Birds. 8279 



Mr. Maximovitch, who had killed them, pronounced to be identical 

 with those of the Amoor. The length was 16^, and wing 6^ inches. 

 Eye hazel-brown ; bill dark horn-colour ; feet leaden flesh ; over the 

 eye orange-red. This is, I believe, the first instance of this bird being 

 found in Japan ; probably it does not inhabit the more southern part 

 of the empire. As far as I saw, it has the same habits as the ruffed 

 grouse of North America {B. umbellus). Four fine specimens, of 

 which the males had black throats, were shot on another occasion in 

 the thick woods. 



Respecting other game birds, Lagopus nnitus is given in the 

 'Fauna Japonica,' on the authority of a native drawing; it will 

 perhaps turn out to be a winter visitant to Yesso. The quail {Coturnix 

 japonica) was collected at Hakodadi by Commodore Perry's Expedi- 

 tion, and plenty are caught and sold in the town ; besides I shot some 

 which I considered identical with the Chinese bird, but, my hands 

 being full with other birds at the time, none were even skinned. 

 I have been informed of pheasants being seen in the neighbourhood 

 of Hakodadi, and that at a certain season of the year they are brought 

 in for sale : these may, however, be brought across the Strait of Tsugar 

 from the larger island of Nipon ; and although I was three months at 

 Hakodadi, I did not see a single pheasant, nor did I ever hear of one 

 being obtained there in a wild state. Mr. Maximovitch marks both 

 Phasianus versicolor and P. Soemmeringii as having been seen in the 

 hands of Japanese. 



Podiceps minor or phillipensis. A male specimen, agreeing with 

 the little grebe of Europe, is in my collection. I had another brought 

 me one day, which proved to be young on dissection ; it was too far 

 gone for me to preserve it. The upper parts were black ; under parts 

 mixed gray. Length 13 inches, and wing 6-3 inches. Mr. Maximo- 

 vitch considers he obtained the blackthroated diver {Colymbus arcti- 

 cus). The rednecked phalarope (Phalaropus hyperborevs), identical 

 with specimens from the Atlantic coast, was obtained by Commodore 

 Perry's Expedition, as well as the hornbilled guillemot {Uria mono- 

 cerata, Pallas). 



I preserved no specimens of Anatidae in Japan ; but the following 

 may be considered to belong to Northern Japan on good authority, 

 except such as are marked doubtful : — Cygnus musicus(?), Anser (sp. ?), 

 Anser bernicla (?), Anas boschas, Querquedula falcaria, Mareca Pene- 

 lope, Anas fusca(?), A. nigra (?), Dafila acuta, Nettion crecca. Spatula 

 clypeata, Fuligula clangula (?), Mergus serrator, M. merganser (?). 

 The Japanese are very expert in netting water-fowl, and they bring 



