Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 307 



under wing, while in the former there appears whitish brown ; 

 fourth quill longest, first 4-3 inches shorter than it ; first four 

 quills pointed at tip and narrowed. The light bands on the 

 basal half of the quills give place to more or less white on the 

 inner webs, which extends more towards the tips on the tertials. 

 This white shows through, and gives the whiteness to the under- 

 wing. The plumage in this stage is very Osprey-like, especially 

 so in the aspect of the head. The Chinese insist upon its being 

 a large kind oi He-pew (Fish Tiger), their name for the common 

 Osprey {Pandion haliaetus)." 



" Scops japonicus, Schlegel. Procured at Tamsuy, 29 March, 

 1864. This is the peculiar rufous form, known from India as 

 the Scops sunia, Hodgs. Wing 5*8 inches; four first quills 

 somewhat indented on inner web, fifth the longest; tail of 

 twelve soft feathers, 3*5 inches long. 



"Ampelis phoenicoptera (Temminck), $ . Shot at Tamsuy, 

 17 April, 1864. Length 7*5 inches; wing 4'3; first quill 

 slightly shorter than the second, which is the longest in the wing ; 

 tail of twelve feathers, nearly equal, 2*4 inches in length. Bill 

 black. Iris blood-red. Inside of mouth flesh-coloured, slightly 

 ochreous. Mouth broad ; tongue rather broadly sagittate, bifid 

 at the tip. The black runs round the bill, and passes the eye in a 

 broad facial band, borders the conical crest, and makes a large 

 spot on the chin. Feathers at base of lower mandible at their 

 roots white, their tips burnt-sienna ; they form a broad side- 

 fringe to the black chin- spot. Forehead also burnt-sienna, 

 blending into the light hue of the crest. Legs and claws black, 

 flesh-coloured on their sides. Proved to be a female by dissec- 

 tion ; very thin ; a few seeds of a species of Rubus in its 

 gizzard. 



" Ninox japonicus (Schlegel), 2. Shot at Tamsuy, 17 April, 

 1864. Length 10'8 inches; wing 8*5 ; first quill 1*5 shorter 

 than the second, which is '7 shorter than the third, which is "l 

 shorter than the fourth, the longest in the wing; first four 

 quills deeply indented on edge of inner web ; tail of twelve 

 feathers, slightly graduated, 4*4 inches, the outer ones being 

 about 2 '5 inches shorter than the middle ones. Bill blackish, 

 with the culmen and greater part of lower mandible light green- 



