.SVI.VIID.E — THE SVI.VIAS. 



71 



across tho winir. "Rill rather dark l.rown ; paler beneath. Le^rs dark olive ; t<ies not sen- 

 sihlv dillerent. Xest prohaMy <»n .^rouiul, and domed. Kirtrs white, spotted v ith pink. 



Spnrious qnill in lenirtli ahuut one fonrth tho seeond, whieh u'^out equals the sixth, or 

 verv sliirhtly exceeds it ; third and fourth lonirest ; lifth a Httle shorter. 



Dimensions (tVesii speeimeii before beinj_' skimied) : total lenirth. 4.75; expanse of 

 winirs, G.tM> ; winir from earpal joint, li.oO. 



Dimensions (prepare<l speelmen) : total len,<rth, 4J)0; winir, 2.-40: tail. 2.00. Exposed 

 portion of fnst primary. 0.42: of .-^eeond. l.otj ; of lon<rest (measured from expos«'d base 

 of first primarv). l.S.'). liill : hMiirth from ab.)ve, 0.3S : from nostril, 0.2'.»; alonjr pape, 

 1..'m. Leirs: tarsus, 0.0(5: middh; toe and claw, 0.o.'> ; claw alone. O.KJ; hind toe and 

 elaw, (XMi; claw alone, 0.20. 



Hah. Xt)rtheast Ashi (China, East Siberia) ; adjacent to Jiehring's Straits and Alaska. 



This si)eeies, in geneml appearance, apparently ct»nie8 nearer to P. trovhifi's 

 than to any other of its congeners. It is, however, more olivaceoiis-green 

 above, and more yeHow heneath, and has a distinct hand across the Aving. 

 The superciliary light strij^e is more distinct and longer; the bill and legs 

 are darker, and the toes not sensibly ditlerent in color from the tarsus. The 

 proportion of the (piills is much the same, exce])t that the interval l>etween 

 the tips of the fifth and sixth (piills is greater, and the second is almost inap- 

 preciably longer than the latter, not reaching nearly midway between the 

 two. The first or sjmrious (piill is rather shcjrter. 



A single specimen of this species was obtained August 16, 1866, on St. 

 Michael's Island, in Norton Sound, Alaska, by ^Mr. Charles Pease. Mr. 

 Uannister met with no other specimen in that locality, and from this it is 

 inferred that this is not an abiinihmt species there. It was described as a 

 new species under the name of R Irnnkottil (Baird), but has been ascer- 

 tained l)y Mr. Tristram, to whom it was sent for examination, (Ibis, 1871, 

 J). 231,) to be identical with P. horPtdU of Blasius. 



Dr. Blasius also states (Xaumannia, 1858, \\ 303) that a s|>ecimen of this 

 si)ecies has been obtained on the island of Heligoland, showhig it to be also 

 an accidental visitant to Western P^urope. 



HAiiiTs. Mr. K. Swinhoe, who describes this among the birds of Formosa 

 as P. si/lriciiUrir, states it to l)e a summer visitant to Southern China, passing 

 in large numbers through Amoy in its autumnal migrations southeastward, 

 probably to the Philippine Islands, touching at Southwestern Formosa and 

 Twaiwanfoo, where he foimd them abundant. This was for a few days in 

 October, but he neither saw anv before nor afterwards, nor did he meet with 

 any at Tamsiiy (Ibis, 18G3, p. 307). The same writer (Ibis, 1860, p. 53) 

 speaks of this bird as very abundant in Amoy during the months of April 

 and May, but passing farther north to breed. 



We have no information in reference to its habits, and nothing farther in 

 regard to its distribution. As it l)ears a verv close resemblance to the Wil- 

 low Wren of Europe, P. trorhihis, it is (piite probable that its general ha])its, 

 nefjt, and eggs will be found to correspond very closely with those of that 

 bird. 



