Cittocincla cebuensis Steere, List Birds and Mams. Steere
Exped. (1890), 20; Bourns and Worcester, Minnesota
Acad. Nat. Sci. Occ. Papers (1894), 1, 58; Sharpe, Hand-List
(1903), 4, 162; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 86;
McGregor, Phil. Jour. Sci. (1907), 2, sec. A, 307.
Cebu (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor).
Adult.--Glossy blue-black; wings black; coverts, alula, and some of
the secondaries edged with glossy blue-black; axillars and wing-lining
similar; tail black. Two adult males measure: Wing, 90, 95; tail,
105.6, 99 (imperfect); culmen from base, 19; bill from nostril, 12;
tarsus, 27, 26; middle toe with claw, 24, 23.
An immature male from Toledo, Cebu, October 13, differs from the adult
as follows: Feathers of crown and nape tipped with dull rusty brown;
wings dull seal-brown; each feather of alula and greater coverts with a
subterminal spot of ocherous brown; lesser coverts black, fringed with
silvery gray; lower parts dull blue-gray, tips of feathers ocherous,
becoming more rusty on flanks.
"An immature female is slaty black above, tail dull black; wing-coverts
brown, tipped with distinct spots of rufous-brown, these spots forming
two irregular bars; quills fulvous-brown; primaries faintly washed on
outer webs with rufous-brown; forehead brownish; lores, ring round eye,
sides of face and chin light rufous-brown; center of throat and upper
breast slaty gray, a few of the feathers still retaining brownish
centers; rest of under surface slaty black washed with brown; under
tail-coverts black with brown shaft-stripes." (Bourns and Worcester.)
"Apparently confined to the island of Cebu where it is very
rare. Invariably found in the forest and in dense thickets close to
the ground. It is both quiet and shy. We never heard it utter a note.
"Two males from Cebu average: Length, 205; wing, 90; tail, 100; culmen,
20; tarsus, 26; middle toe with claw, 24. Iris very dark brown; legs,
feet, and nails dark brown, almost black; bill black. Breeding in
June." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Subfamily SAXICOLINÆ.
The two species representing this subfamily in the Philippines are
small; the upper tail-coverts are white, which is not true of the
other Philippine Turdidæ; the bill is slender and the feeding habits
are Muscicapine.
Genera.
a1. First primary about one-half the second in length; tail uniform
in color. ... Pratincola (p. 564)
a2. First primary less than one-third the length of second; tail
bicolored, the basal part light ... Saxicola (p. 565)
Genus PRATINCOLA Koch, 1816.
Bill stout; rictal bristles strong, equal to or longer than bill from
nostril; wing moderate; first primary more than one-half second and
longer than tarsus; tail moderate in length and rounded.