1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 103 NOTES ON THE NORTHERN PALiEARCTIC BULLFINCHES.By LiEOIVIIARD 8T?JI>iE:c:E:R.Wbeu, at the request of Mr. Lucieu M. Turner, five years ago, I ex-amined the type of Fyrrhula cassini (Baird) and wrote for liis reporton the Birds of Alaska an article on the subject, the collection of theUnited States National Museum was rather deficient in Old WorldFyrrhuUcj so that I had to go by descriptions and figures only. Sincethen the Museum has received many valuable additions to its Palaearcticcollection, among which a pair of the Siberian Gray Bullfinch {FyrrJmlacineracea Cab.) which prove to me, beyond doubt, that my conclusionsarrived at five years ago were quite correct, viz, that the type-specimenof Fyrrhula cassini is a female, notwithstanding the statement of thecollector to the contrary, and, lurthermore, that it is the female of thespecies which subsequently was named Fyrrhula cineracea.I shall not repeat here the reasons upon whicli I then based my con-clusions ; nor will a very detailed comparison be necessary now. Suf-fice it to say that the type-specimen, U. S. National Museum, No.49955, collected at Nulato, Alaska, January, 1867, by Prof. W. H.Dall, agrees very well with a female of P. cineracea., II. S. NationalMuseum, No. 101978, collected at Onon, Siberia, January 11, 1873, byDr. B. Dybowski. The general coloration of the plumage both aboveand underneath is identical, the only difference 1 can conceive beingthe faint rosy wash near the tips of the ear-coverts of the former. Thetype of P. cassini lacks the red spot on the outer web of the inner-most tertial, a feature characteristic of P. cineracea, though our speci-men of the latter has a faint indication of this spot. The white spoton the outer pair of tail-feathers is the same in both specimens, butin the Onon specimen it is confined to the inner web, while in that fromAlaska it also occupies the whole of the adjoining part of the outer web.In addition the following comparative measurements are appended: WingTail-feathersExposed culinenTarsus No. 49055 type of 104 NORTHERN PAL.EA.KCTIC BULLFINCHES.It may thus be regarded as fairly proven, that the suspicious ofDresser (B. of Ear., IV, p. 100), and Cabanis and Dybowski (J. f, Orn.,ISTi, p. 40), were well founded, and the uaine giveu by Professor Bairdin 18G9 will conseqaefii^j' t-^ke the precedence over that bestowed uponthe species by Professor Cabanis three years later. The following syn-onym will be found to contain most of the important references.Pyrrhula cassini (Baird).1826. ? Pyrrhula ruhkilla Pallas, Zoogr. Ross. As., II, p. 7 ( $ part.).1869.?Pyrrhula coccinea var. cassini Baird, Tiaua. Chicag. Acad., I, 18G9 (p. :51G). ? Dall & Banxist., Tr. Chic. Ac, I, 1869, p. 281.1&71.?Pyrrhula cassini Tristram, Ibis, 1871, p. 231.?Finsch, Abb. Ver. Bremen, III,1872, p. 54.?Taczax., J. f. Orn., 1873, p. 95.?Caban., J. f. Orn., 1873, p.315.?B. Br. & RiDGW., H. N. Am. B., I, p. 457 ( 1874).?Dybow., J. f. Orn.,1874, p. 39.?Dresser, B. of Eur., IV, p. 100 (1870).1872. Pyrrhula cineracca Cabanis, Journ. f. Orn., 1872, p. 31(J.? /(?., ibid., 1873, p. 314. ?Id, ibid., 1877, p. 223.?Dybow., J. f. Orn., 1874, p. 40.?Severzow, J. f.Orn., 1875, p. 173.?Taczan., J. f. Orn., 1875, p. 254.?