136 Mr. K. Swinhoc's Ornithological Notes made at Chefoo. 



96. Red-necked fasciated Rail. Rallina rnandarina, 

 Swinh. 



My knowledge of this handsome bird was based on one 

 shot by Mr. Bligh on the Canton river in company with one 

 of Porzana erythrothorax, T. & S. (see P. Z. S. 1871, p. 415). 

 I never met with the species myself at Amoy or elsewhere. At 

 the end of May and beginning of June it was quite a com- 

 mon species at Chefoo. The birdcatchers brought many ; and 

 Mr. Campbell found it constantly occurring at Lighthouse 

 Island. 



Adult male. — Bill bluish grey, blackish on culmen and 

 about tip, pea-green about base; inside of mouth flesh-colour; 

 iris crimson, eyelid red ; legs and toes salmon-colour, brown- 

 ish on under surface of tarse, on the toes and on their soles. 

 Tibia bare for '8 inch; tarsi 1*6 ; middle toe and claw 1'75 ; 

 bill in front 1, to gape 1'12, depth at base "48. Total length 

 9*25 ; w'ing 5, "5 longer than tertiaries, '8 from tip of tail; 

 first quill 1 in. shorter than the second and third, which are 

 equal and the longest ; tail 2, rounded, of ten softish feathers, 

 outer rectrix "4 the shortest ; under tail-coverts • 1 short of 

 tail-tip, upper tail-coverts '8 short of same. 



A second male is smaller, has shorter toes, and many more 

 white bands and markings on its lesser wing-coverts. Testes 

 large and swollen. Females and junior males are smaller in 

 their proportions, have white throats and white wavy marks 

 on the upper wing-coverts. In old males the throat is as red 

 as the breast, and the wing-coverts have few white marks. 

 The living birds in the cage uttered suppressed notes sound- 

 ing like " block, block .'^ On the 4th October I procured a 

 bird of the year, which possibly was bred in our neighbour- 

 hood. 



Immature. — Bill light purplish flesh-colour, deep brown on 

 culmen, and greenish on base of both mandibles ; inside of 

 mouth pale flesh-colour ; iris kidney-brown ; legs purplish 

 brown, upper parts olive-brown; upper wing-coverts tipped 

 with black and white bars ; throat white ; sides of neck, 

 breast, and sides of belly cream-buft", the rest whitish, ob- 

 scurely barred on breast, but deeply and distinctly on belly, 



