154 SOME CHINESE VERTEBRATES. 



ASTUR PALUMBARIUS KHAMENSIS Bianchi. 



Two specimens, male and female both in immature plumage, Ichang, 

 Hupeh, November 20, 1907, and Ramala Pass, western Szechwan, 13,500 feet, 

 August 11, 1908. 



We are not positive that birds in immature plumage can be distinguished 

 from the young of true A. palumbarius ; our skin from the Ramala Pass is, on 

 geographical grounds, khamensis, and the female in similar plumage, from 

 Ichang, agrees exactly with it, so that we refer both to the same form. An 

 additional reason for doing so is that the sparrow hawk of our region (also 

 originally described by Bianchi from eastern Tibet) ranges east to Ichang. 



ASTUR SOLOENSIS (Latham). 



Two males, one adult, one immature, Ichang, and Ichanghsien, Hupeh, 

 June 10, and August 26, 1907. 



If A. soloensis and A. cuculoides (Temminck) are distinct and not individual 

 extremes of coloration of one species then the adult male before us is an inter- 

 mediate, about as well referred to one as to the other. 



ACCIPITER NISUS LODYGINI Bianchi. 



Eighteen specimens, young and adults of both sexes, Ichang, and Chang- 

 yanghsien, Hupeh, and Washan, Kiating, Nichichang, Kungyahsien, and Dar- 

 chi-kwan, western Szechwan, all seasons. 



While our skins agree exactly with Bianchi's description, we have not been 

 able to examine a specimen of A. melanoschistus Hume, and Bianchi makes no 

 mention of that form, which by description would seem to be very similar to 

 the Tibetan-central China sparrow hawk. 



It is not easy to separate young birds of this subspecies from true A. nisus 

 in corresponding stages of plumage, but there is no difficulty whatever in dis- 

 tinguishing adult males; the dark slaty black back and preponderance of rufous 

 on the underparts is very different from the gray back and pale underparts of 

 A. nisus nism. 



Birds killed in the neighborhood of Ichang are quite as extreme as those 

 from western Szechwan which is in the same general faunal region as Kham, 

 Tibet, the type locality; the subspecies thus has a wide range. Specimens from 

 near Pekin are very pale and quite different from the bird of our region. 



As illustrative of the fierceness of this little hawk, Mr. Zappey states that 



