368 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
NOTES ON SOME JAPANESE BIRDS RELATED TO NORTH AMIEBI- 
CAN SPECIES. 
By ROBERT RIDGWAY. 
A very fine collection of Japanese birds, made for the United States 
National Museum by Mr. Pierre Louis Jouy, includes several species 
of more or less interest to students of North American ornithology, on 
account of their relationship to species belonging to our fauna. The very 
complete series of specimens enables me in each case to make a satis- 
factory comparison of the representative species. 
1. Anthus japonicus Temm. & Schleg. 
This is so much like our A. ludovicianus that their distinctness might 
almost be questioned. Comparing specimens No. 91468, 2 ad., Yoka- 
hama, Japan (Jan. 3, 1883), and No. 90644, ¢ ad., New Orleans, La. (Dec. 
13,1852), the difference in coloration is microscopic—far less, in fact, than 
bétween many American examples from the same locality and of same 
date of capture. The only tangible difference is the darker feet of the 
Louisiana specimen, in which the toes are nearly black and the tarsi a 
very dark horn-color, while in the Japanese specimen the tarsi are 
clear horn-color, the toes slightly darker. In measurement they com- 
pare as follows: 
| Middle Hind 
t 
ate | Vat ine) . 
Wing. Tail. Culmen. Tarsus. Pay ES 
No Q1408 ©: ad’, Capcity.» eles iy apt ies. gee | 3.40 | 
ING: 90645. wad: bONISIBN Reco ctc case coke kane eaeemet | 3.40 
Ol | 
wr 
45 . 85 - 58 -45 
| ui 
65 | . 42 - 90 - 60 -45 
The shades of coloration, as well as the pattern, are identical to the 
minutest degree, as is also the form of the bill and the proportions of 
the primaries. Moreover, three other specimens from New Orleans 
agree closely in coloration with No. 90644, and are much more like 
Japanese specimens than any others in a series of more than 50 North 
American examples, except in the color of the legs and feet, which in all 
North American specimens examined are nearly black, whereas those of 
Japanese examples are decidedly brown, or horn-colored. 
In the National Museum series of A. ludovicianus, which embraces 
specimens from all parts of the continent, decided variations are notice- 
able, which, however, appear to be only in part correlative with differ- 
ence of locality. Thus, most winter specimens from the Atlantic States 
(New England to District of Columbia, at least) are decidedly brown 
above and tawny buff beneath; the pectoral markings are broad and 
distinct, and sometimes, (though not usually) as dark colored (nearly 
black) as in A. japonicus. With these, Alaskan specimens obtained in 
August and September agree strictly. Many western specimens in win- 
ter plumage differ from Atlantic coast examples in paler lower parts 
