136 Mr. R. Swinhoe — A Voice on 



The immature plumage of this species shows a resemblance to 

 that of T. cardis and T. sibiricus — to that of the latter in having 

 spots on the wing-coverts. Our species in this stage is more 

 melanistic, and is a more typical Merula than any I know. It has 

 not the Turdine under-spots of either the T. ca7'dis or the T. 

 sibiricus, which both of them partly retain till the completion of 

 their second year. It even makes more advance towards the 

 melanistic form of Turdus (or Merula) than even T. mandarinus 

 or T. merula; I mean it is more alienated from the Turdine or 

 primary Thrush-characters of the group. 



On September 4th I nearly lost my life^ being sucked under 

 a cutter, moored athwart the tide, while out for a morning swim 

 in the harbour. I mention this to account for my late dila- 

 toriness. My system received such a shock that I was next to 

 useless for more than a fortnight after it. I received the same 

 day a box of specimens from Tanisuy. 1 could not attend to 

 them, and they were consequently put away. In overhauling 

 them lately, I find some interesting things among them which 

 deserve special notice; but in the midst of Reports and Returns 

 which overwhelm me at the end of each quarter of the year, I 

 have not yet had time to draw up careful notes. The box in 

 which these specimens were stored was neglected, and the 

 outturn was in a sad state. 0, Dermestes vulpinus, that thy 

 bump of destructiveness were a little smaller ! 



September 7th. — Another typhoon, finished off to-day with a 

 south-easterly gale, brought to our harbour a large flock of 

 Dunlins {Tringa alpina) and some more small Terns. 



The live Buzzard {Poliornis poliogenys) that I before men- 

 tioned [Ibis, 1865, p. 545] as being in the possession of a 

 friend of mine at Taiwan-foo, he subsequently gave to me. Its 

 legs and a basal belt on the culmen of its bill were of a fine 

 orange-ochre; its irides a fine clear yellow. It always held its 

 head inclined to its right shoulder. I much desired to get it 

 safe to England as a present to the Gardens; but it unfortu- 

 nately died soon after reaching Hongkong, though it had lived in 

 captivity in Formosa for many months. 



September 19th, I saw the Rock-Thrushes, Petrocincla ma- 

 nillensis, about the houses of the town. They are now regular in 



