318 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The discovery that tonkinensis, a monticolous member of the cas- 

 tanea-gvowp, is apparently resident on Doi Hua Mot is of peculiar 

 interest, inasmuch as montmm (not found on Hua Mot) is the race of 

 the neighboring Doi Langka and neglecta is generally distributed over 

 the wide expanse of lowlands which lie between Doi Hua Mot and the 

 mountains of Laos, whence Kinnear's form was described. 



SITTA FRONTALIS CORALLINA Hodgson 



Nepalbse Velvet-fronted Nuthatch 



[Sitta] Corallina Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 5, 1836, p. 779 (Nepal). 

 Sitta frontalis, Gyldenstolpe, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 1915, p. 167 (listed). 

 Dendrophila frontalis, Gyldenstolpe, Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akacl. Handl., 1916, 



p. 38 (Khun Tan, Doi Pha Sakaeng, Pha Ko, Pang Hua Phong). 

 Dendrophila frontalis frontalis, Gyldenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 467 (Khun Tan, 



Pang Hua Phong, Pha Kho, Doi Pha Sakaeng). — de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. 



Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1929, p. 530 (Doi Suthep, Chiang Saen). 

 Sitta frontalis frontalis, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, p. 135 



(Doi Suthep). — Chasen and Boden Kloss, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. 



Suppl., 1932, p. 247 (Doi Suthep).— Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. 



Suppl., 1936, p. 104 (Doi Suthep). — de Sceatjensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Philadelphia, 1934, p. 182 (Doi Suthep, Khun Tan, ridge south of Doi Chiang 



Dao). 

 Callisitta frontalis frontalis, Riley, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 172, 1938, p. 313 (Doi Ang 



Ka, Khun Tan, Doi Langka, Doi Hua Mot, Chiang Dao, Huai Mae Sae). 



This pretty species is the common nuthatch of all parts of the 

 northern provinces, occurring from the plains to 5,500 feet, whether 

 in the more open evergreen, in pine-forest, or in parklike deciduous 

 jungle. On Doi Suthep it is very numerous between 3,500 and 4,600 

 feet, somewhat less so up to 5,500 and down to 2,700 feet; on Doi 

 Ang Ka, it is common from 3,000 to 5,500 feet; in the more eastern 

 districts, however, it regularly occurs at lower elevations. 



I found it in loose bands of from 6 to 20 individuals (often accom- 

 panied by such small arboreal babblers as Erpornis), which, never 

 still, swept from tree to tree uttering a continual chip -chip -chip. 



Examples in full juvenal plumage were taken between May 1 and 

 9, but another specimen of May 9 has not quite completed the post- 

 natal molt. Birds in postjuvenal molt were collected between June 

 1 and September 4 and adults in postnuptial molt between July 31 

 and December 3. 



An adult male had the irides bright yellow ; the eyelids plumbeous, 

 tinged yellow; the bill coral red, blackish at the extreme tip of the 

 maxilla ; the interior of the mouth coral red ; the feet and toes dark 

 brown ; the claws dark horny brown. Gyldenstolpe notes (1916) that 

 juveniles had the irides vinaceous-gray and the bill black. 



The adult male has the forehead and a narrow line along each 

 side of the crown black; the remaining upperparts violet-blue; the 



