THE BIRDS OF NORTHERN THAILAND 265 



Anthocincla phayrei, Gyldenstolpe, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 1915, p. 172 

 (listed) ; Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1916, p. 84 (Pha Kho, Khun 

 Tan). 



Anthocincla phayrii, Gyldenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 579 (Pha Kho, Khun Tan). 



Anthocincla phayrei pliayrei, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 

 delphia, 1934, p. 244 (Khun Tan). 



The eared pitta has been collected only eight times in our prov- 

 inces. In addition to the three specimens recorded by Gyldenstolpe 

 and the one taken by de Schauensee, there are in Stockholm two 

 undated females from Khun Tan and one male from Pha Hing, May 

 7, 1912 (Eisenhofer), and in Washington a male from Phu Kha, 

 5,000 feet, April 11, 1936 (Deignan). 



Beyond the fact that it dwells upon the ground in dense evergreen 

 forest, nothing is known of the bird's habits in the northern districts. 



Gyldenstolpe records that one of his specimens had the irides 

 brown; the bill black; the feet and toes pale brown. De Schauensee's 

 female had the irides light brown; the bill horny brown; the feet, 

 toes, and claws flesh. 



The adult male has, along each side of the crown, a broad, black- 

 barred, light brown supercilium from the base of the maxilla to the 

 nape, the feathers becoming white posteriorly and lengthened to form 

 pointed aigrettes ; the sides of the head, the center of the crown, and 

 the entire nape black (the ear coverts streaked with light brown) ; the 

 upper wing coverts with deep buff tips and black subterminal bands ; 

 the primaries blackish brown with a large area of buff at the base; 

 the remaining upperparts deep rufous-brown; the throat buffy 

 white, bordered on each side by an ill-defined mustachial streak 

 formed by narrow black tips to the feathers; the under tail coverts 

 buffy rose; the remaining underparts deep rufous-buff, more or less 

 spotted and barred with black on the breast and sides of the body. 

 The adult female differs in having the black of the head and nape 

 replaced by deep brown ; the underparts fulvous, more heavily marked 

 with black; the under tail coverts paler and duller, more buffy than 

 pink. 



Northern birds become slightly deeper in color from west to east 

 but all must be called phayrei. The population of eastern Thailand 

 is almost exactly intermediate between yliayrei and obscura. 



Family ALAUDIDAE 



MIRAFRA ASSAMICA SUBSESSOR Deignan 



Lao Collared Bush Lark 



Mvrafra assamica subsessor Deignan, Zoologica, vol. 26, pt. 3, 1941, p. 241 

 (Chiang Mai, North Thailand). 



