408 Mr. R. Swinhoc on Amoij Ornithology. 



the coast to be quite an inland winter visitant. We saw a male 

 Ruticilla ferrea, and many of Parus minor, Phijlloscopus fuscatus, 

 and Reguloides proregulus. The last we heard singing sweetly, 

 and I thought, from its shaking song, that it was one of the 

 Willow-Wrens, until my companion shot it. The song of the 

 Regidoides svperciliosus simply consists of a hurried repetition of 

 its ordinary call-note. Calamoherpe canturiens was uttering its 

 loud "churr" among the bushes, and occasionally bursting out 

 with the few loud, rich notes that constitute its song. The 

 plumage of this bird in spring intensifies and becomes of a 

 deeper hue. Among the same bushes was a smaller bird, which 

 frequently, uttered a weaker and sharper " churr," and lay so 

 close that the bush might be kicked before it could be got to 

 leave; and then it would only whisk out and ensconce itself in 

 the next. I managed to procure one fair specimen, but my 

 wretched stuffer neglected to preserve it. I am, however, pretty 

 confident that the species was the Calamoherpe cantillans of the 

 ' Fauna Japonica,' which has not before been found to my 

 knowledge in China south of Tientsin. This bird was pretty 

 plentiful among the underwood in every pine-copse. The most 

 noticeable bird on the river itself is Ceryle rudis, which flies past 

 uttering its loud peculiar note, sits on the banks in parties of 

 twos and threes, or hovers with bill down-pointed, poised about 

 twenty yards above the water. From its elevation down like a 

 stone it falls into the water and disappears. It returns to the 

 surface, rises, shakes itself, and in most cases flies to land. It 

 occasionally fishes in brackish water, but I have never seen it dip 

 into the sea itself. The little " King of the Shrimps," Alcedo 

 bengalensis, usually pounces from a perch ; but it sometimes also 

 hovers over its prey, only, however, at a few feet elevation. 

 I have often seen it fishing in the sea. The pied bird is 

 here called "To-he-haw," or '^Fishing Tiger;" the little fellow 

 " To-he-ang," " Fishing Reverence," or " the old gentleman 

 that fishes." 



March 16th, — Received some Teal from a friend just returned 

 from the marshes. He reports Ducks still, but only a very few 

 Geese. The Teal tasted very fishy, as they always do (in common 

 with most wild fowl) towards the close of the season. 



