between Takoo and Peking, North China. 341 



89. Chinese Oriole. Oriolus chinensis, Scop. 

 Frequent in August and September. 



90. Lapland Turtle. Turtur orientalis (Lath.). 



The only Dove observed. It is found during winter all down 

 the coast as far as Hongkong. 



91. Ring-necked Pheasant. Phasianus torquatus. 



We never met with these birds alive, but some were brought 

 for sale to Tangkoo and Tientsin, and the natives assured us 

 they were captured in the neighbourhood. 



92. Button Quail. Turnix dussumieri, Temminck. 

 Identified by Mr. Blyth, and wrongly named in my Amoy list 



as T. jondera, Hodgson. One of this species was shot in 

 September in a millet field. The same bird is found in spring 

 all down the coast as far south as Hongkong. 



93. Quail. Coturnix dactylisonans. 



Very common, even as late as October, in which month 

 immense flocks of them dropped in the neighbourhood of the 

 Taku forts, evidently birds from more northerly parts bound south. 



94. Pallas' Sand-Grouse. Syrrhaptes paradoxus (Pall.). 

 Your readers will be both surprised and delighted to hear of 



the abundant occurrence of this species during winter about the 

 plains between Peking and Tientsin. Flocks of hundreds con- 

 stantly pass over with a very swift flight, not unlike that of the 

 Golden Plover, for which we at first mistook them. The market 

 at Tientsin was literally glutted with them, and you could 

 purchase them for a mere nothing. The natives called them 

 " Sha-chee " or Sand-fowl, and told me they were mostly 

 caught in clapnets. After a fall of snow their capture was 

 greatest; for where the net was laid the ground was cleared 

 and strewed with small green beans. The cleared patch was 

 almost sure to catch the eyes of the passing flocks, who would 

 descend and crowd into the snare. It only remained then for 

 the fowler, hidden at a distance, to jerk the strings, and in his 

 haul he would not unfrequently take the whole flock. Numbers, 

 however, were shot with matchlocks. When on the ground they 

 were rather shy and difficult of approach , but on the wing they 



