THE BIRDS OF NORTHERN THAILAND 411 



pure white ; the remaining underparts ashy, changing to white on the 

 center of the abdomen and the under tail coverts. The female differs 

 in having the upper parts brown, this color changing to deep rufous 

 on the upper tail coverts ; the remiges and rectrices edged with rufous ; 

 the supercilium poorly defined; the lores, sides of head, and ear 

 coverts deep brown; the underparts, below the white throat, pale 

 brown, tinged with rufous on the lower flanks and under tail coverts. 



SAXICOLA CAPRATA BURMANICA Stuart Baker 



Indo-Chinese Pied Stonechat 



Saxicola caprata burmanica Stuart Baker, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 43, 1922, 

 p. 19 (Pegu). 



Pratincolai caprata oicolor, Gyldenstolpe, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam, 1915, 

 p. 170 (listed) ; Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1916, p. 51 (Khun Tan, 

 Chiang Rai) ; Ibis, 1920, p. 475 ("Northern Siam"). — de Schauensee, Proe. 

 Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1928, p. 563 (Chiang Mai). 



Saxicola caprata burmanica, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 1929, p. 541 (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chiang Saen) ; 1934, p. 208 (Chiang 

 Mai, "Tung Sio"). — Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, 

 p. 141 (Chiang Mai) ; 1936, p. Ill (Chiang Mai).— Riley, U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 Bull. 172, 1938, p. 400 (Chom Thong, Chiang Mai, Chiang Dao, Muang Pai, 

 Mae Hong Son). 



On the open plains of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai 

 Provinces the pied stonechat is a common or locally abundant per- 

 manent resident; I found it numerous in the cleared valley below 

 Pha Mon on Doi Ang Ka, 4,200 to 4,400 feet, but it is otherwise 

 known only from the lowlands. It is extraordinary that no form 

 of the species has been recorded from the districts east of the Khun 

 Tan range, although the present race occurs again in the southern 

 parts of Indochine. 



This is a conspicuous bird in the vicinity of Chiang Mai, seen, usually 

 in pairs, perched upon hedges and fences along roadsides, on tall grass 

 and thorny shrubs at areas of abandoned cultivation, and, especially 

 after harvest, on bunds and bushes in the ricefields, from which points 

 of vantage it repeatedly makes short flights after insects, whether these 

 be in the air or on the ground. 



I took a bird in full juvenal dress at Chiang Mai, July 1, and Gyl- 

 denstolpe has recorded (1916) a similar specimen from Chiang Rai, 

 August 1. 



An adult female had the irides brown ; the bill, feet, and toes black- 

 ish brown; the claws black. 



The adult male has the entire plumage black, except for a large patch 

 on the wing coverts and inner secondaries and the upper and under 

 tail coverts, all of which are pure white. The adult female has the 

 crown and mantle dark grayish brown, the feathers with darker 



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