1886.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 377 



SubgeDUS PERIPARUS Selys. 



(215) Parus ater subsp. ? 

 Coal Tit. • Hi-j^ara. 



1758.— Parus ater Linn., S. N. 10 ed., i. p. 190.— Id., S. N., 12 ed., i, p. 341 (17(i(i).— 

 Temm., Man. d'Oni., 2 ed.. in, p. 209 (1835).— Temm. & Schl., Fauna Jap. 

 Av. (p. 70) (1841)).— Blakist., Ibis, 1862, p. 321.— /<?., Chrysanth., 1882, p. 

 522.— /fZ., iUd., Jan., 1883, p. 30.— Id., ibid., Feb., 1883, ]).—.— Id., Amend, 

 List B. Jap., pp. 15,50 (1884).— Whitely. Ibis. 1867. p. 1!I8.— Swinhoe, 

 Ibis, 1870, p. 154.— M, ibid., 1874, p. 155.— Blakist. & Pryer, Ibis, 1878, 

 p. 235.— lid., Tr. As. Soc. Jap., viii, 1880, p. 217. — Inl, ibid., x, 1882, p. 

 149.— Seebohm, Ibis, 1879, p! 31.— Id., ibid., 1884, p. 37.— JouY, Pr. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., VI, 1893, 285. 



The Coal Tit of Japan is usually given as Parus ater., some authors 

 asserting, however, that specimens occur in Japan which are inter- 

 mediate between the typical form and Parus peMnensis David* from 

 China, the chief character of which is said to be the elongation of the 

 occipital feathers into a distinct crest. 



I have been considerably jiuzzled about this species, but have con- 

 cluded to establish no new name in view of the insufficiency of my 

 material, and shall, therefore, simply state what I have found in ex- 

 amining the si)ecimens in the U. S. National Museum. As to P. peMn- 

 ensis proper I shall express no opinion, having seen no specimen. I 

 may state in regard to the alleged occurrence of that form in Japan, 

 that none of the specimens before me exhibit the character by whicli it 

 is said to differ from ater, viz, the elongation of the posterior black 

 feathers of the crown into a crest.t 



Speaking of the Japanese specimens before me in a general way, it 

 may be said that they resemble typical P. ater on tbe upper surface, 

 while underneath they agree with the English form, P. ater britannicus, 

 except that the colors are purer and clearer. However, a specimen 

 from the Vosges, France (U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 106405), agrees very 

 well in color with the Japan birds, both above and beneath. 



The two autumnal males from Tate Yama, Hondo, are nearly iden'i- 

 cal, except that No. 91347 has the ochraceous wash on the rump a little 

 stronger. Compared with typical P. ater, from the continent of Europe, 

 the gray of the back is of a somewhat different and more decided bluish 

 hue. It appears to me that the black on the hind neck goes farther back, 

 (though this may be caused by the make of the skin) but differs cer- 

 tainly in one point from that of the European specimens 1 have seen in 

 entirely encircling the white nuchal spot and distinctly separating it 

 from the gray of the back. It also looks as if the black of the throat 



* Ibis, 1870, p. 155. 



t A Japanese drawing, excellent and true to na'^ure in every other respect, and by 

 tar superior to tbe excruciating figure accompanying the description of /*. pekinensis 

 (Nonv. Arch. Mus., vili, pi. 5, fig. 1), shows a crest fully as long and pointed as that 

 oP-the latter. But whether it is drawn from a Chinese or a Japanese specimen I can- 

 not say. 



