404 Mr. R. Swinlioe on Formosan Ornithology. 



118. GlAREOLA ORIENTALIS, Lath. 



These birds abound on the flat marshy grounds near Tai- 

 wanfoo, and I there procured a good series of specimens in 

 various stages of plumage. The dark parts of the adult are in 

 the young brown, mottled with blackish brown, and margined 

 with white, the collar being indicated by blackish spots. The 

 upper parts at an early season in the autumn change to greenish 

 brown, margined with light rufous brown ; and the underneck 

 and breast become rufescent, the collar becoming more strongly 

 indicated. At all stages the axillaries are bright rust-red. In 

 those I dissected the gizzard was roundish, compressed at the 

 sides, with moderate lateral tendons ; epithelium stained a 

 sienna-brown, and containing remains of Locustce and some 

 small bits of porcelain and pebbles. 



The flight of this bird is much like that of the Golden Plover, 

 only swifter, with more evolutions. Its eggs are four in number, 

 laid in a depression in the ground. It often feeds on the Cicin- 

 delcE that swarm on the sands : running with velocity after its 

 prejr, springing lightly into the air as the insect takes wing, 

 and snapping it with a quick turn, in the manner of a Muscicapa 

 it wheels round and alights again on the ground. 



119. Squatarola hela^etica (L.). 



Frequents our shores, and the mouths of our rivers in winter. 

 I procured one with indications of black on its belly, showing 

 that in its summer retreat the nuptial plumage is assumed. 

 This, however, as I have before observed, is not the case with 

 birds in confinement. 



120. Charadrius longipes, Temm. 



Common with us all the year round, breeding in great abun- 

 dance on the south-west marshy plains. Its eggs, four in 

 number, are laid in a loose nest of dried grasses and fibres 

 placed in a hollow. They are of a yellowish-grey ground-colour, 

 blotched and spotted with deep blackish sepia, and have occasional 

 obsolete purplish grey spots. They do not vary much in size, 

 are narrowed at the end, and measure 1*5 in. by 1"1. 



Adult S , shot 4th September 1861. Length 8^ in.; wing 

 5j^; tail 2j^; the two central rcctrices rather pointed, and 



