Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 379 



habits it may be called the Tree-Sparrow of Eastern Asia, the 

 true Tree-Sparrow {P. montanus, L.) of Europe having there 

 usurped the position of the House-Span*ow {P. domesticus), 

 which does not occur. 



c? . Upper parts bright cinnamon-red, with a few long black 

 spots on the back. Under parts smoke-grey, whitish on the 

 cheeks, and ochreous on the belly and vent. Throat black, as 

 also space between the eye and bill ; a thin streak of white runs 

 from the bill over the eye. Lesser wing-coverts white ; greater 

 coverts and tertiaries black, with reddish-white tips and margins; 

 quills dark brown, edged with reddish white, more deeply on the 

 basal exterior of some of the primaries, where it forms a bar. 

 Tail and its coverts brown, tinged with olive, their margins 

 being light. 



Length 5| in. ; wing 3f ; tail 1| ; expanse 8|. Legs pale flesh- 

 brown, tinged with yellow, especially on the soles. Bill black. 

 L-is deep blackish brown. Gizzard round and muscular, about 

 ~ inch in diameter, flattened; epithelium well furrowed and 

 yellow. Intestines 7 in. long; the cseca situate about -i in. from 

 anus and ^ long. 



The female of this species I was not successful in procuring 

 either from China or Formosa; but, from specimens in the 

 Leyden Museum from Japan, I observe that it differs consider- 

 ably from the male in a manner analogous to that which obtains 

 in P. domesticus. I believe P. montanus stands alone in the 

 peculiarity of having similarly clothed sexes. 



91. MuNiA ACUTiCAUDA, Hodgs. As. Res. xix. p. 153, 1836. 



M. muscadina, Gould. 



M. molucca of my Amoy List, Ibis, 1860, p. 61. 



M. minima of my Canton List, Ibis, 1861, p. 45. 



I have specimens of this bird from Canton, Amoy, Shanghai, 

 and Formosa. These I have carefully compared with Hodgson^s 

 examples from Nepal and others from Tenasserim,and found them 

 identical. In Formosa this is an abundant resident species, being 

 met with in all plantations throughout the low country in small 

 parties. It is a lively little bird_, constantly moving about its perch, 

 whisking its pointed tail from side to side, and uttering a rather 



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