/l. xsix, fig. 1.J. f. Orn., 1874, pi. i.Baird, Brew. & Ridgw., Hist. N. Am. B., I, pi. xxiii, fig. 11 (1874).For completeness' sake I add below the synonyms of the other spe-cies inhabiting the Northern Paluearctic Eegion, the geographical dis-tribution of which is very curious.In the western portions of Central and Southern Europe the smallerform of the Red-breasted Bulltinch is the breeding bird, while the truePyrrhula pyrrhula is more northern and eastern. The former is veryseldom found within the breeding territory of the latter, although Ishot a specimen in Western Norway (now in the University Museumin Christiania, Norway), while the large form, in winter, invades theregion occupied by P. europwa. P. pyrrhula seems to go as far east asTransbaicalia, to the river Ouon, east of Lake Baikal, Eastern Siberia,where its place is occupied by P. cassini {cineracea), in which the maleis entirely gray without any trace of red. How far east and north thisspecies reaches is not known,* but it is not improbable that it has arange somewhat resembling that of Motacilla ocularis Swinhoe. Noris the north-eastern limit of P. pyrrhula known 5 all we can sa}' is, that * Dresser states that he has examined a specimen of P. major I P. pyrrhula'] fromUssnri, collected by Dybowski. This is probably the same one referred to by Tac-zanowski, Journ. f. Orn., 1875, p. 254, and may be an accidental visitor only (cf. alsoIbis, 1874, p. 463). Both species occur in Kultuk, Darasun, and Dauria. Accordingto Severzow P. cineracea [cassini] occurs as far west as Turkestan, and Mr. Seebohmkindly informs me that he has specimens from the Altai Mountains and Krasnoyarsk. 18S7.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 105 tliere is uo record of its having been collected at or near the Asiaticshores of the Pacific or Bering Sea. But in Kamtschatka, again, wefind a red-breasted form which, in general coloration, is extremely likethe true P. pyrrhula, the males only differing by the greater width andthe purer white of the alar band. This form, which Taczanowski hasnamed P. l-amtsehatica, is apparently separated from the western red-breasted allies by the interposition of P. cassini, which is so remark-ably distinct by the entire absence of red in the male.If we consider only the females we are confronted, however, with asomewhat different problem, for it will be found that the western form,P.pyrrhula, represents the brownest phase, and the Kamtschatkan sub-species the grayest extremity, while the female P. cassini, intermediateas it appears geographically, is also intermediate in coloration, beinggrayer than P. pyrrJiula, but browner than P. Mmtscliatica.Pyrrhula pyrrhula (Lixx.).llbS.?Loxia pijrrhula Lixx., Syst. Nat., 10 ed., I, p. 171.1789.?Pyrrhula rubicilla Schaffer, Mus. Oru., p. 30 {nee Loxia ruhicilla Guldenst.,1775, nee Coccothraustes r. Gill, 1781).?Pallas, Zoogr. Eoss. As., II, p. 7(18-26).?HOMEYER, J. f.Orn., 1879, p. 175.?/r/.. Ibid., 1880, p. 154.?Radde,Oru. Cancas., p. 180 (1884).18-23.?Pyrrhula vulgaris Brehm, Lehrb. Eur, VOg., p. 172 {nee Temm. 18-20).?Mid-DEXi). Sibir. Reise I (p. 149) (1853).?NiLSSOX, Skand. Fauua, Fogl. 3ed. I, p. 524(1858).?Radue, Reis. Sud. Ost-Sibir. II, (p. 184) (1862).?FixscH,Zool. Bot. Ges. Wieu, 1879, p. 211.-Homeyer aud Taxcre, Mittl. Oru.Ver. Wieu, 1883, No. 5, p. 28.?Seeuohm, Brit. B. Eggs, II, p. 51 (1883).1831.?Pyrrhula major Breii.m, Haudb. Vug. Deutscbl., p. 252.?Dresser, B. of Eur.,IV, p. 97 (1876).?Newtox, Yarr., Brit. B., 4 ed. II, p. 170 (1877).?Stejxeger, N. Mag. Naturv., 1881, pp. 115, 117.18A'L?Pyrrhula coccinea DE Selys, Fauue Beige (p. 79) {nee Emheriza cocciuea Gmel.178tS?)?Deglaxd, Oru. Eur., 1 ed. I, p. 187 (1849).?Degl. & Gerbe, Orn.Eur., 2 ed. I, p. 251 (1867).?Tristram, Ibis, 1871, p. 232.-1(1., J. f. Oru.1871, p. 316.?Taczan., J. f. Oru., 1873, p. 95.?W , ibid., 1874, p. 33G.?Id.,ibid., 1875, p. 2bi.?Id., Bull. Soc. Zool. Frauce, 1876, p. 182.18A9.?Pyrrhula vulgaris major Temm. & Schleg., Fauu. Jap. Av., p. 91.?Seebohm,Br. B. Eggs, II, p. 52 (1883).1854. ? Pyrrhula pyrrhula Liciitexsteix, Nom. Mus. BeroL, p. 48.1871.?Pyrrhula rubicilla /j. coccinea Dubois, Cousp. Av. Eur., p. 18.1873.?Pyrrhula cassini Taczaxowski, J. f. Oru., 1873, p. 95 {nee Baird).1877. Pyrrhula linnei Malm, Goteb. och Bohusl. Fauna, p. 194.Pyrrhula pyrrhula europaea (Vieill.).178\.?Coccothrausfes rubicilla Gill, Rom. Oru., I, p. 158 {nee Loxia riibieilla Guld.1775).? Pyrrhula ruhicillaBosAP., Cousp. Av., I, p. 525(1851) (nfcSCHAFFER,1789).?Tristram, Ibis, 1871, p. 232.?Id., J. f. Oru., 1871, p. 316.1787.?Loxia pyrrhula Latham, Suppl. Synops., I, p. 285 {nee Lixx. 1758).1788. 