232 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant on the 



30. ZosTERORNis NiGRocAPiTATUs (Stecre) . 



Mixornis nigrocapitatus, Steere, List Birds & Mamm. 

 Philippines, p. 17 (1890). 



Prof. Steere originally described this bird as a Mixornis, 

 but the structure of the nasal opening, as well as the shape 

 of the wing, clearly show that it is a species of Zosterornis, 

 most nearly allied to Z. dennistouni, Grant, from Luzon. 

 "Young birds have the top of the head brownish and the 

 interscapular region darker than in the adult, and both these 

 parts have well-defined whitish shaft-stripes ; the colour of 

 the chin and throat is also paler than in the adult, while the 

 outer webs of the primary quills are pale sandy. 



[The Black-headed Babbler is common in Samar and 

 Leite, and frequents the higher branches of the undergrowth. 

 Iris two-coloured, having an outer ring of red and an inner 

 one of pale yellow ; bill black ; legs dull lead-blue. — J. W.J 



31. Zosterornis pygm^us. (Plate VI. fig. 1.) 

 Zosterornis pygmcBus, Grant, Bull. B. 0. C. no. xl. p. xviii 



(1896). 



Mixornis plateni, Bourns & Worcester {nee Blasius), Occ. 

 Pap. Minnesota Acad. Sci. i. no. 1, p. 58 (1894). 



The Pigmy Babbler is apparently a scarce bird in both 

 islands, only one specimen being obtained in Samar, though 

 four were collected in Leite. 



There can be no doubt that this is the species Messrs. 

 Bourns and Worcester described as Mixornis plateni, Blasius ; 

 but the type came from Mindanao {cf. J. f. O. 1890, p. 145), 

 and appears to be considerably larger and somewhat 

 differently coloured. 



[It frequents similar localities to Z. nigrocapitatus, and, as 

 in that species, the colour of the eye is remarkable, being 

 composed of two sharply-defined colours, an outer ring of 

 vermilion and an inner one of pale yellow. Bill black at 

 tip, base and nostrils slate-blue ; feet slate-grey. — J. W.] 



The members of the genus Zosterornis are confined to the 

 Philippine Islands ; the only species of true Mixornis found 

 within the group is M. v)Oodi, from Palawan, and, as we know, 



