KUNUL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. HAND 56. N:0 2 27 



24. Acridotheres tristris. Linn. Tlic Common Mynah. 



Acrhlothcrcs tristis: Barton p. 106; Gairdncr p. 33; Gyldenstolpe III p. 168; Gairdner p. 149; Williamson II 

 p. 205. 



1 ad. Koon Tan 1914. W = 135 mm.; T = 87 mm.; C = 20 mm.; Tarsus = 33 mm. 



The Common Mynah was rather abnndant in or near villades cspccially in t lic 

 northern parts of thc country. It was, however, also observed in the Siamcse Malaya as 

 for instance at Koh Lak and its neighbourhood. They are always seen in pairs either 

 jumping about on the ground or resting in a tree uttering their pretty song. They are 

 often kept by the natives as a cage bird. 



In the »Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum» vol. 13 p. 81 Dr. R. B. 

 Sharpe states that the colour of the upper (misprint: under in the Cat. ) tail-coverts is 

 the same as the colour of the back. In the specimen obtained at Koon Tan the upper 

 tail-coverts are, however, decidedly paler than the rest of the back, being brownish asliy 

 with påle brown edges to the featliers. But perhaps this påle colouring may only be a 

 sign of immaturity. 



Fam. Ploceidae. 



25. Munia atricapilla rubronigra. Hodgs. The Chestnut-bellied Munia. 



Munia atricapilla: Flower p. 323; Gyldenstolpe III p. 170. 



J" Chieng Hai 2 /s 1914. L = 104 mm.; W = 51 mm.; T = 36 mm.; C = 10,5 mm. — Irides: brown 

 Bill: grey. Legs: plumbeous. 



I only observed this Munia near Chieng Hai and Chieng Sen, both small towns in 

 Upper Siarn. Even at these places they were rather rare. They occured in small parties 

 of about 6 to 10 birds on the grassy plains outside the towns. Their food consists usu- 

 ally of different kinds of seeds. 



The specimen obtained clearly belongs to the northern race which was named by 

 Hodgson Munia rubronigra. It differs from the southern race, which is the typical 

 Munia atricajrilla Vieill. in having the abdomen, vent und under tail-coverts decidedly 

 more blackish and in lacking the hoary-grey edges to the featliers of the mantle. 



26. Munia punctulata topela. Swinh. 



J 1 Chieng Hai 7» 1914. L = 120 mm.; W = 54,5 mm.; T = 48,5 mm.; C = 10,7 mm. — Irides: 

 brown. Bill: black. Legs: plumbeous. 



At the neighbourhood of Chieng Hai, one of the most important towns of Upper 

 Siam this species was rather common on the large grassy plains which cover such an ex- 

 tensive area of land outside this town. It was also observed a few times in bamboo- 

 f orests in several other parts of Northern Siam. 