1Emheriza coccinea Gmelix, Syst. Nat., I, p. 873.181Q,.?Pyrrhula europwa Vieill., N. Diet. d'H. Nat., IV, p. 286.?Leach, Sys. Cat. M.B. Brit. Mus., p. 13 (1816).?Degland, Oru. Eur., 1 ed., I, p. 185 (1849).?Dres-ser, B. of Eur., IV, p. 101 (1576).?Newton, Yarr., Brit. B., 4 ed. II, p.166 (1877).?Stejxeger, N. Mag. Naturv., 1881, p. 113. 106 NORTHERN PAL^ARCTIC BULLFINCHES.1816. ? PjjrrhuJa rufa Kocii, Bair. Zool., I, p. 2'2T.18'20. Fijrrhiila nilgarh Temm., Man. d'Oni., 2 ed., I, p. 330. ? de Selys, Fauiie Beige(p. 7f ) (1H42).?Deglaxi) and Gerhe, Oru. Eur., 2 ed., I, p. 250 (1G7).1831. ri/rrltiila gcnnainca Breh.m, Handb. Viig. Deutsclil., p. 252. ? Homeyer, J. f.Orn., 1879, p. 177,1831. Pyrrhula ptregrina Breh.m. Handb. Vog. Deutschl., p. 253. Homeyer, J. f.Oru., 1880, p. 154.1839.? Pjirrhula pileaia MACGiLL.,Hist. Brit. B., I, p. 407.1849.? Pi/rrhnia vulgarh minor Te.mm. & SCHLBG., Fauu. Jap. Av., p. 91.ISbo.? Pyrrhula mhior Brehm, Naumauuia, 1855, p. 276.l!r56. Pyrrhula coccinea a rubicUIa Bon.\p., Cat. Parzud., p. 4.Pyrrhula pyrrhula kamtschatica (Tacz.).1826. Pyrrhula rnbiciUa Pai.las, Zoogr. Ross. As., II, p. 7 (part), (riec GCld.).?KiTTLiTZ, DenkwUrd., I, p. 322 (1858).1882. Pyrrhula kamtwhatlca Taczanowski, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1882, p. 395-Journ. f. Orn., 1884, p. 408 (1885).1883. Pyrrhula kamtschatkensis Dybowski, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1883, p. 367.1884. Pyrrhula rubidlla kamtschatkensis Dybow. & Tacz.\n., Bull. Soc. Zool. Fr..1884, p. Estr., p. 2.1885. Pyrrhula pyrrhula kamischatica Stejneger, Res. Orn. Explor. Kamtcb., p. 322.1887. Pyrrhula vulgaris kamtschatica Seebohm, Ibis, 1887, p. 101.Since compiling tbe Synopsis of Kamtscbatkau birds (L c), I bavereceived from my friend Capt. J. E. Hunter four specimens of tbe pres-ent bird, tbree males and one female. Considering tbe apparent isola.tion of its babitat it is ratber astonisbiug to find it so closely allied toP. pyrrhula. Tbe differentiation, bowever, is like tbat of most of tbepeculiar Kamtscbatkau forms, tbe color being purer and tbe wbite moreextended, in tbis particular case especially on tbe wing-band. Tbe redof tbe under parts can be matcbed by Scandinavian specimens, but tbeear-coverts show more of tbat peculiar silvery gloss so bigbly developedin tbe Japanese species, P. griseiventris. Tbe females differ more fromtbe western form, tbe back being nearly a pure cinereous with tbefaintest possible wash of brownish on tbe lower back. In both sexestbe red spot on tbe inner tertial is present, though on an average some-what paler than in true P. pyrrhula. In size tbe present form appearsto be intermediate between P. vyrrhida and P. europaa^ a^ evidencedby the following Measurements. U. S. Nat.Mas. Collector.No. 1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 107Pyrrhula griseiventris Lafr.1835.-1841.- 1844.-1849.- 1860.? 187G.-1882.- 1887.- Pyrrhula vulgaris Temminck, Mau. d'Orn., 2 ed., Ill, p. 248 (part).I'l/rrhula (jriseiventris Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool., 1841, Aug., p. 241.?SwiNHOE,P. Z.S., 1871, p. 3?6.Spermophila (jrisvoventris Gray, Gen. 13., II, p. 386.Pyrrhula orxenialis Temm. & Schleg., Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 91.?BoNArAUTE.Consp. Av., I, p. 525 (1650).?Blakist., Ibis, 1862, p. 328.?7fZ., Chiysantb.,1883, Febr., p.? . Id., Am. List B. Jap., p. 64 (1?84).?Wiiitely, Ibis, 1^67,p. 203.?SwiNHOE, Ibis, 1874, pp. 160, 463.? Taczan., J, f. Orn., 1876, p. 200. ?Id., Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1876, p. 183.?Blakist. & Pryer, Ibis, 1878,p. 246.?