NOVITATES ZOOLOOICAE XXIV. 1917. 437 



SCOLOPAX RUST ICO LA MIR A. 



By ERNST HARTERT, Ph.D. 



(Plate II.) 



PLATE II. shows the most interesting Scolopax rusticola mira from the 

 Island of Amami in the northern Loo Choo, or Riu Kiu, group of Japanese 

 Islands, which I described Bull. B. 0. Club, xxxvi. p. 64, March 1916. 



The striking differences from S. rusticola rusticola are fully described in the 

 Bull. B. O. Club. They are principally the darker, less rufous, and more 

 olivaceous colour of the upperside, less heavily spotted quills, more brownish 

 and more spotted or freckled sides, and it is a heavier, larger bird, with the bill 

 thicker, wider, and generally longer, the wing about 5-7 mm. longer, tarsus 

 about 1 cm. longer. The tip of the wing is shorter, the distance from the outer 

 secondaries to the end of the primaries being at least 1-2 cm. less. The first 

 abortive primary is much longer and wider. S. rusticola mira is therefore evi- 

 dently a heavier bird with less power of flight. 



Of this woodcock the Tring Museum has received from the late Alan Owston 

 eleven specimens, collected in September, November, December, and January 

 on the island of Amami. There can hardly be any doubt that it is the resident 

 representative of ;S'. r. rusticola. 



I have (I.e. p. 65) fully explained my reasons for considering this bird a sub- 

 species of S. r. rusticola, and I will here only rej)eat that it was done chiefly on 

 account of a juvenile specimen shot in September, which is much redder than 

 adult ones, thus closely resembling European woodcocks. 



It is very interesting to see that the collectors also obtained a specimen of 

 Scolopax rusticola rusticola on Amami, in winter, which is found on Tanega and 

 Yakushima, where it is probably still nesting, as it does on Hondo. 



We are much obliged to Major Henry Jones for making the beautiful 

 drawing, and I may add that the colours of the original drawing have been 

 very successfully reproduced on the colour-type plate. 



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