Species of Pernis inhabiting Japan. 277 



specimens^ and then not so distinct or so dark as they usually 

 are in P. ptilorhynchus , in which latter species they also occur 

 more frequently than in P. apivorus ; on the other hand^ the 

 description of the axillaries in the Japanese bird is^ if I 

 mistake not^ conclusive as to its being an example (though 

 somewhat abnormal as regards the dark markings on the 

 throat) of P. apivorus. 



This specimen^ judging from the grey upon the head and 

 from the character of the markings on the tail^ is^ I believe, 

 adult ; but the circumstance of the grey on the crown of the 

 head being limited to the forehead probably indicates its 

 having only recently attained the adult dress, and that not 

 quite completely. 



So far as I have observed, the adults of P. apivorus always 

 have the axillaries distinctly and broadly banded with alter- 

 nate bars of brown and white, though in birds of the year 

 the white bars are sometimes absent. 



In P. ptilorhynchus, on the contrary, although some young 

 birds have the axillaries brown banded with white, and others 

 have them brown with a spot or two of white towards the 

 end of the feathers, the adult grey-headed birds have always, 

 so far as I have been able to ascertain, the axillaries either 

 entirely brown without bands or else banded with pale brown 

 on a darker ground, but not with white, as in the adults of 

 P. apivorus; believing this distinction to be a constant one 

 as regards the adult birds, I would refer the specimen under 

 consideration to P. apivorus and not to P. ptilorhynchus. 



I may add that although the fact of this example being 

 crestless is in favour of identifying it with P. apivorus, which 

 always is so, it does not in itself prove this identification to be 

 correct, as F . ptilorhynchus is also sometimes crestless, although 

 such specimens are very much in the minority, and must be 

 regarded as exhibiting an exceptional variation from the 

 normal form. 



