336 Mr. R. Swinhoe's Notes on Ornithology 



67. Hawfinch. Coccothraustes vulgaris, Selby. 

 In cages. 



68. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra, L. 

 In cages. 



69. Chinese Magpie. Pica sericea, Gould. 



Veiy common : associating in the winter in large flocks. 



70. Blue Magpie. Cyanopica cyanea (Pall.). 



This shy and noisy bird occurred in large flocks among the 

 thick groves of the pine. Imagine yourself in a dark grove of 

 such ti-ees, walled all round. Several large tomb-mounds stand 

 at the other end, side by side. They can contain nought but 

 the dust of the departed ; for these trees were planted at the same 

 time ; and see to what a height they have attained, their long 

 arms twining fondly together, and throwing a dark gloom on the 

 coarse grass and weeds below. You hear a rustle over your head, 

 then another and another, and a loud nasal chattering commences. 

 You look up quietly, and see leaping from bough to bough a 

 party of long-tailed blue birds, displaying their pretty tints at 

 each leap, and spreading their tails to balance themselves as they 

 alight. This is the month of October, and still they are moulting. 

 Presently one sees you, and gives the warning "cayr" pronounced 

 nasally and gutturally, as much as to say " an intruder,^' and with 

 notes sounding something like "cairn wit-wit twit-twit" ofi" he 

 flies. All hands follow, each bird as he flies from his perch joining 

 in the chorus " twit-twit." Thus in nearly single file they stream 

 off to the next grove. In July 1858 I found these birds very 

 common near Shanghai, where they were rearing their young in 

 similar groves. Their nests were usually placed close to the top 

 of the fir-trees, and were built exteriorly of sticks, and open at the 

 top, much in the manner of the Jays. As far as habits are con- 

 cerned, the Blue Pies certainly have far more in common with 

 the long-tailed Jays, Urocissce, than with Magpies; and some 

 of their actions are not unlike those of the large Chinese 

 Garj'ulax, G. perspicillatus (Gm.). 



71. Book. Corvus pastinator, Gould. 



Hundreds of this bird frequented the large trees around the 



