134 Mr. K. Svvinhoe— .ri Voice un 



only — of the lledlegs [Oreoperdioc crudir/ularis) . These had more 

 black feathers on their throats than ordinary ; and 1 suspect 

 from this that the bareness of the red throat-skin marks the 

 nuptial livery of the bird. 



On the 30th of July 1 was wandering about the alluvial flats 

 ^iietween the sea and the city of Taiwan-foo. They were partly 

 under water from the late heavy rains, and were frequented by 

 several mud-birds. I observed Charadrius lonyijjes, many of 

 Hiaticula geoffroyi, Numenius uropygialis, and Hydrochelidon 

 leucopareia. These I believe to be all residents in the island, as 

 I have before observed. 



To preserve dried skins in a country like this, one is obliged 

 to be ever on the watch against vermin. To say nothing of 

 several species of ants and the little pest moths Tinece, also of 

 many species, a large beetle, which (as Mr. Wallace writes to 

 me) glories in the name of Dermestes vulpinus, and a small 

 yellowish-brown beetle of, I think, the same genus, destroy not 

 only the feathers but the skin also. Ye naturalists of England, 

 that sit at home at ease, pity the difficulties with which a 

 brother-in-arms has to contend in the tropics. 



August 11th was a tine day, but very hot. I took a ten- 

 mile ride into the country to the banks of a river near the foot 

 of the first range of low hills. In the steep clay banks occurred 

 round holes bored by the Sand-Martin [Cotyle sinensis), but the 

 little fellows had finished with them for the year. In a small 

 mango-grove heard the well-known "pic^^ of a Woodpecker, 

 and soon saw with much pleasure a pair of the small Picus 

 kaleensis amusing themselves on the boughs of a mango-tree. 

 On the opposite bank, in a wood, put up a Bamboo-Partridge 

 [Bamhusicola so7i07-ivox) and a large flight of Night-Herons. 

 The latter appear to have closed incubating-transactions for the 

 season. On returning, in a paddy-field, I put up a vvhite- 

 rumped Green Sandpiper, which I took to be Totanus affinis ; 

 but more of this species anon. 



On August 16th this place was visited by a severe typhoon or 

 cyclone, which lasted for three days. A small party of Terns 

 [Sterna velux) were driven into the harbour. Oa the 17th I 

 saw the first Gullinuyo solitaria of the season. 



