J8S7.] Stejneger, Further Notes on the Genus Acantkis. •?? 



navian territory is yet to be discovered. The specimens taken 

 by Wolley at Muonioniska, Lapland, were qollected in the 

 autumn, and nothing definitely is said about the Tromsoe speci- 

 mens. 



As a consequence Severzow's A. sibirica and Homeyer's 

 A. pallescens are to be reduced to synonyms of A. exilipes. The 

 question then arises, what is to become of my A. linaria -palles- 

 cens (nee Homeyer) ? I have again carefully examined my spec- 

 imen, but what can be said from a single pale Redpoll in worn 

 breeding plumage ? All that can be remarked with certainty is that 

 it'isnot A. exilifles, and if it represents no special race of its own, 

 it will have to be unconditionally united with true A. linaria. 

 However, even taking into account its very abraded condition, it 

 appears to me unusually pale ; but future material will decide. 



I still maintain that A. holbcellii is a fair local race of A. linaria 

 especially characteristic of islands and coast districts during the 

 breeding season, and easily recognizable by the elongation of the 

 terminal portion of its bill, and the generally larger size. It will 

 not do to explain this difference in the length of the bill as due 

 to season, for we have before us both forms in all plumages and 

 collected in all seasons. True, the bills of these birds are very 

 often worn very short, but that takes place in both forms ; speci- 

 mens of A. holbcellii with very worn bills may easily be mistaken 

 for typical A. liitaria, but the latter does not assume such a long 

 bill as holbcellii. 



A good series of specimens from northern Japan, eight of 

 which are collected by Mr. Th. Blakiston, forming part of that 

 magnificent collection which two years ago he with unequalled 

 liberality presented to the National Museum, point very strongly 

 in favor of my opinion. Among the specimens before me are 

 some of those upon which Swinhoe based the statement of two 

 forms occurring in Yesso {^'Egiothus borealis and linaria, Ibis, 

 1S74, p. 160). After carefully examining and comparing my 

 material I have come to the conclusion that they all belong to 

 one form only, viz., Acanthis linaria holbcellii. Some of the 

 specimens have rather short bills — though longer than the average 

 A. li?iaria vera — but on close examination it will be found that 

 the base of the bill is inclosed in a horny layer of a dead look and 

 ready to scale off, from which the fresh and new but yet short 

 tip is protruding; in other words, they are in the process of shed- 

 ding the outerlayers of the horny covering of the bill. The whole 



