Mr. R. B. Sharpe’s Catalogue of Accipitres. 197 
eccurs in Northern China. Mr. Swinhoe’s paragraph on the 
subject is as follows :—“ Pernis apivorus; Pére David notes 
this as found about Pekin in autumn; Schlegel has it from 
Japan.” 
The Pernis of Northern China is given as P. apivorus by 
MM. David and Oustalet at p. 18 of their work on the Birds 
of China; and M. David there remarks respecting it, “ Elle 
s’avance méme, bien que rarement, jusqu’en Chine, et j’ai 
eu l’occasion de la prendre dans la partie septentrionale de 
Vempire.” 
The discrepaney between Mr. Sharpe’s views on this point 
and those of the continental ornithologists from whom I have 
quoted makes it very desirable that specimens of Pernis from 
Japan and China should be carefully examined whenever op- 
portunity offers. 
There is no European bird of prey which, both in its adult 
and still more in its immature plumage, is subject to so com- 
plex a miscellany of variations as Pernis apivorus. Some of 
its principal phases of plumage are described in Mr. Sharpe’s 
volume; and these, with others, have been subsequently treated 
of in the article on this species in Mr. Dresser’s ‘ Birds of 
Europe.’ An excellent epitome of this subject is also given 
by Mr. Hancock at p. 7 of his ‘ Catalogue of the Birds of 
Northumberland and Durham.’ I have but little to add to 
the information which has been coliected by these authors ; 
but there are a few points to which I think it may be desi- 
rable that I should briefly allude, and which I will preface by 
two quotations from the pens of Mr. Dresser and of Mr. Han- 
cock. Mr. Dresser remarks, “The inference I deduce from 
the examination of various examples is, that in immature, 
and also to some extent in mature dress, the present species 
is subject to a tendency -to albinism. ... and towards me- 
lanism .... but, as a rule, the immature birds vary more 
than the old ones.””. Mr. Hancock observes, “ The plumage 
of this species varies much, scarcely two individuals being 
found alike .. . . there are two principal complexions or varie- 
ties—one dark, the other pale—affecting equally the sexes, 
the adult and the immature individuals.” 
