LYNCORNIS. 343 



black terminal spots ; primaries, secondaries, and lesser coverts black with 

 dark cinnamon vermiculations ; a few of the median coverts with buff 

 spots on tips; rectriees black with a few irregular mottled bars of dark 

 buff; feathers of lower parts black, on chin and. crop with narrow cross- 

 lines of cinnamon, on breast tipped with wide bands of dark buff, on 

 abdomen and sides tipped with narrower bands of light buff; under tail- 

 coverts largely buff with irregular black cross-lines. "Iris brown; bill 

 clear brown, tip black ; feet clear brown, their scales darker brown." 

 (Celestino.) 



Length of a male from Mindoro, 348; wing, 275; tail, 170; exposed 

 culmen, 10; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 29. Length of a female 

 from Bataan Province, Luzon, 368; wing, 290; tail, 180; exposed culmen, 

 9; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 29. 



The crown is often largely rufous, again it may be ochraceous and the 

 variations involve other portions of the plumage. The bars of the tail 

 are variable, sometimes fairly regular and at other times much broken. 



"We obtained a single male specimen of this fine goatsucker in Basilan. 

 Iris very dark brown; bill black at tip, lighter at base; eyelids black; 

 legs flesh-color, shading to dark brown on the toes; nails dirty grayish. 

 Length, 343 ; wing, 276 ; tail, 223 ; tarsus, 16 ; middle toe with claw, 29 ; 

 culmen, 13." (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



"If these two forms [L. macrotis and L. mindanensis'], the types of 

 which are before me, are really distinct species, then both occur in north 

 Luzon, for out of four specimens of Lyncornis sent by Mr. Whitehead, 

 three -are typical L. macrotis, perfectly similar to Vigors's bird, and the 

 fourth agrees perfectly with Tweeddale's types of L. mindanensis. Per- 

 sonally I am inclined to believe that the latter are merely younger 

 examples of the same species. The darker head and shorter wing may be 

 characteristic of youth, as it seems unlikely two closely allied forms 

 should occur in the same locality." (Grant.) 



Whitehead thus describes the habits of this species: "Fairly common 

 in the lower valleys in the mountainous districts of north Luzon. This 

 species has the pretty habit of its Malay cousin L. temmincJci. Just at 

 the last moment of the tropical day, when the highest heavens are tinged 

 with the soft light of the setting sun, Lyncornis leaves its bed among the 

 dead leaves and grass and flies high into the air, rising and descending 

 with vertically held wings, uttering every now and then its pretty whistle, 

 tf tet-a-bow, tet-a-bow. 3 But soon when the last rays have ceased to gild 

 the sky, it descends to mother earth to feed on winged insects, its pretty 

 note being then exchanged for a frog-like croak. Toward sunrise Lyn- 

 cornis once more rises to the heavens and utters the same f tet-a-bow/ 

 but it shortly dives to the ground, and rests unseen until the evening light 

 again tempts it from its concealment." 



