between Takoo and Peking, North China. 331 



P. STjlvicultrix, mihi, so common at certain seasons at Amoy ; but 

 on handling it, I at once observed the 1st primary, quite small 

 in P. sylvicultrix, to be much larger in this species. The tarsus 

 was furthermore, strange to say, of a leaden colour, as in the 

 ParidiE, though the feet were quite phylloscopine. I extract my 

 notes taken while the bird was fresh. 



d. Length 4^ in.; wing 2^, 1st primary 6-^; tail Ij^q-; 

 tarsus ^. Bill : upper mandible brown, lower mandible and 

 rictus clear ochre. Legs leaden grey, bases of toes and claws 

 pale yellowish. This species resembles much P. sijlvicuUrix, 

 but is distinguishable at once by its large 1st primary, the grey 

 legs, and the ochreous under-mandible. In this last peculiarity 

 it resembles P. coronatus ; but is a smaller species, and is totally 

 destitute of the pale yellowish stripe, flanked by a brown one on 

 each side, that crowns the head of the Japanese bird. 



36. Red-flanked White-eye. Zosterops japonicus,Ten-im. 

 & Schl. 



I saw this bird only once, and that in a cage at Tientsin, and 

 was surprised to find how completely it differed from the Southern- 

 Chinese species, to which I had before ascribed the same name. 

 Schlegel was quite right in the ' Fauna Japonica ' in stating that 

 this species has no 1st primary, and that the feathers of the 

 flanks are of a ruddy rust- colour, though in the colour of the 

 legs and beak he was misinformed. These, as in the southern 

 species, are leaden-coloured. The coloui'ed plate, which his son 

 at Amoy has, misled me ; as the colours, somewhat carelessly put 

 on, do not show in half-brilliant-enough tints the red patch on 

 each side that marks the species. It will not do to call the other 

 bird Z. sinensis, as it is only a Southern-Chinese form, being 

 generally resident in the places where it is found. Let it stand, 

 then, as Z. simplex. 



37. Marsh Tit. Parus palustris, L. 



It is surely remarkable that this European species should be 

 the only common bird of the genus in the Peiho Plain. I have 

 four skins, and I can discover no specific distinction ; perhaps 

 Mr. Sclater may be more successful. Wherever trees abounded, 

 the chirp of this species was sure to be heard. They were rather 



z 2 



