456 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 

 NILTAVA GRANDIS GRANDIS (Blyth) 



Himalayan Greater Black-breasted Niltava 



[Cha'itaris] grandis Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. 11, 1842, p. 189 



(Darjiling). 

 Niltava grandis nohilis Riley, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 42, 1929, pp. 



161-162 (Doi Ang Ka, North Thailand). 

 Niltava grandis nooilis, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1929, 



p. 546 (Doi Suthep). — Deign an, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, 



p. 145 (Doi Suthep). — Chasen and Borden Kloss, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. 



Hist. Suppl., 1932, p. 239 (Doi Suthep).— Riley, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 172, 



1938, p. 456 (Doi Ang Ka, Doi Langka). 

 Niltava grandis grandis, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1934, 



p. 217 (Doi Suthep)— Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1936, 



p. 119 (Doi Suthep).— Green way, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1940, p. 184 (Doi 



Ang Ka). 



This large and robust flycatcher is a common or very common per- 

 manent resident on the higher hills of the Thanon Thong Chai and 

 Khun Tan chains and also on Phu Kha; on Doi Suthep it ranges 

 through the evergreen from 3,500 to 5,500 feet and on Doi Ang Ka from 

 4,500 to 8,400 feet. 



It occurs in much the same places as the preceding species but, as 

 befits its greater size, keeps to rather higher levels of the forest. The 

 unmistakable song is a soft, rising one-tioo-three . . . one-two-three. 



Specimens with the gonads enlarged or greatly enlarged were taken 

 April 10 (Phu Kha) and April 13 (Doi Ang Ka) and, at the latter 

 locality, a juvenile just out of the nest was collected April 8. Post- 

 nuptial molt is shown by a bird of September 4 and postjuvenal molt 

 by others of October 25 and 29. 



A breeding male had the irides dark brown; the bill black; the 

 feet, toes, and claws brownish black. An adult female differed only 

 in having the feet and toes plumbeous and the claws blackish brown. 

 The very young juvenile mentioned above had the irides brown; the 

 bill blackish brown ; the rictus and interior of the mouth light yellow ; 

 the tarsi and toes wood brown; the posterior part of the tibiotarsal 

 joint and the soles bright yellow ; the claws dark brown above, yellow 

 beneath. 



The adult male has the forehead, lores, and eye ring deep black ; the 

 remaining upperparts, including the remiges and rectrices, as in the 

 adult male of N. s. denotata (but with the shining portions rather 

 more violet, less blue) ; the underparts black, overlaid from the lower 

 breast on with deep purple-blue, canescent on the lower abdomen, 

 lower flanks, under tail coverts, under wing coverts, and axillaries. 

 The adult female differs from that of N. s. denotata chiefly in having 

 the crown and nape more or less strongly suffused with dark ashy; 

 the transverse marks at the sides of the neck shining azure blue ; the 

 chin and center of the throat to the uppermost breast pale buff or 