/irf., Tr. As. Soc. Jap., VIII, 1880, p. 235.?/id., ihid., X, 1882, p. 176.?BOLAU, J. f. Oru., 1880, p. 126.?W., ibid., 1882, p. 335.?Jouy, Proc. U. S.Nat. Mus., YI, p. 293 (1883).Pyrrhula vulgaris var. orientalis Schrexck, Reis. Amur!., I, ]>. 291 (I860).?Pkzewalski, Putescb. Ussuri, (No. 53) (1870). -Pyrrhula cintracea Dresser, B. of Eur., IV, p. 100 (part). -Pyrrhula rosacea Seeboiim, Ibis, 1882, p. 371. Journ. f. Oru., 1884, p. 409(1885). ? Blakist., Cbrysantb., 1882, p. 474. ? Id., ibid., 1883, Jan., p. 36. ? Id.ibid., Feb., p.?. ?.Id., Amend. List B.Jap., p. 64 (1884). -Pyrrhula orientalis rocacea Seebohm, Ibis, 1H87, p. 101.hula pyrrhnloides Temm.", Mus. Acad. Pbilada. Temmixck et Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. liii.Gould, B. As., pt. V, pi.? (1853). Measurements. " Museum anil No. Collectorand Mo. U.S. Nat. 110199.U.S. Nat. 91339..Christ iania, N ..U. .-.Nat.98:i90..U.S. Nat. 110200.U.S. Nat. 90388..U.S. Nat. 1101:01.U. S. Nat. U1310.U.S. Nat. IIO-JU?,U. S. Nat. 9C389..U. S.Nat. 9039 1..U.S. Nat. 110203.U.S.Nat. 91342.. Jony, 1630..Jouv, 812...Petersen, 4 .Ota, Bl. 1995Jouy, 1031 ..Blakist. 1057Jouy, 1032..Jouy, 815 . ..Jouy, 1033 . . Blakist. 1060Ota, Bl. 1990Jouy, 1634 ..Jouy, 875 . . (cDad,d ad.,d ad..d-A..{d")aild ad..(d")add- ad..(cDad.d ad..d ad.(d')add ad.. Locality. Nikko, HondoTato Yarn.', Hondo .Yaiuato, KiusiuTokio, HondoNikko, HondoHakodadi, YezoNikko, HondoTato \''aiua, Hondo .Nikko, HondoHakodatli, Yezo . . . . Toklo, HondoNikko, HondoTate Yama, Hondo. Date. Nov. 28,1882Dec. 13, 1885 Feb. 15,1873Nov.' 28,' 1882Feb.' "I'e" 1873 Dec. 17,Average of 13 malesU.S. Nat. 91341..Christiania, N . . Jouy, 816 ...jPetersen, 27i 9 ad..? ad.. Tate Yama, Hondo I Nov. 28, 1882Shimbon, Kiusiu Feb. 14, 1886 9.5' 1710 I 179 ! 179.5 1710 1 189.5 189109 I1010 I9.562 9.5:17.561 i 9 117.560 1 9.5i 18 I liave before me, as will be seen by the above table, 13 male JapaneseBullfiuches, which, for convenience' sake, I shalUlesiguateiu the follow-ing by their current numbers. Arranged in a row, from Xo. 1 to Xo. 13,they form an uninterrupted series from the most extreme P. rosacea to thegrayest P. griseivenh'is, the intergradation being in every respect per-fect. From 'So. 1 to ISTo. 10 the red " flush " is visible on the wider parts, 108 NORTHERN PAL^ARCTIC BULLFlXCnES.grading iuseusibly from a somewhat grayish " burnt carmine" down toa just perceptible red wash over the deep cinereous gray. On the hackthe burnt carmine tint is deeper in Xo. 2 than in Xo. 1, and from thesegradually fading until Xo. 7, which shows the last trace of red on theupper parts.It is impossible for me to draw a line anywhere in this series, but,judging from Mr. Seebohm's original description (Ibis, 1882, p. 371),where he particularly enlarges on the red color of the back, I presumethat he would refer the lirst six ones to P. rosacea. If we now look atthe localities given in the above table, it will be seen that among thesix first numbers are specimens from Kiusiu, Hondo, and Yezo, conse-quently, from the three principal islands and from both sides of " Blak-iston's Line ;" it is also clear that true P. griseiventris occurs both southand north of that line.It may be said, however, that the above series proves but little geo-graphically, since all the specimens are probably winter birds ; thatthere would be nothing surprising in finding F. griseiventris migratingsouth to Hondo during the cold season; and that even the appearanceof a true and typical P. rosacea from Hakodadi at that time of the yearis of little importance.I find, however, in the manuscript notes which Captain Blakistonkindly placed at my disposal, several