VOL. VI.] NOTES. 153 



EASTERN LARGE-BILLED REED-BUNTING 



IN SUSSEX. 



A MALE Large-billed Reed-Bimting was shot at Rye, Sussex, 

 on April 23rd, 1912. This bird was lighter on the back than 

 the one which is now in my possession recorded by Mr. M. J. 

 Nicoll on page 88, Vol. II. of British Berds, and it also has 

 a smaller bill. J. B. Nichols. 



[I have received, by the kindness of Mr. Nichols, both the 

 above-mentioned Reed-Buntings. 



The specimen from Romney Marsh, May 26th, 1908 (c/. 

 Brit. B., Vol. II., p. 88) is certainly Emberiza palustris, but it 

 must be said that the bill is an unusually large one. 



The specimen above recorded by Mr. Nichols as obtained 

 at Rye on April 23rd, 1912, is a different bird, by reason of 

 its light upper-parts and smaller bill, as noticed by Mr. Nichols. 

 It agrees in every way with Emberiza schoeniclus tschusii. 

 I am however uncertain about the correct nomenclature of 

 these forms. My note on p. 194. note 2, in Vog. pal. Fauna, 

 Vol. I., shows the difficulties with which I was faced in 1904. 

 I then did what was undoubtedly correct to some extent — 

 namely, united into two groups or species the various forms 

 separated as species by some, placed in two genera by others, 

 and lumped all together by still other ornithologists. It was 

 however very difficult to say to which of the two species 

 certain intermediate races belonged, and to decide about them. 

 I was guided by the supposed distribution during the breeding- 

 season, but the question was, and is, whether the distribution 

 is fully understood. Since 1904 I have seen many more Reed- 

 Buntings, and it seems to me most unlikely that the forms 

 now before us, i.e. palustris from Italy and tschusii from 

 south Russia and the Dobrudscha, belong to different species. 

 As the former appear to breed in the same areas as E. schoe- 

 niclus schoeniclus, and the latter apparently together with 

 E. pyrrhuloides pyrrhuloides, we cannot call them geographical 

 representatives of either, and I therefore suggest now to admit 

 three species : — 



1. Emberiza schoeniclus (subspecies schoeniclus, pallidior, 



canneti, pyrrhulinus, zarudriyi). 



2. Emberiza palustris (subspecies palustris, tschusii, 



othmari). 



3. Emberiza pyrrhuloides (subspecies pyrrhuloides, cen- 



tralasice, reiseri, korejevn, harterti). 



E. Hartert. 



