520 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



P. trochilus, but differing from that species in the wing 

 formula and in its note, has not been lost sight of. Not 

 liking to make a new species upon somewhat slender 

 grounds, we did not describe it. Since then we met with 

 the description of a Phyllopneuste major. It is described 

 as nearest allied to P. trochilus, but differing from that 

 species in having a shorter second primary, which is 

 intermediate in length between the sixth and seventh, 

 instead of between the fifth and sixth. This seems a 

 very slight difference upon which to establish a species. 

 In the very nearly allied species P. collybita the second 

 primary appears to be in length indifferently between the 

 sixth and seventh or the seventh and eighth. Tristram 

 appears to have felt the injustice of dividing one species 

 on this ground without serving the other in the same 

 way. In order to be impartial he accordingly splits 

 collybita (then generally called rufa) into rufa and 

 brevirostris . Seebohm has shot both forms of collybita 

 at Valkenswaard, in Holland, and on Heligoland, and has 

 no doubt of their identity, being unable to detect any 

 difference in their notes or habits. 



The insertion of Phylloscopus neglectus in our list of 

 the birds of the Petchora proves to be an error. Since 

 the article was written we have had an opportunity of 

 examining a specimen of Hume's bird. Our bird is only 

 an unusually small male P. tristis in the extreme summer 

 plumage of high latitudes, when nearly all yellow occa- 

 sionally is absent. The true P. neglectus is a still smaller 

 bird, the largest males being less than the smallest 

 females of P. tristis. It is also still more earthy- 

 brown, approaching sandy-brown in colour. 



The species described by us as Pyrrhula vulgaris is the 

 large variety, with an almost brick-red breast, which is 

 known as major of Brehm one of the few instances in 

 which the names of that excellent field-naturalist stand 



