficauda (Sharpe) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus. iv. p. 368 (1879) ; Grant, Ibis, 1896, pp. 541, 542. 



Setaria samarensis, Steere, List Birds & Mamm. Philip- 

 pines, p. 16 (1890). 



In the paper on the Negros birds, quoted above, it has 

 been shown that R. samarensis, Steere, is synonymous with 

 R. ruficauda. A key to the different species of Rhinomyias, 

 and a list showing the range of each, is also given in the 

 same paper. The Rufous-tailed Flycatcher is in both 

 collections, this being the first time that it has been recorded 

 from Leite. 



[Iris and bill black ; feet dull pinkish brown. — J. W.] 