remarks which are of some con-sequence in the present connection, for it is evident that Xo. of theabove table (Blakiston's Xo. 1U57) is by no means the only specimenfrom Yezo with red on the back. Here are Captain Blakiston's remarks :" Xo. 10.J7 [the one in U. IS. Xational Museum just alluded toj, S , Feb-ruary, Hakodate, Jiush on bacl-j represented in Hakodate Museum byXo. 772, Hakodate, October, which has slight flush on back, and Xo.1952, Hakodate, May, good deal flush on back." Judging from theAvording, the latter specimen must be something like Xo. 2 of mytable above, and having been obtained at Hakodadi in May, it goes along way to prove that locality has nothing to do with the presence orabsence of red on the back or its greater or lesser intensity generally.*I have carefully gone over my whole series in order to ascertainwhether there might not be any other characters possibly distinctive of * Since the above was submitted for publication I learn from an article in theIbis, 18d7, p. 101, that Mr. Seebohm, whose type specimens of F. romceu came fromYokohama, now considers this bird peculiar to Yezo and the opposite portion of theSiberian mainland. Unfortunately I have onlj' one very gray F. (irisciventris fromHakodadi to disprove this, and Blakiston's manuscript notes do not assist me inthis case, except that he mentions a Sapporo specimen without "Hush" on the back.That Blakiston's notes prove nothing in this respect is due to the fact, however, thathe only made notes in regard to the red siiecinieus from Yezo, and not to the commongray ones, which seem to be much more common. He who for twenty years had col-lected in Yezo, was under the same impression as I, that F. rosacea was intended fora supposed southern race. Nothing could prove more conclusively how worthless isthe claiui of F. rosacea to be regarded otherwise than a phase of the gray bird. 1887.] PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 109two races, but have so far failed. It will be seen that there are onlytwo females in the collection, and inasmuch as the females of F. piirrhulaand its races and nearest allies seem to show greater differences than themales, there might still be some doubt iu regard to the Japanese spe-cies, but in describing F. rosacea Mr. Seebohm informs us {I. c.) that thefemales of the latter '? do not apparently ditfer IVoai those of P. orien-talis'^ [= P- griseiventris].Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer {U.cc.) have already shown that there isno diflerence in size, and my measurements fully substantiate their con-clusions.Mr. Dresser (B. of Eur., lY, p. 100) speaks of having "examined sev-eral specimens [of P. cincracea = cassini] in the collection of Mr. R. Swin-lioe," from Japan, " which ^re as a general rule a little more dull in gen-eral coloration than those from Siberia." In this connection it may beuseful to refer to Swinhoe's own remarks (Ibis, 1871, p. 463) : " On exam-ining these specimens [a pair received from Captain Blakiston] lately,I observed that the male was typical both in size and color, whereas thefemale was large, and has a wash of Avhite along the web on each side ofthe stem of each outer tail-feather. From this last character I arguedthat I had from Hakodadi a female P. cassini Baird." He also mentionshaving a female from the Kuriles and another one froai Hakodadi, col-lected by Whitely, both similarly marked. This white mark has appar-ently induced Dresser to regard them as distinct and belonging to P.cassini or cineracea. It is now well known, however, that this characteris utterly worthless, and 1 have, moreover, the assurance of Mr. See-bohm, who is the fortunate possessor of the Swinhoe collection, that "the alleged skins from Jajian are females of P. orientalist^ (S. iu litte-ris).