Gornell University Library Ithaca, New Work BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE WASON ENDOWMENT FUND CHARLES W. WASON CORNELL °76 1918 ornell University Library fasciculus of the birds of China. “Tiiini A FASCICULUS OF THE BIRDS OF CHINA. BY G RR. GRAY, FERS, ELS, Ete. INTRODUCTION. TueEseE twelve Plates were originally intended by my brother, Dr. J. E. Gray, to form part of a series of figures of Chinese birds; but, owing to engage- ments on other works, which have appeared in the mean time, they were put aside and have thus remained up to the present period. It will readily be seen that these plates were designed and placed on stone by the late William Swainson, author of the ‘ Zoological Illustrations’ and other works; and it is thought by Dr. Gray, who has asked me to prepare some notes to accompany them, that the appearance of these correct and artistic delineations may add to the knowledge of the species represented. Consul Swinhoe has done much of late towards the elucidation of the Avifauna of China and its islands. The revised catalogue published by him in the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1871 consists of 675 well-defined species of birds. G. R. GRAY. November Ist, 1871. MYIOPHONUS CHRULEUS. SHINING ANT THRUSH. Pats I. Blue-black ; tips of all the feathers, except the quills and tail, with a polished bright blue spot; a few of the larger wing-coverts white-tipped; sides under the wings white- streaked; bill and feet black. Length 11 inches. Gracula cerulea, Scop.; Turdus violaceus, (im.; Myiophonus nitidus, @r.; M. Tem- minkii, ? Bp.; Myiophoneus Horsfieldii, p., e¢ M. ceruleus, Swinhoe; M. brevi- rostris, Lafr. Mr. Swinhoe states that the native name of this bird is ‘“‘ Aw-chuy,”’ and that it lives among rocky caverns, searching the ground for earth-grubs or darting among the leaves of a bush for caterpillars—which having seized, it returns to the place it had left, where it beats and devours its captive. It is very shy, and if alarmed it hides among the massive confusion along the gullies or watercourses on the hill-sides. HYPSIPETES LEUCOCEPHALUS. TWO-COLOURED THRUSH. Puare IL. Black, beneath greyish black; head, ears, chin, and spot on the front edge of wing white; under tail-coverts white, mottled with black; bill and feet yellow; bill compressed at the end, nearly as long as the head. ‘Tarsi and feet small; tail even. Length 10 inches, wings 43 inches, bill 9 lines. Turdus leucocephalus, Gm.; T. melaleucus, Gr.; Hypsipetes niveiceps et H. leuco- cephalus, Swinh. ; Heterornis sericeus, p., Bp. This bird is stated by Gmelin to be from China. Mr. Swinhoe informs us that it is found in South China, near Swatow ; but its habits are unrecorded. COLLYRIO SCHACH. CHINESE SHRIKE. Puate ITI. Crown and back of neck ashy; forehead, orbits, and back of ears, wings and tail black : chin and throat white; rump, loins, outer edge of secondaries, outer web of outer and tips of all except the two middle tail-feathers bright bay; under wing-coverts, chest, and abdomen pale brown ; tail much graduated. Length 11 inches. Lanius schach, “.; L. chinensis, Gr.; L. macrourus, Cuv.; L. schach, var. formosie, Swinh. ; Collyrio schach, G. 2. Gr.; Lanius schah, Bp. 5 From Mr. Swinhoe we learn that this is a common, noisy bird, and is found in various parts of China, varying much in size and colour in some localities. The islands of Formosa and Hainan are also the abode of this species. ACRIDOTHERES NIGRICOLLIS. BLACK-AND-WHITE PASTOR. Puare IV. Black-brown ; head, false wing, tips of wing-coverts, secondaries, vent, and tail-feathers, abdomen, and rump white; lower part of neck black; sides black-streaked; bill and feet black. Length 12} inches. Gracula nigricollis, Paykull; G. melanoleuca, Cuv.; Pastor temporalis, MWagl. ; P. bicolor, Gr.; Acridotheres nigricollis, @. &. Gr.; A. philippensis, Swinh. Gracupica nigricollis, Less. This bird is found, says Mr. Swinhoe, from Canton to Foochow, extending to Siam. Generally in pairs, but also associating in small parties. It is a noisy bird, and builds its nest on high trees and lays therein three pale blue eggs. STURNUS SERICHUS. SILKY PASTOR. Puars V. Vinaceous brown; rump, sides, and chest rather paler; crown yellow-white; chin and middle of abdomen reddish white; vent and under wing-coverts, outer edge of false wing, and base of primaries white; tail and wing metallic green-black; bill slender, reddish. Length J5 inches. Sturnus sericeus, Gmm.; Pastor sericeus, Gr.; Sturnus cinereus, Sw7nh. Mr. Swinhoe says that this bird inhabits the country between Canton and Shanghai, feeding chiefly on the banyan-berries. In winter it assembles in large flocks and ranges about the country, often in company with Sturnus cineraceus. COCCOTHRAUSTES MELANURA. FORK-TAILED HAWFINCH. Puate VI. Rufous grey; head and tail black; specular spot, base and tips of quills white; bill yellow. Length 6 inches 9 lines. Loxia melanura, Gm.; Coccothraustes melanurus, Jard.; Eophona melanura, Gould. Mr. Swinhoe informs us that it is found between Canton and Shanghai, but it breeds in this latter locality. FRANCOLINUS CHINENSIS. SPOTTED FRANCOLIN. Puare VII. Black, with round white spots; loins, rump, and tail black, cross-banded with white; top of head, nape, scapulars, tips of back-feathers, and under tail-coverts chestnut ; middle of crown brown, feathers pale-edged; chin, upper part of throat, and sides of face white, with a band over the eyes and another from the angle of the mouth to under the ears black ; bill black ; feet yellow. Length 12 