Mr. R. Swiuhoc on Amoy Ornithology. 229 



black. Underwing and axillaries deep hair-brown, the feathers 

 with paler (and some with whitish) edges ; the brown extends to 

 the sides of the breast. Tibiae nearly colourless, slightly tinged 

 with blue and pink, and just tinted with yellow. Tarsi shaded 

 with black along the posterior edge, and tinted with pink down 

 the front; feet dingy, claws black ; reticulated edges of scutella 

 white. 



The specimen on dissection proved to be a male. The oeso- 

 phagus, '7 inch wide, contracts gradually to -4, and continues at 

 that width downwards for 3 inches, then expands into a sac 

 •6 wide and 1'5 long; it again contracts, and so continues for 

 1'5, expanding into the proventricular sac, which is I'l wide 

 and 1*5 long: the proventriculus contracts as it reaches the 

 stomach. The stomach is a strong muscular spheroid, flattened 

 at the sides, and about 2*5 in greatest diameter; its walls are 

 thick, and it is coated internally with a thick epithelium, stufi'ed 

 with remains of crabs and other small crustaceans. Trachea 

 downwards from 1-5 inch above the bronchi composed of very 

 narrow closely set rings keeled down the front, and expanding 

 above the bronchia into a flattened transverse oval. From this 

 last the bronchia are given out, their rings being about double 

 the width of the lower tracheal rings. No keel runs down the 

 back of the trachea, but just above its expansion it gives out a 

 peaked projection, llings in the upper portion of the trachea from 

 •12 to •! in. thick. Membrane between the oval expansion of 

 trachea and bronchia narrow and not very perceptible. No mus- 

 cles are planted on the oval expansion, but a pair are given off 

 from the trachea about 8 in. above the insertion of the bronchia. 

 Sternum with one deep posterior emargination on either side, 

 the lateral processes projecting beyond the posterior point of 

 the keel ; furcula fitting closely into the anterior crest of the 

 keel, but not anchylosed to it. 



A few days after the acquisition of this specimen I saw a 

 small party of large long-legged birds soaring in circles like 

 Herons over this island : I believed them to be of this species. 

 From its late occurrence here, it is not improbable that this 

 Tantalus breeds somewhere in our neighbourhood. It is curious 

 that I have never met with it before. I believe it to be a new 



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