Birds of Northern Formosa. 357 



high overhead were thought at the time to be M. fuscata 

 from their call. They were going in a north-westerly 

 direction. 



4. GeOCICHLA VARIA (Pall.). 



Two males shot on 4th November and 15th March on the 

 North Hill. A few others were noticed in the same locality. 



5. MoNTicoLA soLiTARius (Briss.). 



Common in Northern Formosa. Two obtained at Tokoham 

 in January. 



6. Myiophoneus insularis Gould. 



Fairly common about the mountain-streams. 1 procured 

 six examples from the neighbourhood of Tokoham. One of 

 them was shot quite close to the city. The alarm-note is a 

 plaintive " tzeet.''^ It is a shy bird, and has much the same 

 habits as M. caruleus of China. The stomach of one speci- 

 men contained water-insects and freshwater shrimps. 



7. Trochalopteron taivanum (Swinh.). 

 Abundant all over the country in the settled districts. 

 Eggs and nests said to belong to this bird were brought 



to me on 19th May and throughout June. The breeding- 

 season probably lasts till the late summer, as eggs procured 

 on 1st July were perfectly fresh. The full clutch is apparently 

 three and sometimes two eggs. The shape of the eggs is 

 variable, but a rather short ovate or a nearly true oval 

 appears to be the usual shape. One of the clutches obtained 

 consists of three ovate eggs, measuring l"-07 x 0""78, 

 l"-08 X 0"-77, and l"-06 x 0"'76. Eleven eggs each measure 

 1" X 0"-8, and the 21 in my collection average l''x 0"-78 

 (excluding an abnormally small clutch of three ovate eggs 

 obtained on 19th May and measuring l''xO''-7, l''xO''*75, 

 0'''-95 xO''-7). The colour is turquoise-blue, the shell being 

 very smooth and glossy. 



The nest is made of leaves, twigs, rootlets, coarse grasses, 

 and bamboo-leaves rather loosely bound together with 

 tendrils, &c., the leaves and broader material forming the 

 secondary base. It is in the shape of a cup of rough 



