286 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



rectrices uniform black with a slightly greenish gloss. The adult 

 female differs from that of polioptera in rather darker coloration ; in 

 having the central pair of rectrices usually with much more black 

 suffusion on the apical half ; in having the barring of the underparts 

 even more obsolescent and not visible at all on the throat and breast. 

 In younger birds, obsolescent bars show on the throat and breast, as 

 well as elsewhere. 



I cannot separate my specimens from topotypical melaschista, but 

 the wintering bird of eastern and peninsular Thailand seems to be 

 the equally large but somewhat paler melanoptera (which may occur 

 also in the northern provinces east of the Khun Tan chain). The 

 individual listed by Kiley (1938) as melaschista is extraordinarily 

 dark and must be considered a case of melanism. 



I have no reason to believe that two or more forms of this group 

 occur together anywhere during the breeding season and am of the 

 opinion that melaschista, melanoptera, polioptera, neglecta, and 

 culminata are all races of the Javanese ftmbriata. 



CORACINA NOVAEHOLLANDIAE SIAMENSIS (Stuart Baker) 



Indo-Chinese Ashy Cuckoo-shrike 



Graucalus macei siamensis Stuaet Baker, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 38, 1918, 

 p. 69 ("Mi-Nam-Kabren" [=Krabin river], Central Thailand). 



Graucalus macei, Gyldenstolpe, Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1913, p. 34 

 ("Vang Nun") ; 1916, p. 70 (Pha Hing, Khun Tan, Pha Kho) ; Journ. Nat. Hist. 

 Soc. Siam, 1915, p. 168 (listed). 



Graucalus macei siamensis, Gtldenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 569 ("Throughout the 

 whole country"). — de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1928, 

 p. 569 (Doi Suthep) ; 1929, p. 551 (Doi Suthep). 



Coracina javensis siamensis, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, 

 p. 147 (Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai). — Chasen and Boden Kloss, Journ. Siam 

 Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1932, p. 242 (Doi Suthep).— Deignan, Journ. Siam 

 Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1936, p. 101 (Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai).— de Schauen- 

 see, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1934, p. 225 (Doi Suthep, Khun Tan). 



Graucalus javensis siamensis, Riley, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 172, 1938, p. 277 (Doi 

 Hua Mot, "Doi Phra Chao" [=Doi Saket ?], Khun Tan). 



The cuckoo-shrike occurs throughout the North wherever the jungle 

 is both tall and open, at whatever altitude it may be ; it is necessarily 

 commonest in the deciduous forest of the plains and foothills and again 

 in the open hill-forest of oak and pine on the high ridges of the moun- 

 tains, at least to 5,500 feet. 



This is the large, heavy-set, gray bird that perches at the very top 

 of some tall tree or flies above the forest with a deliberate, crowlike 

 wing beat, frequently uttering, whether in flight or at rest, a series 

 of loud, liquid, whistling calls. It is usually seen alone or in pairs 

 but, where the species is particularly common, may appear to be in 

 small, loose flocks. 



