THE BIRDS OF NORTHERN THAILAND 263 



pears to be common and generally distributed in all districts with 

 lowland evergreen and mixed-deciduous forest. My series came from 

 every part of Nan and Chiang Rai Provinces, but Gyldenstolpe's second 

 specimen was found at the foot of Doi Chiang Dao and I have myself 

 heard one singing about halfway between Muang Chiang Dao and 

 Chiang Mai. 



The loud, clear, double whistle of the buff-breasted pitta, once 

 learned, is unmistakable and in Nan and Chiang Rai I heard it con- 

 stantly from the edge of the forest and in adjacent semi-cleared areas 

 invaded by bamboo, Eupatorium, etc. The song, usually delivered 

 from the top of a tree, is somewhat ventriloquial, and the singer, 

 despite its brilliant coloration, is by no means easy to pick out from 

 the surrounding foliage. 



In some parts of its range the present species is certainly migratory. 

 The fact that all northern records have been made during the breeding 

 season camiot be used to show that this is the case with us also, but 

 merely indicates that most specimens have owed their death to their 

 song — a conclusion supported by the additional fact that, of the 14 

 northern examples now known, ten are males, two are unsexed, and 

 two are females found in proximity to singing males. 



Gyldenstolpe notes that a male had the irides dark brown ; the bill 

 black ; the feet and toes yellowish white. 



Adults have a black median streak, broadening posteriorly, from 

 the forehead to the nape ; the rest of the crown buffy brown ; on either 

 side of the head a broad black band from the base of the bill, through 

 the eye, to the nape (where the two join to form a nuchal collar) ; the 

 back, scapulars, and inner secondaries deep green; the upper wing 

 coverts, rump, and upper tail coverts shining malachite blue; the 

 rectrices black, tipped with dull blue ; the primaries white with broad 

 black bases and tips, the outer secondaries black with the outer web 

 largely dull blue; the throat white; the center of the abdomen, the 

 vent, and the under tail coverts crimson ; the under wing coverts black ; 

 the remaining underparts bright buff. 



For those who are unconvinced of the applicability of Miiller's 

 name, cyanoptera of Temminck is available. It is true that Muller 

 described his Turdus Moluccensis as "eine griine Merle mit einem 

 hlauen Kopfe" (italics mine), but reference to d'Aubenton's plate 

 shows that "blauen" is a mere misprint for "braunen." 



PITTA OATESI OATESI (Hume) 

 BURMESE'RUFOUS-NAPED PlTTA 



Hydrornis Oatesi Hume, Stray Feathers, vol. 1, 1873, pp. 477-478 (Eastern 



Pegu Hills). 

 Pitta oatesi, Gyldenstolpe Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 1915, p. 172 (listed). 

 Pitta nipalensis oatesi, Williamson, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 191S, p. 24 



(Muang Wang). 



