SURNICULUS. 367 



and size, the last to disappear with age being those at the ends of the tail- 

 feathers. * * *." (Shelley.) 



"A single male from Palawan measures, 229 in length; wing, 119; 

 tail, 120; culmen, 23; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 19." (Bourns 

 and Worcester MS.) 



330. SURNICULUS VELUTINUS Sharpe. 

 PHILIPPINE DRONGO CUCKOO. 



Surniculus velutinus SHARPE, Trans. Linn. Soc. Zool. (1877), 1, 320; 

 SHELLEY, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 19, 230; BOURNS and WOR- 

 CESTER, Minnesota Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 49; SHARPE, 

 Hand-List (1900), 2, 156; MCGREGOR and WORCESTER, Hand-List 

 (1906), 60. 



Basilan (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns d Worcester, McGregor) ; Luzon 

 (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead) ; Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, 

 Celestino) ; Mindoro (McGregor) ; Negros (Whitehead) ; Samar (Bourns & Wor- 

 cester, Whitehead) ; Sulu (Bourns & Worcester) ; Tawi Tawi (Everett, Bourns & 

 Worcester) . 



"Adult. Very closely allied to 8. lugubris; tail always square, with 

 the exception of the outer pair of feathers, which are much shorter; it 

 differs in having the head, back, throat, and breast velvety black, with 

 absolutely no trace of white on any of the tail-coverts, and a distinct 

 narrow white basal edging to the tail-feathers. 'Iris dark chocolate- 

 brown; bill and claws black; feet bluish gray.' (Everett.) Length, 

 203; culmen, 23; wing, 119; tail, 109; tarsus, 14. The sexes are similar 

 in plumage." (Shelley.) 



"Immature. A young bird from Basilan, two-thirds grown, is light 

 rusty brown in color, lightest on under surface; crown and nape show 

 metallic blue-black feathers ; one of the scapulars, many feathers of rump, 

 and all of tail same color, mostly tipped with rusty brown; wing-coverts 

 rusty brown with faint dark shaft-markings appearing; upper surface 

 of wing black, faintly metallic, all the feathers edged with rusty brown; 

 under surface of bod,y uniform light brown; wing-coverts white strongly 

 washed with brown at tips ; white spot on inner webs of primaries appear- 

 ing; under surface of tail dull metallic blue, each feather with several 

 spots of white. 



"A bird nearly grown shows numerous brown feathers on head and 

 back. Primaries washed with rusty brown, primary-coverts uniform 

 brown. Throat, chin, and upper breast nearly black. A third has general 

 color ,of adult but some feathers of head, nape, primary-coverts, breast 

 and abdomen as well as tips of some of the secondaries are washed with 

 rusty brown." (Bourns and Worcester.) 



"Abundant in Basilan; not uncommon in Tawi Tawi and Sulu. 

 Found in the forest, or in second growth. Five males average, 215 in 



