THE BIRDS OF NORTHERN THAILAND 425 



Monticola cyanea, Gyldenstolpe, Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siarn, 1915, p. 170 

 (listed). 



Monticola cyanus solitaria, dk Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 1928, p. 565 (Chiang Mai). 



Monticola solitaria pandoo, Gyldenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 478 ("Siam"). — de Schau- 

 ensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1929, p. 544 (Chiang Mai, Doi 

 Suthep, Chiang Saen) ; 1934, p. 212 (Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep, Khun Tan, 

 Doi Chiang Dao). — Deign an, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, p. 

 143 (Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep) ; 1936, p. 113 (Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep).— 

 Riley, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 172, 1938, p. 416 (Khun Tan, Doi Ang Ka, 

 Chiang Mai, Mae Khan, "Ban Padieng"). — Geeenway, Bull. Mus. Comp. 

 Zool., 1940, p. 181 (Chiang Mai, Doi Ang Ka). 



The Indian blue rock thrush is a very common winter visitor to 

 the provinces west of (and including) the Khun Tan chain; I place 

 here also certain specimens taken by de Schauensee and myself in 

 Chiang Rai Province, though it should be noted that no adult male 

 has yet been collected in that area and that their subspecific identifi- 

 cation is therefore subject to revision. The race occurs from the 

 level of the plains up to at least 5,500 feet (Doi Suthep) ; the ex- 

 treme dates of its stay in the Chiang Mai district are September 5 

 (1931) and April 2 (1931). 



This thrush will probably never be found in the evergreen, but it is 

 likely to occur in any other type of forest and also in cultivated areas. 

 Its chief requirement is the presence of rock faces, and man-made 

 masonry forms so satisfactory a substitute for natural walls that it is 

 perhaps even more numerous about the monasteries of towns and 

 villages than at mountain cliffs. At Chiang Mai it was constantly 

 to be seen on the ridgepoles of houses and the tops of garden walls, 

 whence it would dash from time to time in pursuit of some insect on the 

 ground or in the air. The only note heard in the cold season is a low 

 clucking sound, accompanied by an upward flick of the tail. 



A male from Doi Suthep, March 23, is undergoing molt of the 

 feathers of throat and upper back; another from the same locality, 

 April 2, had the testes enlarged. There is no good reason to believe, 

 however, that any individuals remain to breed within our provinces. 



Adult males had the irides dark brown ; the bill black ; the interior 

 of the mouth yellow ; the feet and toes dark brown or black ; the claws 

 black. 



The old male has the entire plumage bright deep blue (the remiges 

 and rectrices black, narrowly edged with blue and tipped with white), 

 in winter with most of the body feathers tipped white and then black 

 to give a more or less squamate appearance. Certain individuals from 

 our provinces show approach to M. s. phUippensis by having the 

 under wing coverts and especially the under tail coverts wholly or 

 partly chestnut-rufous instead of blue. The adult female and the 

 immatures of either sex are similar to the old female of M. ntflventris 



