36 
Mr. Robert Collett on 
b. Nearly typical L. excubitor. 
One male. —An unusually large and light-coloured spe¬ 
cimen ; total length 276 mm. Traces of vermiculations; 
basal mark on secondaries rather short (18 mm.), impure in 
colour, and mixed with black. Aker, 8th Nov., 1884. 
c. Intermediate between L. excubitor and L. major. 
One male. —Traces of vermiculations; basal spot on secon¬ 
daries short (14-16 mm.), colour impure and mixed with 
black. Aker, 22nd Oct., 1884. 
One specimen (sex undetermined).—Faint vermiculations ; 
basal spot on the secondaries short (10-11 mm.). Odalen, 
Oct. 1868. 
d. Nearly typical L. major. 
One male. —Traces of vermiculations ; faint indication of 
basal spot on second feather of the secondaries (8 mm.). 
Aker, 12th Sept., 1884. 
e. Typical L. major. 
One male. —No vermiculations; basal spot on secondaries 
indicated by an almost imperceptible sprinkling of white on 
a single feather. Hamar, 8th Nov., 1885. 
/. Intermediate between L. excubitor and L. borealis. 
One male. —Broad vermiculations on abdomen and upper 
tail-coverts ; upper surface mixed with reddish grey; basal 
spot on secondaries short (14-15 mm.), colour impure; first 
ail-feather with the black spot large (41 mm.). Hamar, 5th 
Nov., 1881*. 
* This specimen is hardly distinguishable from a female specimen of 
L. borealis from Nevada (28th March, 1868, Smiths. Inst.), the only 
example of that form at present in our museum, save in one respect, viz. 
that the Norwegian individual has a short basal mark on the secondaries, 
a character, perhaps, never met with in the true L. borealis. But 
the said mark is wholly concealed by the coverts, and if these are not 
moved aside the two examples would pass as absolutely identical. Prom 
my own investigations, I cannot venture to decide whether L. borealis also 
exhibits traces of a similar basal mark on the secondaries. In any case 
L. borealis can hardly be otherwise regarded than as one more link in the 
long unbroken series of varieties that L. major or L. excubitor —whichever 
form be taken as the original—sends forth in all directions. 
