Mr. R. Swinhoe on Amoij Ornithology. 41 1 



of bill. Inside of mouth bluish flesh-colour in its depths ; 

 tongue of nearly uniform breadth, concave, and rounded at tip, 

 on its under surface horny and brown. Ear-covert abqut "45 in. 

 in greatest diameter, oval ; longest axis inclining obliquely 

 towards rictal angle ; placed behind line of eye. 



Trachea with wide membranes between rings. Lower larynx 

 composed of three narrow rings close set, and angulated in front. 

 Bronchial rings only half, with membranes underneath, the 

 intermembranes between rings wider than in trachea. Testes 

 •5 in. long, and very thin. Caeca short and adnate, about "25 in. 

 long by '1 in. wide, and about 3 inches from anus. Intestine 

 watery and thick, from 'S to "5 in., somewhat short. Proven- 

 triculus long and smooth. Gizzard fleshy, oval, and with little 

 muscle. 



March 24th. — Sent a man to Pagoda Island, to which most 

 of our Kites resort to breed on its cliffs. Kites are early 

 breeders here; but as I saw a pair only a day or two ago 

 treading on the yard of a ship in harbour, I was in hopes that 

 some nests might be found to contain fresh eggs. The man 

 returned with two eggs only, saying that many of the nests were 

 inaccessible, and most were empty or contained young. I left 

 the eggs on a table in my room for four days, when I attempted 

 to blow them. They both contained live young, nearly advanced 

 enough to emerge. My man asserted positively that he had 

 taken them from different nests. Kites frequent this island in 

 large numbers. I have counted as many as sixty hovering over 

 it at the same time. Crows [Corvus torquatus) are even earlier 

 breeders than Kites. I saw fully fledged young a month ago. 



In the first week in March I saw the first Swallow {Hirundo 

 gutturalis) ; and in the middle of March the Cockchafer [Melo- 

 lontha) swarmed in the evening, buzzing about every plant and 

 tree. 



March 31st.— Commander Broad, B.N., of H.M.S. 'Cormo- 

 rant,' on his return from Formosa (Taiwan and Takow), presented 

 me with a live Poliornis poliogenys which he had caught on board 

 his ship about twenty miles out of Amoy, on his way across. 

 He says that some twenty or thirty of these bii'ds came about 

 the ship about 2 a.m. that morning, alighting on the yards and 



