The ChiBese or Black-tailod Hawfinch appears to be an extremely abundant 

 species tbroughout the southern portions of China, and, according to the 

 researches of travellers and ornithologists, it is found to extend its migration 

 into Central and Northern China ; it is plentiful during the winter on the 

 Amoy and in Eastern Siberia ; and Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer have 

 stated that " a specimen supposed to be this species was obtained from a 

 bird-dealer at Tokio, Japan," and was in " the Educational Museum " of 

 that place ; they say it is " about the size of C. japonicus. The bill is 

 yellow, tipped with black. Head and neck black all round as far down as 

 12 millimetres behind the eye." 



The above description is conclusively that of the Black-tailed Haw- 

 finch, but in the ' Amended List of the Birds of Japan,' pubhshed in 

 1884 by the same authors, the species is marked " doubtful." 



Although I am unable to find another instance of its occurrence in 

 Japan, I am inclined to retain it as an " accidental visitor." 



The following passage is from Mr. J. Gould's ' Birds of Asia ' : — " In 

 a collection of birds obligingly lent me by J. R. Reeves, Esq., there are 

 fine exam})les of this si^ecies, which had been procured in the neighbour- 

 hood of Shano'hai ; Sir William Jardine ffives the neirfibourhood of Canton 

 as a locality from which he had received specimens ; and I have also others 

 from the island of Chusan ; it is evident, therefore, that its range extends 

 over all those parts of China best known to Europeans. On a label 

 attached to one of Mr. Reeves' specimens, it is stated that the crop was 

 filled with grain and a small mixture of gravel." 



Mr. R. Swinhoe "found it on the Amoy in winter," and says it 

 " leaves before summer. Breeds in Shanghai. Very abundant about 

 Canton ; evidently breeds there in great numbers. I have not traced it 

 further north ; also procured on the Woosung River near Shanghai ; at 

 Foochow." 



In ]\Ir. Swinhoe's notes made at Chefoo, he says the " name in the MS. 

 Illustrations of this species is Tsao-hwa (M. D. 10564, 4199), the Tsao- 

 flower (a water-flag or lily)." 



In ' The Birds of China,' publislied by MM. David and Oustalet, they 

 state that " the Black-tailed Grosbeak is very common at all seasons 

 in Southern and Central China, and advances in summer in little 

 flocks as far as the Northern provinces : every year they catch some of 



