Species o/Authus and Budytes. 207 



A.japonicus, judging from the examples I have seen^ appears to 

 retain them. The breast of immature A.japonicus is still more 

 boldly spotted than in the mature bird, and in this respect 

 rivals the well-marked Anthus maculatus, Hodgs. ; the breast, 

 however, possesses none of the warm tint of the adult, but is 

 of a pale ochraceous-white ground-colour. These remarks 

 apply to the one immature bird I saw in Mr. Swinhoe's col- 

 lection ; others may vary. 



The voice oi Anthus blakistoni is very like that oi A. pra- 

 tensis. In India the bird is only to be found in marshy loca- 

 lities in the north-west, and not at all in Bengal, so far as I 

 know. Of its song I know nothing, as it leaves India in 

 March, while the birds are still in small flights. 



Budytes taivanus, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1870, p. 346, P. Z. S. 

 1871, p. 364 



Unlike Anthus blakistoni, this good species has not been sup- 

 pressed. It is a most remarkable Budytes ; and its long strong 

 bill alone renders it distinguishable from every other species. 

 It is a much darker-toned bird above than any of the other 

 four green-backed Budytes; and the head in breeding-plumage 

 is of a rich dark olive ; the broad supercilium is of a very deep 

 yellow, and the cheeks are uniform blackish olive-brown; 

 lower surface deep yellow, not so brilliant as in B. flavus and 

 the other three allies, and much washed with dusky on the sides 

 and flanks. The tail is fully a quarter of an inch shorter 

 than in B. rayi, the outer feathers nearly all white, and the 

 penultimate diagonally marked with white, having the greater 

 portion of the inner web brown. There is no white on any 

 other tail-feather of the six examples examined. The bills at 

 front measure respectively "5, "5, '5, '48, "5, •47. To the dis- 

 tinguishing points Avhich Mr. Swinhoe has indicated, the long 

 strong bill should be added. 



With such good distinguishing marks, why should the 

 green-backed Budytce be singled out for confusion ? If such 

 nearly allied birds are to be lumped together, there is an end 

 of ornithology as a science, and its greatest charm is gone. 

 These allied species are difficult ; but the difficulty should not 



