Page 52. Add:— __
GEOCICHLA FRONTALIS , Madardsz.
MADARASZ’S GROUND-THRUSH.
Geocichla frontalis, Madarasz, Termes. Fiizetek, xxii. p. I l l , tab). viii. (1899).
G. similis G. dohertyi, sed pileo postico castaneo dorso concolore, froute tantum n ig ra : facie lateral! et gutture
et prtepectore totis nigris, macula alba anteoculari et macula longitudinal! paroticali distinguenda.
D r . y o s M adarasz has described a handsome Ground-Thrush as Geocichla frontalis, of which two
specimens are-in the Hungarian National Museum. They were acquired, with a few more Celebean
skins, from a Mr. Simon Markstein, whose father had collected them on the island of Celebes.
Unfortunately the exact locality or dates of capture were not mentioned, but it would seem from the
picture drawn by Dr. yon Madarasz that the species is perfectly distinct from any known Geocichla
of the Malayan Archipelago. As the describer has duly pointed out, it is allied to G. dolwrtyi and
G. erythronota. From the former it differs in having the black confined to the fore part of the crown,
instead of the entire head being black. Ik e throat is entirely black with no white chin, while
the white markings on- the face are confined to a spot in front of the eye and a streak along
the middle of the ear-coverts. There axe many striking differences between G. frontalis and
G. erythronota, but the flank-markings and the white band across the upper breast are very similar
in bpth species.
The following is the detailed description given by Dr. yon Madarasz
“ Male. General colour of the upper parts chestnut-brown, shading into orange-chestnut on the
rump and upper tail-coverts ; head black, shading into chestnut on the occiput; lores, upper part of
malar region, and a large white patch in the centre of the ear-coverts white; chiu, throat, and sides
of the neck black; the base of the chin-feathers greyish-white; below the throat a white" collar;
centre of belly and under tail-coverts white; the rest of the underparts white, but the feathers-
broadly terminated with black, giving the sides of belly a nearly black appearance, whilst the black
ends of the flank-feathers become smaller; the white -colour of the upper flanks suffused with light
ochraceous ; scapulars, wing-coverts, primaries, and secondaries—except the first three ones—haying
greyish-white on the base of their outer web, which extends as a small margin on the 4th, 5th, and
6th primaries, and white on the base of their inner web; under wing-coverts and axillaries black,
with white tips; bend of wing white, each feather tipped with black ; tail-feathers black, the outer one
with a terminal -white spot, which is enlarged on the inner web (17 mm.), the next one tipped with
white.
“ Bill greenish-black and yellowish on the culmen towards the end; feet and claws brownish-
yellow in skin.
“ Length of wing 114 mm., tail S6, culmen 21, tarsus 32 ; bastard-primary about as long as
the priinary-coverts, second primary intermediate between the sixth and seventh; outer tail-feathers
8 mm. shorter than the longest.
“ Female. Resembles the male, but the general colour of the upper parts paler; the centre of
the head and front chestnut instead of black, but the basal half of the feathers jet-black; the.black
tips of the feathers of the belly smaller and the bend of the wing nearly white.”
G E O C IC H L A NuEVIA.
I t is proposed by Mr. Richmond (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xv. p. 83, 1902) to restore the name
« ■ B B M M B i has precedence over Sesperocichla, Baird. The Committee of
(Swains.)* (of. A u k , S p S f " *"* * * * “ ^ “ d Z ” ^ l o i d e s
Page 92. Add
G E O C IC H L A C IN E RE A, Bourns Sf Worcester.
MINDORO GROUND-THRUSH.
Geocichla cinerea, Bourns & Worcester, Occ. Papers Minnesota. Acad. Sci. i. p. 23 (1894).
This species Was discovered, during the “ Menage ” Expedition to the Philippines, in the island of
St °10' i v 8“ 8' and Woroester were Wo of the young collectors who formed part of the
Steere expedition m 188 ,-1888, and after their return to America they formed a project of continuing
S” f 5 : r ■ 3 S i id- B were able to carryout, H l f i
liberality of Mr. Louis P. Menage, a public-spirited citizen of Minneapolis.
been H B l eXpediti°n the were able to visit many localities which had not
— I and B B S a large number of new species were discovered by them,
among them being the present Geocichla from Mindoro. Not having seen an. example of this bird
which I suppose to be still represented only by the typical specimen at Minneapolis, I am unable to’
W — i characteristics, but I believe that it will be found to be mod closely allied
to Cr. schistacea, Meyer, from the Tenimber Islands.
The.following is a copy of the original description given by Messrs. Bourns and Worcester ■ -
H H H M H ^ ^ H M 1 B °f ™ ^ t k e r s -sty-brown,
irreff 1 hiowmsh-black, each tipped with a large spot of white, these spots forming two
r ; s i L: “ " m “ „ ■ " , i “ ■ H a * ■
■ ■ » I lqle, I “ 'b aCk 6XtendS fr0m the S“Pe t0 tbe breast, where it joins a large
feathe B T i ' eatheIS’ the baSeS °f wbicb are white. Rest of under surface white ■
wdl at 1S ° B aDd fla<lkS H H i Uack IB °f lower breast' and abdomen
M B M l i i H ■ H A s%b‘ lawny wash on flanks. AxiRaries white tipped
" ■ Sf J- wmg-coverts ashy grey tipped with white. A prominent spot of white bn
inner web of each secondary, the spots together forming a patch. Bend of wing white Wing 4-40
inches, tail 2-86, culmen 0-91, tarsus 0-98.” ‘ 8 vving4 4u