South Formosa and its Birds. 821 



heard many birds in the foliage overhead, and the natives 

 dispersed in search of them. For my part, I could distin- 

 guish nothing, and my companions, with their firing, soon 

 frightened oft' what birds were within reach of me, and as, 

 with one exception, they proved to be infamously bad marks- 

 men, I found them of little use. However, after many shots, 

 they brought down a Sibia auricularis, a forest-bird which 

 seems to be very common here, flying in small flocks among 

 the tree-tops. 



A narrow forest-path, which wound round the hill, aff'orded 

 me good walking for a time. While following this a pretty 

 dark-blue bird {Notodela montium) flitting among the under- 

 wood was secured ; but I saw nothing else, and my Pepohwan 

 friends, who had seemed, from the fusillade higher up in the 

 woods, to be having good sport, contributed but little to the 

 bag; for, when we had met at noon to rest and eat our rice, 

 their only captures were another Sibia auricularis, a squirrel 

 with red underparts, and a large tree-frog. 



The spot chosen as resting-place was on the bank of a 

 little rivulet, which had here formed a tiny pool, over- 

 shadowed on the other side by tall trees. Fresh traces of a 

 fire showed that savages had recently been here, and, in 

 fact, the place where I had met the aborigines yesterday was 

 just below us. 



We now retraced our steps, and at last I began to meet 

 with a few birds. Parties of Alcippe morrisonia were chat- 

 tering in the thickets, several Sibia auricularis were passing 

 overhead flying from tree to tree, a couple more of the 

 Blue Warbler {Notodela montium) were shot in the underwood, 

 and as I was standing still, listening and waiting for some- 

 thing to come along, a Barbet {Cyanops nuchalis) came and 

 perched on a tree close by. I shot it, and presently 

 secured another at the same spot. A flock of Black Mountain- 

 Bulbul [Hypsipetes nigerrimus) flew by, as well as other birds 

 which I did not recognize. My hunters also shot a few 

 birds, among which were a pretty Minivet {Pericrocotus 

 griseigularis) ,2l Formosan Tree-Pie {De7idrocitta formosa) , and 

 a Liocichla steeri. We heard the Formosan Long-tailed Jay 



SER. VII. VOL. I. 2 a 