* The white streak on the outer tail-feathers is less common in P.griseiventris than in the more northern species, but of the specimens in-cluded in my table above it is present iu Nos. 4, 8, 14, and 15.I am, therefore, compelled to accept the conclusion arrived at byMessrs. Blakiston and Jouy ^Chrysauth., 1883, Feb., p. ? , Amend. ListB. Jap., 1884, pp. G4, 81, and Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., VI, 1883, p. 293)that P. rosacea is not a valid species or subspecies. Whether it is " a highly developed stage of plumage of P. orientalis,^'' in other words,whether the gray individuals ever assume thered " flush," I do not know,but I am inclined to doubt it It may be a kind of " dichromatism," asin the owls, and jirobably also in Acanthis and Carpodacus. Mr. See-bohm lays much stress on the " fact that neither of these species [P.orientalis and P. major] has any trace of red on the back," but I havespecimens before me both of P. pyrrhula (U. S. Xat. Mus. No. 98013, $ ,Bergen, Norway=P. major) and of P. europwa (No. 90601, S , Woolwich,England), which have a decided red "flush" on the back, and Nau-mann refers to similarly colored specimens as very old birds (Vog.Deutschl., IV, p. 386). This tendency of the red color to spread over * Cf. bis recent remarks, Ibis^ 1887, pp. 100, 101. 110 JfORTHERX PAL.EARCTIC BLLLFINCHES.the pliiiuage seems, however, more common in the Japanese than in theEuropean birds, and is carried to such an extreme that in ifos. 1 and2 of my table it also invades the white of the rump with a most delicatetinge of light rosy pink.No. 1 is even more remarkable, for in this the excess of red color goesso far as to break down a character which has always been relied uponas distinctive of the Japanese species, viz, the absence of red on theinner tertial. In this bird the red spot on this feather is very distinctand large, and even the large upper wing-coverts are edged exteriorlywith red. Pyrrhula kurilensis Sharpe.ISoO.?Pyrrhula orkntaJis'SliDDEyDORFF,M6m. Acail. Imp. St. Petersb. Sc. Nat., VIII.p. 124.?SwiNHOE, Ibis, 1874, p. 463. ? Blakist. & Pryeu, Tr. As. Soc.Jap., X, 1882, p. 176 (part).1887.?Pyrrhula kurilensis Shaupe, fide Seebobin, Ibis, 1687, p. 101.It87. ? Pyrrhula orieniaUs kurilensis Seebohm, Ibis, 1887, p. 101.No specimen of this, the latest discovery among the Pyrrhida% hasyet come under ray observation, but I am indebted to Mr. E. B. Sharpefor the following account of this species, or subspecies, which he hadthe kindness to communicate to me in a letter dated November 12,1886: '^Adult male.?Similar to P. orientalis^hnt much paler in color, being-pale ashy-brown above, instead of blue-gray, and pale drab-brown be-low, instead of bluish gray, but faintly tinged with rosy on the breast.Total length, 5.3 inches [135"'"'] ; culmen, 0.45 [11.5] ; wing, 3.5 [89] ;tail,2.6 [66] ; tarsus, 0.7 [18]. '''Adult female.?Not to be distinguished from the female of P. orien-talis. Total length, 6 inches [152'""'] ; culmen, 0.4 [10] ; wing, 3.25 [83] ; tail, 2.45 [62] -, tarsus, 0.7 [18] {Mus. H. Seebohm)." We have a male from the Kurile Islands and Seebohme has a paircollected by Wossnessensky."Wossnessenski, according to Middendorff, found the Bullfinch onUrup during May and August, and according to Blakiston and Pryerit is " very numerous on Eturop in September." It may be looked forin Yezo during the winter months.* ? In order to bring the subject up to date (of proof correction) I may add, that Mr.Seebohm in his article in the Ibis, 1887, p. 101, has separated an eastern form of P.cineracea as P. c. pallida. It is distinguished by having the wing-band gray, the sidesof the head almost white, and by being paler on the under parts generally. Thisform hails from the Altai Mountains and from the valley of the Ussuri.