inches. Tetrao chinensis, Osbeck ; Perdix perlatus, Gm.; P. sinensis, Spalowsk.; Francolinus perlatus, Steph.; Perdix (Francolinus) maculatus, Gr.; P. Phayrei, B7.; Franco- linus sinensis, Sw7h.; F. chinensis, G. 2. Gr. Mr. Swinhoe tells us that this bird is common on the hills of South China, and that it is usually met with single and difficult to flush. It is very common everywhere in Hainan, especially about the grave-coyered plains, and is sometimes seen perched upon one of these and shrieking out its loud call. PERDIX THORACICA. WEDGE-TAILED PARTRIDGE. Puare VIIL Blue-grey, vermiculated and speckled with black; chin, ears, sides of neck, throat, and abdomen bay; sides and epigastrum black-spotted ; wing-coverts and scapulars white-speckled and chestnut-spotted; secondaries irregularly white-banded; outer ones black-tipped; tail long, wedge-shaped, obscurely banded ; quills brown; bill and feet dark. Length 11 inches. Perdix thoracica, Tem.; Perdix sphenura, Gr.; Arboricola bambuse ef Bambusicola thoracica, Swinh. This bird is found on the Foochow Hills, where it lives, says Mr. Swinhoe, in pairs, which are scattered about the bush, where each pair selects its own beat; they are not easily flushed, lying so close to the ground that they are not discovered without difficulty, though they have just emitted their challenge-note. If any other Partridge comes near the selected spot, then it is set-upon by the pair and buffeted until it leaves the place. At night they roost on the bamboos and other trees. EULABEORNIS STRIATUS. GULAR RAIL. Pate IX. Top of head and hind neck dark chestnut ; upper plumage olivaceous, entirely covered with narrow white and black-edged bars; beneath the chin and throat whitish ; neck, breast, and upper part of abdomen bluish grey; the lower abdomen, vent, and upper tail-coverts and thigh-coverts dull olivaccous, with white bands. Length 12 inches. tallus striatus, Linn.; R. fuscus, Lath.; R. gularis, Tlorsf.; R. albiventris, Sw. ; R. indicus, Verr.; BR. philippensis, p., B/.; Eulabeornis striatus, G. R. Gr. » ( This species inhabits South China, India, Ceylon, Burmah, and the Malayan Islands. It frequents marshes and grassy grounds by the sides of the tanks and rivers, and is most abundant in well-watered districts. The nest is found in the swamps; and the bird lays SIX eges, GALLINULA CRISTATA. MOURNFUL GALLINULE. Prate X. Dull black; feathers of the back, wing-coverts, ramp, and upper tail-coverts more or less edged with lighter colour. Young.—The back, wing-coverts, and tertials fuscous black, each feather margined with pale brown; quills fuscous black; beneath the body pale yellowish brown, transversely undulated in parts with obscure colour. Length 17 to 20 inches. Gallinula cristata, Lath.; G. plumbea, Viei//.; G. gularis e¢ G. lugubris, Lorsf. ; G. rufescens, Jerd.; Gallicrex cristatus, 37. In China this bird frequents the rice-fields and marshy tracts in summer. It is shy, running quickly through the damp grass and rushes to hide itself. This species is also found in India and the Malay countries. QUERQUEDULA FORMOSA. BAIKAL TEAL. Puare XI. Crown of the head black; the sides of the head and part of neck buffy white ; a broad band, springing from behind the eyes, along the hind head, and proceeding down the sides of the neck to a point, glossy green; mentum, band beneath the eyes, and one margining the green black ; all of these are bordered with white, which colour forms a collar round the neck ; nape with a triangular black mark; breast pale chestnut, spotted with black ; sides of breast and tertials grey, finely vermiculated with black and broken by a white line; back and wing-coverts, primaries, secondaries, and tail brown; scapulars lengthened, narrowed, fulvous, black and white; larger wing-coverts margined with rusty red; speculum green, margined with white ; beneath the body white; sides grey, regularly lineated with dark grey; under tail-coverts black, bordered on the outer side with rusty red. Length 13 inches. Anas formosa, Georgi; A. glocitans, Pall.; A. picta, Stell.; A. torquata, Mess. ; A. baikal, Bonn.; Querquedula formosa, Steph. Inhabits China, Formosa, Japan, Northern Asia, on the borders of Lake Baikal, and is also found in Eastern Siberia. Pallas applied the specific name in consequence of its peculiar loud clucking call, “mok mok-mok lok,” which M. Middendorff calls a horrible noise. It breeds in Eastern Siberia, laying ten eggs in a hollow in the ground; and from thence it migrates early, QUERQUEDULA FALCATA. JAVAN DUCK. Puate XII. Forehead and crown of the head obscure ferruginous; a white spot at the base in front ; sides of the head, hind head, and crest shining green, glossed with copper, especially on the temples; chin white, under which are two collars—the first greenish black and connected with the crest, the second white; lower part of neck and breast cinereous, undulated with black ; back grey, the upper part irregularly lineated with a dull white; abdomen brownish white, mottled with greyish black, and the sides irregularly and very narrowly banded with grey and dull white ; under tail-coverts black; the sides of the latter white, divided transversely by a black band; wing-coverts grey ; quills fuscous black ; speculum fine blue-green, with a narrow white line in front ; scapulars greenish black, bordered with dull white. Length 15} inches. Anas falcata, Pall.; A. falcaria, Penn.; A. javana, Bodd.?; A. javanensis, Bonn. Querquedula multicolor, Swinh.; Eunetta falcata, Bp. 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