Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 309 



and tipped with pearly white; the latter more conspicuously 

 tipped. Shoulder-coverts bluish-grey; the rest of the coverts 

 black, broadly margined with pearly-white and grey. Axillaries 

 and tibials white, varied with black. Basal portion of vent- 

 feathers black. Tail greyish-black, broadly edged with French- 

 blue and tipped with white, the white increasing on the laterals ; 

 on the outermost it covers the apical third of the inner and 

 two-thirds of outer web. Bill black. Legs and claws deep 

 plumbeous. Tail somewhat graduated, having the outer feathers 

 •3 inch shorter than the middle ones. Fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 quills nearly equal, and longest in the wing. Winglet deep 

 brown, edged with greyish blue, and without any white. 



The next novelty I have to describe was brought to me from 

 the hills in January of this year. I find it to be one of my 

 oldest Formosau acquaintances, having met with it on the hills 

 at Hongshan below Tamsuy so long ago as March 1856, when 

 on an adventurous visit to this island in a Portuguese Lorcha. 

 I then found the little fellow's nest, well observing the bird to 

 be like a Zoster ops with a red crown. In later years, as I did 

 not meet with the bird again, I tried to reconcile it with one of 

 the species I had succeeded in procuring ; for, be it known, the 

 owner of the cup-shaped nest with pretty blue eggs proved 

 himself too lively and cautious for my slow marksmanship. I 

 pitched upon the Calamoherpe minuta, mihi, as being somewhat 

 of the same size and having reddish on the crown. I felt so. 

 sure of this identification being correct, that in my paper on 

 Formosan ornithology (Ibis, 1863, p. 306) I assigned the nest 

 and eggs of my doubtful acquaintance without a comment to 

 said known species. When my hunter brought me the right 

 bird the other day, one glance suflSced to recall all, and in one 

 leap before my vision appeared the brush-clad hills of Hongshan 

 as they appeared ten years ago ; I saw the deep cup-shaped nest 

 with the small Redstart-like eggs, and I heard the short rattling 

 chirp of the small " Redcrown " as I in vain dodged after him 

 with my gun. I have no further doubts on the subject ; and 

 the whole clause, therefore, beginning from " It suspends " to 

 " moves away," instead of referring to Calamoherpe minuta, will 



