18S6.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 116 



on the sides of the breast into numerous cordate blackish spots, the out- 

 lines of which become less definite on the sides and the flanks, produc- 

 ing" numerous dusky but ill-defined bars in these parts ; the whole lower 

 surface is dull brownish- white, only the anal region, crissum, and under- 

 tail coverts washed with a pale and dull carmine ; top of head black, the 

 feathers on the crown tipped with glossj" but dark crimson. Wing, 

 127'""^ ; tail-feathers, 78°^^ ; exposed culmen, 21^"^ ; tarsus, 23°^™ ; ant. 

 ext. toe without claw, 14™™. 



(169) Dryobates subcirris sp. nov. ^ 



0-akagera. 

 1862. — Piciis Uuconotus Blakist., Ibis, 1862, p. 325. — Id., Cbrysautla., Jan. 1883, p. 

 28.-1(1., ibid., Feb. 1883, p. — .— Swinhoe, Ibis, 1875, p. 451 ?— Blakist. & 

 Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 229 (part).— /;d., Tr. As. Soc. Jap., viii, 1880, p. 208.— 

 lid., Hid., X, 1882, p. 133.— Jouv, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mns., vi, 1883, p. 307. 

 1867. — ? Picus ttralensis Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 195. 



DiAGN. — Similar to D. leucotos (Bechst.), but considerably larger; the sides of the 

 head and the whole under surface, except the chin, strongly tinged with brownish 

 buif, axillars, middle wing coverts, and lower back lighter and the tinge more yellow- 

 ish, while the rest of the markings on the wing and the chin are pure white; the 

 white on The upper side is restricted to the lower back (tergum), the interscapulars 

 and the rump proper being black, as are also the upper tail-coverts. <? Wing, 155™™ ; 

 tail-feathers, 95™™ ; exp. culmen, 37"^°', 

 Type.— U. S. Nat. Mns. No. 96000. 

 Hab. — Northern parts of Hondo Island and (in M'interonly ?) Yesso, Japan. 



As far as the color of the under side is concerned this form bears a 

 similar relation to the typical D. leucotos from Central Europe, as does 

 ^ifta ccesia to ^S^. eiiropa'a. The three specimens before me, an adult 

 male, an adult female, and a young bird of the latter sex, are abso- 

 lutely identical in this respect. That we have not to do with an artifi- 

 cial stain is evident from the fact that the wash of buff also pervades 

 the axillaries and under wiugcoverts, upper middle wing-coverts and 

 lower back. The amount of white on the wings is about the same as 

 in Central European specimens, but on the upper side of the body it is 

 considerably restricted, as the whole rump is black. In size the pres- 

 ent species is very superior, and it seems even to be larger than the true 

 J), cirris of Siberia, 



This form is known from the portion of Hondo north of Yokohama, 

 jind it probably breeds in that part of the island, since Jouy, on August 

 21, 1882, collected a young female, which seems referable to this form, 

 ill Chiusenji Lake, in the Nikko Mountains (U. S. Xat. Mus, No. 01326, 

 Jouy 2Sfo. 019), with trace of the first plumage on top of head, hind neck, 

 and chin. It has also been collected in Southern Yesso, but I suspect 

 t'.iat this form only occurs there in autumn and winter, and that the 

 breeding bird of that island is white on the under side, and probably 

 more nearly related to D. leucotos. 



Prop,. X. M. 80 8 September 13, t8S6. 



