THE BIRDS OF NORTHERN THAILAND 187 



A male had the irides dark brown : the bill dull brown, tinged pink, 

 with tip and culmen brownish black ; the interior of the mouth pink ; 

 the feet and toes dull light brown ; the claws black, with the pectina- 

 tions horny white. 



This is our smallest nightjar. The adult has the upperparts iron 

 gray, finely vermiculated and streaked with dark brown, and with 

 prominent buff-edged black streaks on crown and scapulars and 

 a well-marked rufous-buff nuchal collar; a buff-washed white band 

 across the four outermost primaries near their center; the two outer 

 pairs of tail feathers black with broad white tips ; a white patch on 

 each side of the throat; the breast vermiculated iron gray and dark 

 brown and more or less mottled with buff ; the remaining underparts 

 buff with narrow dark brown bars. 



I have not examined recently collected asiaticus and am uncertain 

 whether this species is subject to postmortem change of color. In the 

 series I have seen, siamensis stands out clearly from asiaticus by its 

 grayish, not brownish, mantle, and appears to be a quite valid form. 

 C. a siamensis is apparently the race of all Thailand. 



CAPRIMULGUS AFFINIS MONTICOLUS Franklin 



Indian Allied Nightjar 



Caprimulgus monticolus Franklin, Proc. Comm. Sci. Corr. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 

 1, 1S30-1831 [=1831], p. 116 ("on the Ganges between Calcutta and Benares, 

 and in the Vindhyian hills between the latter place and Gurrah Mundela, on 

 the Nerbudda"). 



Caprimulgus monticola Gyldenstolpe, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 1915, p. 232 

 (listed). 



Caprimulgus monticolus, Gtxdenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 582 ("Northern parts"). 



Caprimulgus monticolus monticolus, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 

 1931, p. 175 (Chiang Mai). 



Caprimulgus monticolus burmanicus, de Schatjensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 

 delphia, 1934, p. 267 (Chiang Mai). — Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. 

 Suppl., 1936, p. 90 (Chiang Mai). 



The allied nightjar is probably a rather common permanent resi- 

 dent throughout the northern lowlands, although the only records 

 are from the more western provinces. Eisenhofer sent to Stockholm 

 an undated female from Khun Tan ; I have taken it at Chiang Mai, 

 Chom Thong, and Ban Mae Sariang. 



In the vicinity of Chiang Mai this species seemed to confine itself 

 during the day to certain wastelands where cremations are performed ; 

 at such places lawnlike grassy areas are interspersed with low bushes 

 and clumps of bamboo and the bird rests on the ground just where 

 grass and thicket meet. 



The only note I can with certainty associate with the present form 

 is a low chuck, uttered when it is compelled to fly. 



583136 — 45 13 



