570 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The chestnut bunting, while nowhere really common, is found in all 

 our provinces in winter; occurring chiefly on the mountains (3,300 to 

 5,500 feet), it is seen also in uncultivated districts at the level of the 

 plains. It has been noted in our area from November 23 (1936) on 

 Doi Chiang Dao to April 5 (1929) near Wiang Pa Pao. 



The species is not recorded from the Chiang Mai plain, but, on Doi 

 Suthep, small parties appear sporadically in the more extensive forest 

 clearings and the lalang stands and then vanish again ; all such obser- 

 vations have been made between February 13 (1932) and March 12 

 (1932). The irregularity of its occurrences here and elsewhere leads 

 me to believe that like some others of the family the bird wanders 

 widely over the country in search of food and that an unusually large 

 gathering may represent the total population of an extensive territory. 

 Unlike the white-shouldered bunting, it avoids the cultivated lands, 

 preferring the lalang, bamboo, and other weedy growth that follows 

 the abandonment of agriculture at whatever elevation. 



Fine-feathered spring males have the whole head and neck (includ- 

 ing the upper breast) and the entire upperparts (including the wing 

 coverts) rich chestnut-rufous; the remiges and rectrices blackish, nar- 

 rowly edged with yellowish ashy, except for the inner secondaries, 

 which are largely chestnut-rufous ; the remaining underparts creamy 

 yellow, broadly streaked along the flanks with olive-slate (and some- 

 times with chestnut-rufous as well). Earlier in the season, each 

 feather of the chestnut-rufous areas is more or less broadly fringed 

 with ashy. First-winter males resemble older males but have the 

 feathers of the crown and mantle with broad olivaceous-brown tips 

 and black central streaks (very conspicuous on the latter part) . The 

 only female I have examined (a worn specimen) differs from the old 

 male in having the center of the crown and nape ashy brown, the 

 feathers with narrow black central streaks; the mantle ashy brown, 

 each feather with a rufous-edged black central streak; an indistinct 

 ashy-buff supercilium ; the sides of the head ashy brown ; the chin and 

 throat creamy buff ; the remaining underparts cream, broadly streaked 

 along the flanks with olive-slate. 



EMBERIZA PUSILLA Pallas 



Little Bunting 



Emberiza pusilla Pallas, Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des russischen 

 Reichs, vol. 3, 1776, pp. 697-698 (Davurian Alps, southeastern Siberia). 



Emberiza pusilla, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1934, pp. 

 4, 236 (Doi Chiang Dao, Doi Suthep). — Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. 

 Hist. Suppl., 1935, p. 66 (Doi Ang Ka) ; 1936, p. 127 (Doi Suthep). 



The little bunting is a decidedly uncommon winter visitor, recorded 

 in our provinces only from certain high peaks of the Thanon Thong 



