278 BULLETIN 17 2, UNITED STATES NATIONAL IMUSEUM 



GRAUCALUS SUMATRENSIS MESSERIS (Oberholaer) 



Artamides sumatrensis messeris Oberholsek, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 

 vol. 16, p. 517, 1920 (Trang, Lower Siam). 



Dr. W. L. Abbott collected the type and one additional male and 

 two females in Trang, March 2 and 3, 1899; two females, on Pule 

 Tioman, October 14, 1900; and three males on Pulo Bulan, Rhio 

 Archipelago, March 17 and 19, 1907. 



This species is much darker than the javensis form group, without 

 the black frontal bristles, chin, or lores; the male deep neutral gray; 

 the female similar, but the breast and belly with black and white 

 bars of about equal width. 



Dr. Richmond recognized this race many years ago and picked out 

 a type but apparently never described it. The form is doubtfully 

 separable from sumatrensis, of wluch I have seen no authentic 

 specimens. 



Family DICRURIDAE: Drongos 



DICRURUS ANNECTANS (Hodgson) 



Buchanga annecians Hodgson, Indian Rev., vol. 1, p. 326, 1836 (Nepal). 



Two immatures, Lat Bua Kao, August 10, 1929; one adult male, 

 Pak Chong, April 27, 1926; one adult male, Koh Tao, December 31, 

 1926; three immature males and one immature female, Kao Soi Dao, 

 Trang, December 20-27, 1933. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott collected sLx adult males, one immature male, 

 and one immature female in Trang (Telibon Island, February 28, 

 1896; Prahmon, April 3, 13, 1896; Lay Song Hong, December 14, 30, 

 1896; Trang, January 27 and February 4, 1897); one male, the 

 Dindings, Straits of Malacca, April 14, 1900; one male, Champang, 

 Tenasserim, December 14, 1903. He gives the soft parts as: Iris 

 dull or dark red ; bill and feet black. 



This species breeds in the foothills of the Himalaj^as from Nepal to 

 Assam, Chin and Kachin Hills, Shan States, and Karen Hills, Tenas- 

 serim; it migrates south through Laos, Annam, Cambodia, and Siam, 

 and Peninsular Siam to the Malay States, Sumatra, Banka, Java, and 

 Borneo. 



In Siam proper it seems to be rare, as there are few records, but in 

 the Malay Peninsula it is not uncommon in the winter months, 

 especially on islands off the coast. Robinson and Kloss ^^ say that 

 out of the immense series of birds that have passed tlirough their 

 hands (from the Malay Peninsula) not one is dated between April 20 

 and September 22 ; it is a coastal bird and not common inland. Robin- 

 son ^^ records it from Klong Menao, southeastern Siam. The scarcity 



» Journ. Nat. Hist. Soc. Slam. vol. 5. p. 341, 1924. 

 »' Ibis, 1015, p. 761. 



