Dasycrotapha speciosa Tweeddale, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1878), 114,
pl. 9; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 574; Hand-List
(1903), 4, 51; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 81.
Negros (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).
Male.--"Head crested; forehead with dense short plumes covering the
base of the maxilla; circle round the eye, whole space before the
eye, tuft on the side of the base of mandible, chin and uppermost
part of throat pure lemon-yellow; crown of the head black; post
occipital plumes yellow; nape yellowish green tipped with black; a
lengthened tuft of plumes springing from above the eye bright orange;
a line immediately below this tuft black; a tuft of stiff decomposed
feathers springing from below the eye and extending over the ears white
or grayish white; an irregular band across the throat black; dorsal
feathers gray with light olive-green tips and white shafts; uropygium
yellowish green; upper tail-coverts the same, tinged with rufous;
lower throat and upper breast bright yellow, most of the feathers
with black terminal drops; lower breast and rest of under plumage
duller yellow tinged with green on the flanks; quills brown margined
with yellowish olive-green, inner margin of quills pale yellow;
wing-coverts dull olive-green, carpal edge and wing-lining yellow;
tail dull rufous. 'Iris crimson; bill orange-yellow.' (Everett.) Wing,
66; tail, 60; tarsus, 22; culmen, 19." (Tweeddale.)
"Only three specimens of this rare bird were obtained by us. They
were all secured in the deep forest, where they were feeding among the
leaves of low trees. We feel quite confident that we saw D. speciosa
in Panay on one occasion, but the one individual observed escaped
us. Three specimens average as follows: Wing, 66; tail, 57; culmen,
17; tarsus, 18; middle toe with claw, 16. Iris reddish brown; legs
and feet olive-yellow, nails nearly white; bill yellow." (Bourns and
Worcester MS.)
Genus ZOSTERORNIS Grant, 1894.
Bill slender and pointed; rictal bristles small, less than bill
from nostril; nasal opening oval with a large overhanging membrane;
wing pointed, not greatly curved, and slightly exceeding the tail;
rectrices well developed; tarsi and feet slender, and moderate in
length; tarsus about twice the bill from nostril. Some species in
this genus resemble species of Mixornis, but in the latter there is
no flap above the nasal opening and the feathers of the back are long
and fluffy.
"This genus is most nearly allied to Cyanoderma, but there is no
naked space around the eyes, which, on the contrary, are encircled
by a ring of short white feathers perfectly similar to that of
a true Zosterops. From Mixornis it differs in having the nostrils
long and covered by a large membrane. The tail is composed of twelve
feathers. The fifth primary is slightly longer than the fourth and
sixth; first, short, half the length of the second." (Grant.)
Species.
a1. Outer tail-feathers not tipped with white.
b1. Under parts heavily streaked with black. ... striatus (p. 527)
b2. Under parts not heavily streaked with black.
c1. Larger; wing, 60 mm. or more; forehead and sides of head
chestnut; crown gray; under parts light yellow. ... whiteheadi
(p. 528)
c2. Smaller; wing, 56 mm. or less; forehead and sides of face
not chestnut; under parts white.
d1. Forehead and crown brown with pale shaft-stripes; upper parts
olive-brown with indistinct pale shafts; throat and chest gray
with white shaft-stripes; rest of under parts white. ... pygmæus
(p. 529)
d2. Head, neck, and breast reddish brown with white
shaft-stripes. ... plateni (p. 530)
a2. Outer tail-feathers widely tipped with white.
b1. Forehead, crown, chin, and throat not uniform in color.
c1. Forehead and crown red-brown or auburn. ... capitalis (p. 530)
c2. Forehead and crown black.
d1. Chin and throat lemon-yellow with a patch of dull reddish
brown on each side. ... nigrocapitatus (p. 531)
d2. Chin and throat lemon-yellow, washed with reddish
brown. ... affinis (p. 532)
b2. Forehead, crown, chin, and throat golden yellow; back and under
parts washed with lighter yellow. ... dennistouni (p. 529)