Ptilocichla minuta Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota
Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Paper (1894), 1, 24; Grant, Ibis (1897),
230; Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 40; McGregor and Worcester,
Hand-List (1906), 81.
Samar (Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead); Leyte (Whitehead).
"Sexes alike.--Feathers of the head and nape black, with heavy
rufous-brown shaft-lines; feathers of back and upper wing-coverts
bright reddish brown, with conspicuous, nearly white shaft-markings for
their entire length; tips of feathers black; the elongated feathers
of back, which reach to tail-coverts, with white shafts and white
shaft-markings broad at base and narrowing at tip, edges and extreme
tips of feathers being dark rich fulvous-brown; upper tail-coverts
rufous-brown; tail-feathers fulvous-brown edged with rufous-brown;
lores white; superciliary line white, extending as far as hind neck;
ear-coverts fulvous with light shaft-stripes, the latter becoming
rufous on hind neck, malar stripe black; chin and throat pure white;
feathers of breast and abdomen have very broad white shaft-stripes,
giving a streaked appearance to the under surface; feathers of flanks
much elongated, light fulvous-brown with distinct white shaft-stripes,
broadest at base; under tail-coverts colored like flanks; under
surface of wing fulvous-brown, brighter on coverts.
"Readily distinguished from P. basilanica by having all the feathers of
back, head, rump, and upper wing-coverts with prominent shaft-lines,
by the darker color of the long feathers of the back, and by its
much smaller size. Exceedingly rare. Length, 136; wing, 69; tail,
42; culmen, 19; tarsus, 24." (Bourns and Worcester.)
"Iris dark reddish brown; legs, feet, and nails dark brown; bill
black, except base of lower mandible, which is yellow." (Bourns and
Worcester MS.)
"'This bird is always found on the ground; when moving it does not
hop like the thrush-tribe, but has a most decided walk like the
starlings. Its note is a 'chic-chic-chic'; it is most shy and very
difficult to obtain. Iris dark brown, tip of upper mandible black,
lower light gray; feet brown.'--J. W." (Grant.)
Genus ANUROPSIS Sharpe, 1883.
Bill from nostril less than one-half the tarsus; nostril with an
overhanging membrane; rictal bristles weak, the longest less than
bill from nostril; wing very short and rounded; tail very short and
soft, not more than one-half the wing; legs and feet very large,
when outstretched extending well beyond the end of tail; tarsus about
equal to tail; body plumage soft and decomposed.