THE BIRDS OF NORTHERN THAILAND 457 



buffy white; the remaining underparts olivaceous-brown (often suf- 

 fused with rich buff), cinerescent on the center of the abdomen; the 

 under tail coverts, under wing coverts, and axillaries rich buff (occa- 

 sionally washed with ashy). 



NILTAVA MACGRIGORIAE (Burton) 



Lesser Black-breasted Niltava 



Phoenicura MacGHgoriae Burton, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 3, 1835 [=1836], 

 p. 152 ("Montes Hirnalayenses"). 



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

 p. 3 (Doi Suthep). 



Niltava macgrigoriae, Rogers and Deignan, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 1934, 

 p. 91 (Doi Ang Ka). — de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 1934, p. 219 (Doi Suthep).— Deignan, Journ. Siarn Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 

 1936, p. 120 (Doi Suthep).— Riley, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 172, 1938, p. 457 

 (Doi Hua Mot). 



The only examples of this little flycatcher yet known from Thai- 

 land are a male and a female from Doi Hua Mot, August 17 and 22, 

 1934 (Smith), a male from Doi Suthep, 4,500 feet, July 18, 1933 (de 

 Schauensee), and a male from Doi Ang Ka, April 6, 1931 (Deignan) ; 

 at the last-named locality, however, I found it common between 

 4,400 and 5,500 feet throughout the month of April, 1931. 



On Doi Ang Ka it was seen on the lower branches of the trees in 

 dense, humid evergreen forest where small streams flowed among 

 moss-covered rocks and boulders; so deep was the shade that this 

 small, dark-colored bird might have been overlooked had not its 

 loud song drawn attention to the singer. 



The species is said ordinarily to breed in rock crevices along streams, 

 but a nest found by me on Doi Ang Ka, 4,900 feet, April 15, 1931, was 

 placed in a sapling about 8 feet above ground; the nest was loosely 

 constructed, and, standing beneath it, one could easily make out two 

 reddish eggs. 



De Schauensee's specimen from Doi Suthep and Smith's male from 

 Doi Hua Mot are in postjuvenal molt, while the latter's female 

 (August 22) is in postnuptial molt. 



My adult male had the irides brown ; the bill black ; the feet, toes, 

 and claws dark horny brown. 



The old male has the forehead and lores black; the forecrown, 

 supercilium, a transverse mark at each side of the neck, the rump, 

 and upper tail coverts shining violet-blue; the remaining upper- 

 parts, including the wings and tail, deep purple-blue ; the ear coverts, 

 chin, throat, and upper breast black, strongly overlaid with deep 

 purple-blue, changing to slaty gray on the remaining underparts 

 (paling posteriorly) ; the under wing coverts and axillaries pure white. 

 The adult female has the entire upperparts as in the adult female 



