ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 283 



The birds shot on the island agree perfectly with those collected on 

 the mainland of Kamtschatka. The Alaskan tribe is not known to mi- 

 grate southward along the American coast. The probability therefore 

 is that they travel over to the Asiatic side, thus following, in their mi- 

 gration to and from the summer haunts, the route by which they at an 

 earlier date have invaded the nearctic regions. I have evidence at 

 hand that a migration route from the Tschuktschi Peninsula crosses 

 the mainland from Anadyr to the Siberian coast of the Okotsk Sea, 

 thus completely avoiding Kamtschatka. The Alaskan Budytes prob- 

 ably follow this route, thus being separated from the Kamtschatkan 

 stock, which j)robably takes another route. This would account for the 

 difference between the examples as shown above. If this really be the 

 case (and that can only be decided by specimens collected during the 

 migration seasons on the Okotsk coast) the Kamtschatkan bird will have 

 to be recognized as a separate race, as the theory here advanced rests 

 upon the supposition of the Alaskan bird being identical with the form 

 of the Northeastern Siberia. 



\^e have here before us a plain case demonstrating the necessity of 

 recognizing the finest differences between the related forms, if the aim 

 of collecting specimens and studying them is to find out the laws ruling 

 the living nature. If the ornithological system and the ornithological 

 science has for object only the convenience of the museum director in 

 determining the names to be put on the label, then it may be proper and 

 convenient to ignore the finer characters, and throw different forms into 

 the same pot, because it is difficult to trace a sharp line between them, 

 or because there are individuals which the perplexed director does not 

 know how to enter upon the register. But it is time that such an 

 ornitbology should be done away with. The birds are not there for 

 the sake of the museums, but the museums for the birds. 



128. Motacilla melanope Pall. 



1776. — Motacilla vielavope Pall., Reise Eiiss. Reich., Ill, p. 696. — Id., Zoogr. Ross. 

 Asiat., I, p. 500 (1826).— Taveed., Ibis, 1877, p. 310.— Blakist. & Pryer, 

 Ibis, 1878, p. •237.— Seebohm, Ibis, 1879, p. 35.— Stejneger, Naturen, 1882, 

 p. 182.— Calobates m. Swinh., P. Z. S., 1871, p. 364.— Tweed., P. Z. S., 1877, 

 p. 546. — C. vielanops Swinh., Ibis, 1874, p. 1.57. 



1884. — Motacilla sulphurea var. melanope Seeb., Ibis, 1884, p. 39. 



11S8.— Motacilla tschulctschensis Gmel., Syst. Nat., I, p. 962. 



1850. — Pallenura jaretisis Bp., Consp., I,p. 250. 



1853. — Motacilla sulphurea Middend., Sibir. Reise, II (p. 168).-^Schrenck, Reise 

 Amur!., I, p. 344 (I860).— Radde, Reisen Siiden Ost-Sibir., II (p. 227), 

 (1863).— Pallenura s. Tacz., J. f. Orn., 1873, p. 82.— Id., iUd., 18i4, p. 335.— M, 

 Ornitli. Fauna Vost. Sibir., p. 34 (1877). 



