FRINGILLIN^. 139 



121. EMBERIZA VARIABILIS. 



(GREY BUNTING.) 



Emberiza variabilis, Temminck, Planches Colorifes, no, 583, fig. 2 (1835). 



The Grey Bunting differs from every other Bunting known to 

 visit Japan in having no white on any of the tail-feathers, a character 

 common to both sexes. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 56 

 (male and female). 



The Grey Bunting is probably only a summer visitor to Yezzo, but 

 it is a resident in the more southerly islands of Japan. I have an 

 example collected by Captain Blakiston from Hakodadi (Swinhoe, 

 Ibis, 1875, p. 450), and a second obtained by Mr. Henson from the 

 same locality. There are six examples in the Pryer collection from 

 the neighbourhood of Yokohama, and I have two obtained by Mr. 

 Ringer near Nagasaki. 



The Grey Bunting has a very restricted range. It has been three 

 times recorded from Kamtschatka : in 1858 (Kittlitz, Denkwiirdig- 

 keiten, ii. p. 201), in 1881 (Dybowski, Journ. Om. xxix. p. 184), 

 and in 1885 (Stejneger, Orn. Expl. Comm. Isl. and Kamtschatka, 

 p. 247) ; and once from the island of Askold (Taczanowski, Journ. 

 Orn. 1881, p. 184). 



It must be admitted that the Grey Bunting is a somewhat aber- 

 rant member of the genus, and it is not easy to trace its relationship 

 to the other species. It has been recently placed (Sharpe, Cat. 

 Birds Brit. Mus. xii. p. 566) in the genus Fringillaria, principally 

 composed of African Buntings, which differ from the true Buntings 

 in having no white on the outer tail-feathers. To this genus 

 Emberiza striolata is also referred, a species which appears to be 

 much nearer related to E. da than to E. variabilis. The Grey 

 Bunting appears to me to be more probably a Spizella allied to S. 

 atrigularis from California, if it be not nearer allied to the typical 

 Buntings. 



The determination of the genera in the subfamily Fringillinse is 

 exceptionally difficult. On the whole, the pattern of colour and the 

 variations due to age, sex, and season, appear to be of greater generic 

 value than slight modifications of the form or size of the bill. 



