20 Mr. E. Hargitt on the Genus Gecinus. 



the Vosges male. I single out these European specimens as 

 being identical with those from Yesso ; but our European birds 

 also vary in colour, and this occurs in examples from the same 

 locality : for instance, another Vosges female in my collec- 

 tion differs from the first-mentioned female from the same 

 locality in having the crown and occiput very much greyer 

 and the crown more broadly striped with black. As our 

 European specimens from the same locality vary in colour, 

 one would naturally expect those from Japan Avould likewise 

 exhibit more than one phase of coloration, and this is very 

 clearly shown to be the case by an example of a female in 

 my collection obtained at Saporo, in May (T. W. Blakiston). 

 This bird has the whole of the head and neck perfectly grey, 

 without a trace of green ; the whole of the back is also very 

 grey, and the under surface of the body is of a greyish 

 white, with only a perceptible tinge of greenish. It seems to 

 me that if every slight variation of colour necessitates the 

 creation of subspecies, then there would be no limit to such 

 in both Geci7ius viridis and G. canus. Specimens of G. canus 

 from Eastern Siberia are, as a rule, greyer on the head and 

 neck than Western birds, and resemble more my Saporo 

 example ; but I have a female of this specieSj obtained at 

 Elbeuf, Seine-Inferieiire, in June [Noury], which has the 

 head and neck almost as grey as in specimens from Eastern 

 Siberia, but the colour is of a less blue-grey. I have not the 

 slightest doubt that in a series of the present species, from any 

 locality, examples will be foiand possessing the grey or the 

 greenish head, depending upon conditions I am not altogether 

 able to account for. 



In the same paper (p. 107, footnote) Dr. Stejneger de- 

 scribes another Woodpecker similar to his P.jessoensis, but 

 which, he says, differs from the latter in the following 

 points : — '' It is pale grey-headed, with grey forehead, and 

 altogether without any brown admixture, resembling most 

 closely the Norwegian true P. canus, but very much paler and 

 with a decided white superciliary spot; the yellow on the 

 rump is very restricted, being chiefly confined to the upper 

 tail-coverts and of a clear lemon-colour.'^ This bird, which 



