MANUAL OP PHILIPPINE B1KDS. 



Genus PT1LOCICHLA Sharpe, 1877. 



Bill moderate in size; culmen from base contained one and one-half 

 times in tarsus; no bristles anywhere about the mouth; wings rounded 

 and short; tarsus and feet stout, the outstretched toes extending to, or 

 beyond, the end of tail; plumage lax and decomposed; feathers of ihe 

 back long and overhanging the rump. Chin and throat white; breast 

 and abdomen streaked with white. 



Species. 



a 1 . Back blackish brown; larger; wing, about SO mm.; tail, 60.... falcata (p. 522) 

 a 2 . Back reddish brown ; smaller. 



6*. Shaft-lines on upper parts less prominent; wing, about 75 mm.; tail, 50. 



c 1 . Above slightly darker and more reddish brown mindanensis (p. 523) 



c 5 . Above lighter and slightly olivaceous basilanica (p. 523) 



6 s . Shaft-lines on upper pnrls more prominent; wing, about 70 mm.; tail, 42. 



minnta ( p. 524 ) 



499. PTILOCICHLA FALCATA Sharpe. 

 PALAWAN GROUND BABBLES. 



Ptilocichla falcata SHARPE, Trans. Linn. Soc. 2d. ser. Zool. (1877), 1, 332, 

 pi. 50, fig. 3; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 586; Hand-List (1903), 

 4, 40; McGBEGOE and WORCESTER, Hand-List (1906), 81. 



Balabac (Everett) ; Palawan (Slecre, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Hourns 

 <& Worcester). 



"Adult male. Top of the head and nape rufous-brown; sides of the 

 forehead and a stripe behind the eye fawn-rufous; lores narrow and 

 white; spot before the eye and ear-coverts black; cheeks and throat 

 white, with a narrow malar streak of blackish; entire back blackish 

 brown, the feathers broadly centered with fulvous; the feathers of the 

 lower back long, but somewhat sickle-shaped and hanging over on each 

 side, brown or black in color, broadly streaked with white; wings 

 rufous-brown, the quills internally blackish; tail entirely rufous-brown; 

 under surface of body blackish, the feathers broadly streaked with white 

 down the middle; thighs, under wing-coverts, and under tail-covert* 

 brown, streaked with fulvous. Bill yellowish horn-color, the mandible 

 more yellow; feet dark brown. Length, 173 ; culmen, 24; wing, 81 ; tail. 

 61 ; tarsus, 33." (Sharpe.) 



"Not rare in Palawan, but difficult to see, as it is shy and protect- 

 ively colored. It seems to be a very pugnacious bird, and the males can 

 be readily called by imitating their note. They come apparently pre- 

 pared to do battle. We found P. falcaia at a height of 760 meters on 

 Mount Pulgar. 



"A male measures : Length, 203 ; wing, 86 ; tail, 70 ; culmen, 26 ; 

 tarsus, 33 ; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris reddish brown ; legs and feet 

 dark gray; upper mandible black, lower gray: breeding in January." 

 (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



