9 
PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 293 
List of specimens. 
Original | Museum | 
phen lather. | Sex. | Locality. Date. Remarks. 
402 91455 Qad. | Ligh Ee gt ee July 2, 1882 
Pyrrhula orientalis T. & 8S. Temm. et Schl., Faun. Japon., 1847, Aves, pl. liii, p. 
91; Blakiston, Ibis, 1862, p. 328; Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 203; Swinhoe, Ibis, 
1874, p. 160; Blakiston and Pryer, Trans. As. Soc. Japan, Vol. X, Pt. I, 1882, 
p. 176; Seebohm, Ibis, 1882, p. 371, as rosacea. 
I first saw these birds high up Fuji, at an elevation of between 3,000 
and 4,000 feet. Young birds were very common in the treetops at 
Chiusenji Lake in latter part of August, seeming to keep entirely in the 
birch trees. 
A large series of specimens in various stages of plumage, collected in 
Shinshiu, induce me to believe that Seebohwm’s species rosacea is simply 
a highly-developed stage of plumage of orientalis. 
Looking over the collection I find I have five adult males. The first 
is typical orientalis; cheek-patches and throat rose color, breast clear 
ashy gray, back slightly darker. In the second the color of the throat 
is not clearly defined against the gray breast, the rose color runs down 
to a point in front, and there are rosy feathers scattered over the breast; 
in the third the rose has become a decided tint all over the breast, and 
in the fourth this color is still deeper on the breast, and has made its ap- 
pearance on theback; butin the fifth specimen the rosaceous phase is very 
well developed. There is no line of demarkation between the cheeks 
and the breast. The rose color, or ‘vermillion,” as Seebohm ealls it, 
extends all over the breast, down to the flanks. The back is also strongly 
suffused with the same color. I judge that this specimen is even brighter 
or more rosaceous than the ones Mr. Seebohm describes, but with sucha 
series before me as I have just described, I must draw the conclusion 
that rosacea is simply a phase of plumage of orientalis. Captain Blak- 
iston agrees with me in the conclusions arrived at in regard to this 
species. 
This phase of plumage is by no means rare in Shinshiu. A fair propor- 
tion of all the males I saw had the flush of breast and back of rosacea. 
Both plumages are figured in the “‘ Fauna Japonica.” 
Young birds of the year: upper parts dirty olive-brown, darker on 
the head, rump white; below brownish, lighter in tint than the back. 
Wings and tail asin theadult. Billsmoky brown; feet brownish. The 
chin is black in some specimens. 
