Malurus exilis Vigors and Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1825),
15, 223.
Cisticola exilis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1883), 7, 269;
Hand-List (1903), 4, 198; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 221 (habits);
Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1905), 4, 194; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 89.
Pí-rot, Bohol, Siquijor; pi-pit co-gon, Manila.
Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns &
Worcester); Caluya (Porter); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor);
Leyte (Bartsch); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Steere Exp., Whitehead,
McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester);
Mindanao (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Mindoro (Bourns &
Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett, Bourns & Worcester);
Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar
(Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (McGregor & Worcester); Sibay
(McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor
(Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns &
Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde
(McGregor). Southern China, India Peninsula, Burmese provinces,
Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, Australia, Formosa.
Adult male (May to August).--Top of head golden buff becoming dusky
on hind neck; back ashy gray heavily streaked with black; lower back,
rump, and tail-coverts dark tawny buff; under parts heavily washed
with tawny buff, most heavily on sides and thighs; middle of breast
and thighs lighter and nearly white; wing-feathers blackish brown,
more or less edged with ashy gray or rusty buff; tail blackish,
tipped with dark buff. A male from Bohol measures: Wing, 42; tail,
31; culmen from base, 10; bill from nostril, 6; tarsus, 29.
Female.--Similar to the male, but top of head fulvous-brown, heavily
streaked with black.
Male in non-breeding plumage resembles the female, having a streaked
crown and the under parts mostly white.
Young, in first plumage, resemble the adult in non-breeding plumage,
but the under parts, especially the face, throat, and breast, are
washed with pale lemon-yellow.
"Three males from Sulu measure: Length, 90; wing, 40.6; tail, 35.5;
culmen, 11.6; tarsus, 17; middle toe with claw, 14. Two females,
length, 97; wing, 40; tail, 36.5; culmen, 12; tarsus, 18; middle toe
with claw, 15." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus MEGALURUS Horsfield, 1821.
Bill small and slender, culmen gently curved; bill from nostril
a little less than hind toe without claw; rictal bristles few
and small; first primary more than one-half second, the latter
considerably exceeded by third; fifth and sixth equal and longest;
rectrices long, pointed, and much graduated, the inner ones usually
considerably abraded; tail much longer than wing; tarsus long and
heavy; toes short; tarsus about two-fifths of wing.
Species.
a1. Much larger; wing, about 100 mm.; tarsus, about 38; top of head
earthy brown. ... palustris (p. 582)
a2. Much smaller; wing, about 70 mm.; tarsus, about 28; top of head
rusty brown. ... tweeddalei (p. 583)