260 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Birds 



Adult male. Bill blackish brown, with the swollen membrane 

 pale bluish white. Iris yellow round the pupil, with a broader 

 outer circle of blood-red. The naked skin round the eye pale 

 flesh-colour. Legs bright pink, with blackish claws. General 

 plumage light greyish blue. Middle of the neck all round 

 splendent with purple pink, its lower part with emerald green. 

 Back, upper part of the sides, and lower wing-coverts pure white. 

 Primaries brown on their outer webs and ends, the brown on 

 some of the feathers being yellowish and light. Secondaries 

 with their ends a rich dark brown. Two black bars half across 

 the wing, one extending half across the secondai*y coverts, and 

 the other over the inner secondaries. Head, rump, and tail 

 bluish smoke-grey, the latter barred with a broad white band 1 \ 

 inch in extent, and then by a terminal black bar 1 inch in depth. 

 The white runs up the outer web of the outermost feather to its 

 base. Breast reddish purple. Lower parts light bluish grey. 



18. COTURNIX DACTYLISONANS, Mcycr. 



Not common. 



19. CHARA.DRIUS PHILIPPINUS. 



This was the common species here to be met with all along 

 the sandy beaches and gullies. You found them also in the 

 ploughed fields and grassy meadows ; in fact, wherever the 

 ground is flat. The bird runs with amazing velocity, carrying its 

 head rather low and its tail uplifted. When on wing it flutters 

 along, uttering its merry note " tew-tew." One morning I was 

 passing along a sandy water-course looking out for terns, when a 

 pair of small Plovers rose and flew round and round me in great 

 agitation, whistling and quivering their wings with every sign 

 of distress. The foolish birds ! if they had not alarmed them- 

 selves, I should have passed without noticing what met my eyes 

 when I examined the ground closely. Two wee downy things 

 were creeping about amongst gravel, so much the colour of the 

 ground that they were extremely hard to detect. They uttered 

 a sharp cry not unlike that of a young chick, and offiered no 

 resistance to my hand when I attempted to pick them up. The 

 old birds grew bold and noisy, perching close to me, and then 

 running ofi" to attract my attention, and flying round and round 



