704 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



717. DICRURUS STRIATUS Tweeddale. 

 SOUTHERN DRONGO. 



Dicrurus striatus TWEEDDALE, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 545; Challenger 

 Report, Zool. (1881), 2, pt. 8, pi. 4; WHITEHEAD, Ibis (1899), 102 

 (habits); MCGREGOR and WORCESTER, Hand-List (1906), 107. 



Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourtus tt Worcester, McGregor) ; Bohol (Mc- 

 Gregor) ; Leyte (Steere Exp., Whitehead) ; Mindanao (Murray, Everett, Koch 

 & Schadenberg, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Ooodfellow, Celestino) ; Nipa 

 (Everett) ; Panaon (Everett) ; Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns d \\'<>r crater, White- 

 head). 



Adult. Similar to Dicrurus balicassius, but mantle, back, and rump 

 velvety blue-black with a very slight gloss; feathers of crown scale-like 

 and glossy; long lanceolate feathers on <{]< of neck dark glossy green; 

 under parts blue-black; throat and chest spangled with glossy steel-blue. 

 A male from Bohol measures : Wing, 134 ; tail, 103 ; depth of fork, 6 ; bill 

 from notril, 22 ; depth of bill at nostril, 10 ; tarsus, 22. A female from 

 Basilan, wing, 135; tail, 112; bill from nostril, 21; depth of bill at 

 nostril, 10; tarsus, 21. 



In general appearance the southern drongo resembles a Chibia, but 

 the tail is even less forked than in D. balicassius. 



This species was very abundant near Isabela, Basilan. A female. 

 taken January 15, differs from the usual specimens in having the 

 feathers of lower breast and abdomen tipped with gray. A pensile nest 

 of this species, found on March 12, is composed of plant fibers. Its 

 inside diameter is 76 mm. and its inside depth is 50 mm. The three 

 eggs are light cream, almost white, in color, decorated with faint spots 

 of pale lilac and brighter spots of reddisli brown, mostly near the larger 

 end of the egg. The eggs measure; 28.') by 19.3; 29.2 by 19; 29.4 by 

 19.5. 



"Habits like those of D. balicassius. Abundant in Mindanao and 

 Basilan. Two males from the latter island average : Length, 250 ; wing, 

 130 ; tail, 116 ; culmen, 32 ; tarsus, 22 ; middle toe with claw, 23. Three 

 females, length, 250; tail, 113; wing, 132; culmen, 34; tarsus, 21; 

 middle toe with claw, 23.6. Iris, legs, feet, and nails black; bill black, 

 except tip of lower mandible, which is often white." (Bourns and 

 Worcester MS.) 



718. DICRURUS SULUENSIS Hartert. 

 SULTT DRONGO. 



Dicrurus suluemis HARTERT, Novit. Zool. (1902), 9, 441; MCGREGOR ami 

 WORCESTER, Hand-List (1906), 107. 



Lapoc, off Siasi (Bartsch) ; Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester). 



"The Sulu form differs from the Sula bird in smaller size (wings 

 and tail) and somewhat smaller glossy spangles on the breast and from 



