117 
rotweissliche Schale ist über und über mit feinen roten Pünktchen bedeckt, 
die einen dichten rotbräunlichen Kranz bilden in verschiedenem Abstand 
vom stumpfen Pole; bei dem ersten nahe der Halbierungslinie. — Nest und 
Eier eines unbekannten Vogels aus W. Swenit erinnern an Sylvia conspicil- 
lata, die mir aus Madeira wohl bekannt ist. Die 4 Eier von grünweiss- 
licher Grundfarbe, mit grauvioletten Punkten und Fleckchen bedeckt, haben 
geringere Grösse: 105X125 : dp. 7, lÖ2X122:dp. 7, 16X122: dp. 7, 
15?Xll9:dp. 7 mm; O07 g. Das Nest misst 6 cm Höhe, 8 cm äusserer 
und 5 cm innerer Durchmesser bei 4 cm Muldentiefe. Wandung von 
dürrem Gras, Mulde von Wolle, aber belegt mit einigen Würzelchen und 
Haaren. (Fortsetzung folgt.) 
Über neue palaearktische Formen. 
Von Otto Bamberg. 
Die neue Form wird im Arkiv wie folgt beschrieben: 
Dendrocopus maior mongolus nov. subsp. Topka male (n : o 95) 
20. VI. 08; Tschikoj male (n : o 96) 20. VI. 08, female (n : o 97) 
20. V. 08; Kumuin female (n : o 98) 31. V. 08. — These specimens 
have been carefully compared with a number of Swedish specimens of 
Dendrocopus maior and I have found no conspicuous difference except 
with regarcl to the bill. This organ is a little longer in these specimens 
and at the same time more evently attenuated and pointed than in 
Swedish specimens which have the stumpy shape of the bill as figured 
by Hartert in Novitates Zool. Vol. 7, 1900, p. 527. This difference 
is not only due to the wearing of the bill through hard work in the 
single generations, but it represents adaptations to different habits of life. 
The bill of the Mongolian W 7 oodpecker is much more slender with some 
what concave lateral contours so that, for instance, 15 mm from the 
base of the culmen the bill of a Swedish Woodpecker is fully 1 mm 
broader than that of the Mongolian at the same place. In correspondence 
with this the culminar ridge is sharper and higher in the latter than in 
the former the bill of which looks much flatter. The same is the case 
with the lower mandible and the ridge of the same. The length of the 
bill in itself is of less importance but in most cases it affords a very good 
characteristic, as well The average length of the bill in Swedish specimens 
may be estimated to 27 mm : — and the Variation is as a rule confined 
between the limits of 25s and 28s mm. Exceptionally a Swedish 
specimen may be found — I have seen one — in which the bill is not 
worn at all and therefore has attained a length of fully 30 mm. But in 
this case the difference in breadth and shape is quite as striking as in 
normal cases and the lateral contour of the bill ot such a specimen is 
plainly convex. — The length of the culmen of the Mongolian Wood- 
