632 BIRDS FROM TOKYO, JAPAN RTE.TNEGER. 



With a series of over thirty specimens before me I must .qgroe Mith 

 Mr. Seebohm that these well defined species do not intergrade, and 

 tliere should be no ditticulty in ])roperly idontifyin*:: even young- birds 

 by comparison, though the difterences may be somewhat dihh'ult to ex- 

 press in words, and diflficult to grasp even when well expressed. 



The two specimens of T. naumanni were collected by Dr. Ijima at 

 Tokyo, February 17, 1880 (Sc. Coll. Mus. Nos. 750 and 757), and are 

 both males. 



(254) Pratincola maura (Pall.)- 



A young in transition from the nestling plumage collected by Dr. 

 Ijima at Norikuri, July 21, 1891. 



I have but little to add since I last wrote about these species (Pr. U. 

 S. Nat. Mus., XV, 181)2, i)p, — ), except that I have now been able to ex- 

 amine several breeding specimens collected by Dr. Abbott in the Vale 

 of Cashmere during July, 1891. These belong to the smaller bright 

 race and tally, consequently, exactly with Gates's description of the 

 Siberian examples. AVheu, therefore, he says (Fauna Br. India, Birds, 

 II, 1891, p. 02) : " Siberian specimens of Bush-Chats are not very numer- 

 ous, but all 1 have seen are so intensely black on the head and back, so 

 intensely rufous on the breast, and, moreover, so small, the wing not 

 exceeding 2.0 in length, that I have not been able to match them with 

 any breeding bird from the Himalayas, except in the case of one bird 

 from the interior of Sikkim," it would almost seem as if two forms, were 

 breeding in tlie Himalayas, probably in different parts. 



Comparing these Cashmere birds with my specimens from Japan I 

 find no other difference than the width of the bill at base, which is 

 markedly greater in the Japanese birds. 



(207) Cyanoptilabella (Hay). 



A young male in nestling plumage (No. 2015), collected by Dr. Ijima 

 at Norikura, July 21, 1891, demonstrates beyond the slightest doubt 

 that the two sexes are perfectly distinguishable in the nest. This speci- 

 men which has the characteristic buff plumage, scaled with blackish 

 margins to the feathers, has the blue edges to the wing-feathers and 

 the blue tail broadly white at base, like the the adult males, thus 

 strongly contrasting with the female nestling collected by Jouy (U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., No. 88010) which combines tlie same scaly nest i)lumage with 

 the brown wings and tail of the adult female. 



Mr. Sccbolim has also an innovation in regard to the genus of this 

 bird, for he now refers it to yntava. The change could hardly have been 

 more unfortunate, and is perfectly in line with his lumping of the genera 

 Si<(li(i and (Irandohi ; but then they arc all blue ! It seen)s, however, as if 

 he was somewhat dubious, since the typical Xiltara has no white on the 

 tail, though taking comfort in the fact that "both have the curious pale 

 patch on the throat" (1>. Jap. Emp., p. 59). But then, Ficeditla alhicilla 



