286 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. los 



feathers. The yellow of the upper tail coverts and central rectrices 

 averages deeper, less greenish. In juvenal plumage, L. p. yunnanensis 

 is everywhere brighter, less grajdsh in color than topela. There is 

 no significant difference in size between yunnanensis and topela. 

 Measurements of type: wing (flat), 54 mm.; tail, 39 mm.; culmen, 11 

 mm.; tarsus, 13 mm. 



Differs from L. p. subundulata (Godwin-Austin) of Assam and 

 southern Burma in having more conspicuous light shaft streaks on 

 the doi*sum, a browner (less blackish) tone ventrally, and ventral 

 markings of quite a different shape; the breast and flanks of sub- 

 undulata have a spotted appearance, while those of yunnanensis are 

 pencilled like those of topela. The posterior border of the brown 

 throat of subundulata is more sharply defined than that of yunnanensis. 

 Actually the population which is currently known as subundidata 

 is a variable series of intermediates between the well-defined pundulata 

 to the west and the yunnanensis-topela group to the east. 



Range: Mountains of Yunnan and northeastern Burma (for 

 localities, see list of specimens examined) . 



Remarks: Four specimens from Mengtz, in southeastern Yunnan, 

 appear to be somewhat intermediate between L. p. topela and L. p. 

 yunnanensis, although closer to the latter. Three of the four, how- 

 ever, are in such worn plumage as to make color comparisons almost 

 valueless. 



Smythies (1953, p. 231) writes: "The status of topela [in Burma] is 

 uncertain; a single specimen obtained by the Vernay-Hopwood 

 expedition at Singhaling Hkamti may have been a winter visitor, 

 whereas birds seen at 5,000 feet or more in the Sadon hills and in the 

 Ngawchang valley and not collected may have been resident topela; 

 Stuart Baker claims that it occurs in the Shan States." 



The Vernay-Hopwood specimen, taken on Mar. 4, 1935, is in the 

 middle of the post-juvenal molt. A specimen (AMNH 720672) 

 taken at Sinlumkaba, east of Bhamo, on Apr. 19, 1908, has almost 

 completed the post-juvenal molt. Both are referable to yunnanensis. 

 That this subspecies does, indeed, breed in northeastern Burma is 

 suggested by a specimen (USNM 377788) taken 6 miles north of 

 Myitkina on May 24, 1945, and one (AMNH 347218) taken at 

 Myitkina on June 25, 1945. The specimen from Washaung (near 

 Myitkina) mentioned by Stanford and Mayr (1941, 355) is, of course, 

 yunnanensis rather than subundulata. It was taken on Apr. 12, 

 1939, and is in about the same stage of the post-juvenal molt as the 

 Singhaling Hkamti specimen. 



Baker (1930, 223) lists Munia inglisi Hume in the synonymy of 

 L. p. topela; however, inglisi was named from Cachar, and birds from 

 this region are referable to L. p. subundulatai 



