126 PASSERES. 



The Mealy Redpole is probably only a winter visitor to the 

 Japanese Islands. In the S winhoe collection there are three examples 

 from Hakodadi (Swinhoe, Ibis, 1874, p. 160), and in the Pryer col- 

 lection there are four from Yokohama. Two examples are recorded 

 from Central Hondo, obtained in November (Jouy, Proc. United 

 States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 297) ; and those procured by the Siebold 

 expedition were probably obtained at Nagasaki (Temminck and 

 Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, p. 89). 



It is a circumpolar bird, breeding in high latitudes at or near the 

 limit of forest-growth, and migrating irregularly southwards in cold 

 weather, occasionally visiting the British Islands. 



In all the Redpoles which I have seen from Japan the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts are streaked with brown^ and the bill is large. 



102. FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA. 



(BRAMBLING.) 



Fringilla montifringilla, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 318 (1766). 



The Brambling is the only Japanese Finch with a white rump. 

 In both sexes the throat and breast are chestnut-buflF, but in the 

 male the rest of the head and the back are black (edged with buff in 

 the autumn), whilst in the female these parts are dark brown, edged 

 with buff, at all seasons. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iv. pi. 184. 



The Brambling is a common winter visitor to all the Japanese 

 Islands. It frequents the neighbourhood of Hakodadi during winter 

 in small flocks (Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 201); and there are examples 

 in the Paris Museum procured near Aomori, in the north of Hondo, 

 by I'Abbe Fauire. There are six examples in the Pryer collection 

 from Yokohama. The examples procured by the Siebold expedition 

 were probably obtained at Nagasaki (Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna 

 Japonica, Aves, p. 87) ; and it occurs on the central group of the 

 Loo-Choo Islands (Stejneger, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 1887, p. 176), and 

 on the Bonin Islands on migration (Seebohm, Ibis, 1890, p. 101). 



The breeding-range of the Brambling extends across the Palae- 

 arctic Region from Lapland to Kamtschatka, but in the British 

 Islands, as in Japan, it is only known as a winter visitor. 



