im ~, os - > Say 
298 BIRDS FROM YEZO, JAPAN—STEJNEGER. 
character by which to separate these subspecies. And,as in the case 
of the wing spots, so also with the other characters distinguishing Y, 
seebohmi from Y. kizuki proper; they intergrade; they are only to be 
_ designated by trinominals! Many specimens can only be referred to 
their proper subspecies by the totality of their characters, and these 
can only be properly appreciated by placing series of both forms to- 
gether, carefully comparing them. Specimens from Yezo and Kiusiu 
are easily distinguishable, and look quite different. Those from the 
eastern side of the Middle Island (the last four species of the Hondo 
series in the above table) agree very closely with the typical Y. kizuki 
from the south. But the remaining four of the same series come from 
the high mountain chain near the western shore of the Middle Island 
(Tate-Yama), and, as already indicated in my former paper, these are 
somewhat intermediate, though by a careful comparison with Yezo birds 
they are found to differ sufficiently from them in the direction of the 
southern form to be referable to the latter. What the birds of the 
northern portion of the Middle Island are like nobody knows, but it 
would not be surprising if those inhabiting the high mountain districts 
of this portion of the island were indistinguishable from the Yezo birds. 
In winter they would naturally come down into the lower districts, 
where only the true Y. kizukt breeds, and it would not be necessary to 
presume a crossing of the Tsugaru Strait in order to explain the pres- 
ence of typical Y. seebohmi in Hondo. The instance of this bird shows 
plainly how necessary it is to have every portion of the islands thor- 
oughly explored and the specimens from all parts of the Empire most 
carefully compared by competent investigators. 
Mr. Seebohm also says that the bird in the “Central and North 
Island” is larger. From the tables of dimensions below, it will be seen 
that the South Island birds are not appreciably smaller than those from 
the Central Island, and that although one of the smallest specimens 
is from Tate-Yama the others from this locality are quite as large as 
the Yezo birds. 
But whatever be the opinions as to the occurrence of Y. sebohmi in 
Hondo, this name should be abandoned by those ornithologists who re- 
quire “hard and fast lines” between their ‘“ species.” 
Measurements of Yungipicus kizuki seebohmi. 
S$ laeae' = 
A (aaa 3 2 
: R s 
z : a |B | E 
‘ fit © fa es QE 
| Collector and | & Locality. Date. 3| 6 ge 
4 | No. . Sih a aoe 
m4 3 S\/oia}|er 
A =I w/e! 2)5)]8 
wa rv Helier Ptictilers) ais 
; © b oS A x K 
=) a Fe | a | A);als 
120559 | Henson, 186... Q ad} Hakodate, Yezo .........---- Sept. 10, 1884 | 85 | 48 | 13 | 15 10 
96004 | Blak., 3213....|(o)ad| Sapporo, Yezo......---.----- Oct. 26.1882) 85 | 50 | 13 | 15 10 
96005 | Blak., 3214....|(c)ad|.--.--.- WO sci eh s 2e eS ee ees fo 9p mes spo $3 15 10 
96003 | Blak., 2766....|(Q)ad)....-- EO se aoeontaes eect se | Nov. 9,1881/} 88 | 52 | 13 | 16 i! 
| if 
