328 Mr. J. D. de La Touche on 



the upper parts. As the plateaux of the Pescadores are at 

 this season quite bare of vegetation, there is no protection for 

 any field-birds from the birds of prey; this would seem to 

 be remedied by the birds putting on (in winter ?) a reddish 

 plumage, which makes them almost invisible when crouching 

 on the shallow ridges of the fields. These three species, with 

 the ubiquitous Sparrow, were all the birds we noticed on this 

 occasion. 



We left the Pescadores next morning, Feb. 11th, and 

 by noon were in sight of Formosa. The great plain which 

 extends along the west coast, and stretches across to the feet 

 of the central chain of mountains, terminates about 40 miles 

 from the S. of Formosa. Thence to the South Cape the 

 mountains rise very near the sea-shore. Rounding the flat- 

 topped S.W. cape, enclosing one side of Kualiang Bay, we 

 saw ahead the lighthouse standing on the South Cape, which 

 is also a flat-topped headland of coralline limestone. A coral- 

 reef surrounds the cape, but boats can reach a jetty, erected 

 by the lighthouse authorities, through an artificial passage. 

 There we landed, and while the lighthouse-stores were being 

 landed I went for a walk in the jungle, which reaches down to 

 the beach. A shady path led inland, and, tempted to explore 

 it, T started in pursuit of a Bulbul whose unfamiliar call had 

 attracted my attention at once on landing. I suspected it to 

 be Mr. Styan's recently described Pycnonotus taivanus (Ibis, 

 1893, p. 470), but it was shy, and I was unable to ascertain 

 for certain. I made my way up to the clifi", which is clothed 

 with luxuriant vegetation. The Bulbuls were calling in 

 every direction, as were also Troch. taivanum, Pomat. musicus, 

 Oriolus diffusus, and other birds. Near the foot of the cliff' 

 I flushed a Button Quail {Turnix taigoorl), and a few yai'ds 

 further on a Dove, M'itli barred lower back {Chalcophaps 

 indica?), flew rapidly by, and was gone before I could get 

 my gun up. I made my way through open grassy ground 

 to the flat plateau above the lighthouse, which was covered 

 with a low jungle of pandani and some good-sized date-palms. 

 Here the Bulbuls were abundant, flying in twos and threes 

 from one date-palm to another, but so shy as to be uu- 



