from Western Szechuen. S77 



by an Eastern and a Western dark race where it is highest. 

 The typical race from Scandinavia is^ unfortunately, an inter- 

 mediate form between the arctic race from Siberia, Picoides 

 tridactylus crissoleucus, and the western subtropical race 

 from Switzerland, Picoides tridactylus europceus. These 

 three races completely intergrade, and are consequently only 

 subspecifically distinct. It is impossible to say whether the 

 eastern races also intergrade. I have never seen an example 

 from Mantchuria, nor have I ever heard of examples having 

 been procured in North China or South-east Mongolia. 



Picoides funebris must be provisionally regarded as specific- 

 ally distinct. It is possible that the intermediate forms be- 

 tween it and the typical form have become extinct ; it is more 

 probable that they survive, but have not yet been obtained. 



The Eastern and Western forms of the Three-toed Wood- 

 pecker differ considerably from each other. It is not known 

 that any of the Old- World forms of this bird differ structu- 

 rally from each other in any way. In P. funebris there is 

 less white on the back than in P. europoeus, and much less 

 than in P. crissoleucus, and the white feathers are not crossed 

 as they are in Swiss birds by a subterminal black band. 

 The same difference also applies to the underparts. In 

 typical examples of P. crissoleucus the underparts are white, 

 with an occasional tiny streak of black. In P. funebris the 

 underparts below the throat are black, with an occasional 

 tiny streak of white. In P. europcsus the underparts below 

 the throat are black, with lai'ge white spots on each side of 

 the feather, which sometimes meet and make a white bar. 

 The fact that young in first plumage of P. crissoleucus and 

 of P. europmus are more marked with black on the under- 

 parts than adults are, whilst those of P. funebris are less so, 

 points to a somewhat intermediate common ancestor. 



Mr. Pratt's example was obtained amongst the pines and 

 rhododendrons, 13,000 feet above sea-level. 



Gecinus guerini. 



An example of this species in the collection has the front 

 half of the occiput crimson, the hind half grey striped with 

 black, and the nape black. It therefore belongs to the 



