( 500 ) 



found is without fouudatiou. I quite agree with Mr. Dates that there are " no 

 grounds for the supposition that interbreeding between minor and cinereus'^ tnkes 

 place and produces an intermediate race named conimixtus ; but I canuot either 

 admit that this has been " generally supposed." The wild theory that the form 

 commixtu8, inhabiting an area which is probably larger than Germany, France, 

 and England together, consists of hybrids between minor and cinereus, has been 

 ventilated thoughtlessly, but was certainly not " generally supposed " I In fact, 

 all sjiecimens from .South China are, of course, commixtus, only what to the 

 superficial observer seems to be minor (because somewhat, though by no means 

 (jnite, similar in colour, but much smaller) is typical commixtus ; and specimens 

 in which the olive-green on the back is somewhat obscured or abraded have been 

 erroneously said to be ci/ieretis. Such errors would be avoided if writers would 

 more carefully study the facts exhibited by a series of skins, and consider their 

 geographical distribution, instead of starting groundless theories. 

 Terra fi/jjica : Tingchow, S. China. 



16. Parus major okinawae Hart. 



Okinawa, in the central group of Kiu Kin Islands. 



Of the same small size of commixtu.'<, but the back is bluish grey, only the 

 upper back, towards the nape, is washed with olive-green. To this form belong 

 tlie specimens erroneously quoted as commixtus from the Loo Choo Islands. 

 Whether oliinaicae occurs also on other islands of the Rin Kiu or Loo Choo archi- 

 jielago is not yet known, but it is not improbable that other islands of the group 

 are inhabited liy similar but distinguishable unknown forms. In the southern Loo 

 Choo islands (Ishigaki) occurs Varus niijriloris HeJlni. 1900 { — stejyieyeri Bangs, 

 1901). This is a very distinct form, and we may perhaps hesitate to join it as a 

 snbspecies to the major group, though the question of its relations to major must be 

 considered when we have made sure whether any other form of the group is found 

 ou Ishigaki or not. 



17. Parus major tibetanus Hart. 



Although only a single male is known, it is not possible to unite this specimen 

 with any of the known forms. The type is a very poor skin, but the great 

 amount of white in the tail (outermost rectrix quite white, second white with a 

 slate-coloured border to the inner web only, third with much white on the 

 outer and a white cuneiform patch on the inner web), the strongly curved culmcn 

 and long wing separate it from minor, with which it agrees in the green ujiper 

 back and grey rump, and in the colour of the undeiside. 



Terra ti/pica : Chuksam, Tsongpo Valley, Tibet. 



(Type collected by Colonel G. A. Waddell). 



Cf. Lief. III. of Vi)g. pal. Fauna. 



18. Parus major minor Temm. and Schleg. 



Ussuria, Amurland, Manchuria, N. (y'hina, Corea, and northern Jajiane.se 

 islands : Yesso, Hondo, Kiushiu. 



Much larger than commixiusj and the cohnirs lighter, brighter. 



Terra typica: Ja]ian. 



Cf Lief. III. of \'iiiiii iler pal. Fauna. 



