138 LIST OF DirRNAL BIEDS OF PKET. 



rare amongst specimens of similar age from more western 

 countries, most of these being decidedly darker, and, when 

 not melanistic, much tinged with rufous. With reference to 

 the plumage of adult specimens, I may remark that an adult 

 male from Kashmir, in the Norwich Museum, agrees closely 

 in coloration and markings with the fijTure of an adult from 

 Japan in the 'Fauna Japonica' (Aves), pi. 6, and with adult 

 specimens from Japan and Eastern China, which leads me to 

 think that such geographical discrepancy of coloration as 

 exists is probably limited to immature and to melanistic 

 individuals. 



The similarity which frequently occurs between immature 

 specimens of B. plumipes and those of its two nearly allied 

 western congeners, B. vulgaris and B. desertorum, renders it 

 difficult to ascertain with precision the eastern limit to the 

 geographical range of tiie two latter species, as well as the 

 western limit of B. plumipes. 



The most westerly specimen of B. plumipes which I recol- 

 lect to have examined is one from Khokand, in the posses- 

 sion of Mr. Seebohm ; it is an immature bird in the pale 

 phase of plumage, and has the abnormal peculiarity of all 

 the rectrices, except the three external pairs, being destitute 

 of any cross bars, in lieu of which they merely exhibit a 

 slight irregular mottling. 



Of the two most easterly examples of B. vulgaris which 

 have come under my notice, one, which is also in Mr. See- 

 bohm's collection, is an adult female, shot 17th April, on 

 the Altai Mountains, the other being an adult male in the 

 Norwich Museum, from Ursem in Northern India. 



Another remarkable Buzzard in Mr. Seebohm's collection 

 is a specimen from Krasnoyarsk ; it is quite a young bird, 

 with ten dark bars across the tail, and in its colour resembles 

 the rufous phase of the immature B. plumipes ; but it has 

 been marked as a female by the collector ; and if this be cor- 

 rect, it must, I think, from its small dimensions, be considered 

 to be an eastern example of B. desertorum, though in the 

 latter species the immature bird is usually less rufous than 



