- 
346 BIRDS FROM YEZO, JAPAN—STEJNEGER. 
The latter measures as follows: Wing, 66™™; tail-feathers, 99"; bill 
from nostrils, 4™™. 
Measurements. 
ia =F SE 
: Sex o/s | ee) os (oS 
Museum No. Collector and | ‘ana Locality. Date. 8 leas (g i3s 
No. eae Se a | 
age. = Eeet-e-e a Ss 
| ea ete 
U.S. Nat. 56550...] Schliit., 536 ...| ad.| Germany............--|-.------------ 65 | 92 | 4 : at 
Ue SHNat. 95259 oe) oS scone ne essa |g ad.| Pomerania ..........-. Apr. 10,1876 | 64 | 82 | 4 wales 
U.S. Nat. 111413... Ray Po Ben seas Grads) Saxon yn seca ace m sells Dec. 15,1880 | 63 | 92 | 4 17 ts 
U.S. Nat. 111120..} Collett ..----- ad.| Soloer, Norway..-.---- Dec. 8, 1886) 64 | 89 | 4 V7 ae 
U.S. Nat. 96147...| Blakist., 3205 .|°¢ ad.| Sapporo, Yezo, Japan. .| Oct. 23,1882 | 61 | 81 | 4.5 | 17). 
U.S. Nat. 91549...| Blakist., 3207 - a see GOe sx. Ss seseeer a(t Cry sates | 62 | 8 | 4.5 | 18 13 
U.S. Nat. 120476 . Henson, 920...) oad. Hakodate, Yezo, Japan Nov. 83,1884 | 65 | 91) 4.7) 17) 13 
U.S. Nat. 120477 .| Henson, 221 ...|9 ad.|...--- OOns- sees ese. Lae IROS seat 63 | 86 | 4.5 | 17 14 
Of Shan pen oy BES PAS RSS Ae Boaeconooe o ad.| Amur, Eastern Siberia. Mar. 9, 1882 | 61 | 88 | 4 Vie be 
Regulus * japonensis BLAKIST. 
$ ad., No. 171; Hakodate, October 25, 1884. U.S. Nat. Mus. No. 120469. 
The name R. japonicus seems to have been instituted by Bonaparte 
in 1856 (Compt. Rend. Ac. Sc., XLU, p. 767), but being unaccompanied 
by even a trace of a description, or reference to a specimen, description, 
or plate, it is entirely inadmissible under the existing codes of zoolog- 
ical nomenclature. Bonaparte only says: “Outre le R. japonicus, si 
difficile & distinguer du RK. cristatus d’Europe,” and unless a prior de- 
scription be found, or a later one, but antedating 1862, Blakiston’s Reg- 
ulus japonensis will stand as the first name accompanied by an indica- 
tion of a distinguishing character. 
The Japan Kinglet is easily separable from the European Regulus 
regulus notwithstanding the fact that it is included in the synonymy 
of the latter, both by Dresser (B. Eur., U1, p. 453 (1874)) and Dr. Gadow 
(Cat. B. Br. Mus., vitr, p. 80 (1883)); Dresser, however, has apparently 
receded from his former position (tom. cit., p. 451 (1880). The differ- 
ences between the two forms mentioned have been so well pointed out 
by Mr. R. Ridgway (Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus., vi, 1883, p. 369), that I need 
not enlarge upon this subject in the present connection. I may add that 
their dimensions are nearly identical. As will be seen from the sub-— 
joined table of measurements I have before me specimens from all three 
islands. There seems to be not the slightest difference between them, 
neither in size, nor in ean 
* Mr. Oates, in his Birds of India (1, p. ry gets over the difficulty in disposing of 
the genus Regulus by making it an sridenendants family, Regulide. He says: 
“These birds possess a character which suffices to separate them from all the other 
Passeres, viz, a stiff, small, and perfect feather over each nostril. This character is 
sufficiently important, in my opinion, to render it desirable to elevate the Goldcrests” 
to the rank of a family.” Mr. Oats is evidently not aware that R. calendula and R. 
obscurus, Which most authors do not even separate generically, have the nostrils hid- 
den by a tuft of small bristle-like feathers. The family character thus fails, but I 
think the genus Corthylio Cas. should stand. 
