Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 267 



Indian bird that bears the above name. It is found throughout 

 China, as far as the Amoor ; but nowhere on the main did I ob- 

 serve it so specially common as at Formosa. Here, in all parts, 

 both north and south, almost every bird you meet with is a 

 Black Drongo, sometimes perched on the top of a tall bamboo, 

 uttering its loud discordant metallic notes, at others skimming 

 with long undulating flight across the country, chasing with 

 quick turns an insect or small bird, or again seated demurely 

 on the back of a lazy bufi'alo, waiting to snap the flies that swarm 

 to torment his hide. In fact, you fancy yourself in the country 

 of the Drongos. They may often be seen in large parties, though 

 they never exactly flock together. A field may contain a dozen 

 of them, perched on every available prominence ; yet when they 

 are alarmed, each individual thinks of himself alone, and rarely 

 follows the direction of his companions. Some continue all the 

 year through, but in March their numbers are greatly increased 

 by fresh arrivals. They soon commence pursuing one another, 

 and in April construct their nests in the shape of an oval cup, 

 formed of fine twigs and grasses, and lined with finer dried grass 

 and fibres. These they build on the waving branches of the 

 bamboo, high up, so that it rests on the curving top, and sways 

 with the tree to and fro to the lightest breeze. They are, how- 

 ever, firmly bound to their places ; and I have often watched the 

 female sitting quietly on the nest with only her long tail visible, 

 while with each gust the tree- top nearly swept the ground. They 

 lay from three to five eggs, white, with a few purplish-red specks, 

 and usually have three broods in the year. During the season 

 of incubation they become regular little tyrants, chasing all larger 

 birds away from the locality. They seem at this time to have 

 a particular aversion to Kites, Crows, and Magpies, all of which 

 they pursue to a considerable distance, repeatedly striking at 

 them with claws and bill, until the enemy is too far to be feared. 

 Throughout the plains and lower hills of Formosa these birds 

 abound, having a special partiality for bamboo-groves; but in 

 China they are somewhat locally distributed. At Foochow, 

 in the valley in particular, you find only a smaller grey species, 

 but about the hilly ranges round this bird again occurs. The 

 grey species is identical with D. leucophaus of Malacca; but. 



