E. LÖNNBERG, BIRDS FROM TRANSBAICALIA AND MONGOLTA. 29 



on the wing beyond the tips of the wing-coverts. Extending 

 the comparison to a larger number of specimens it was found 

 however, that there existed Swedish birds with a similar 

 pattern and colouration, and it is thus no racial mark. 



Upupa epops saturata n. subsp. 



Kjachta g" (n:o 99) ^"V-. o^ (n:o 100) -'Vö, 9 (n:o 102) '^j: 1908. 



Tliese specimens appeared at the first look not only 

 decidedly darker all över than the påle race of Hoopoe (Upu- 

 pa epops loudoni) inhabiting Transcaspia and Tian Shan, 

 but also darker than European specimens. As I did not 

 feel quite confident, however, that my material was sufficient 

 for comparison, I asked Mr. Schliiter in Halle to send me 

 a couple of his darkest specimens of Hoopoe from Europé. 

 I received then a male specimen from Hungaria and a female 

 from Roumania, but both proved to be considerably paler 

 than the three specimens of the present collection. I also 

 took the liberty of sending one of the specimens to my friend 

 Dr. Hartert and he kindly informed me that he, when 

 comparing it with the collections in Tring, had found it 

 to be »considerably darker» than Transcaspian specimens, 

 and also that, as a rule, European examples were less saturated 

 on the back, although in some instances this was less apparent. 

 At the same time the valuable information was received that 

 the Tring Museum possesses specimens like the one sent for 

 comparison (thus darker than European specimens) from 

 East Siberia, Japan (winter), China (winter). 



In consequence of all these facts, I t hink it must be 

 taken for granted that to the east of the country inhabited 

 by the påle Upupa epops loudoni, thus in Eastern Siberia 

 and Northern Mongolia lives a dark geographic race of Hoopoe 

 for which I propose saturata as a third (subspecific) name, 

 and which may be discerned by the following characteristics. 

 The upper parts are decidedly darker than in an European 

 Hoopoe, and as this darker shade is produced by an increase 

 of the melanine pigment, a different colour is produced, because 

 in the same degree as the darkness of the plumage is increased 

 the red tinge disappears more and more. On the inter- 

 scapulium of this race the reddish shade (which is found 

 more or less pronounced in a common Hoopoe) is completely 



