Birds of Northern Formosa. 369 



49. MUNIA ACUTICAUDA HoclgS. 



50. MuNiA TOPELA Swinh. 



Both these Munias are very abundant. I obtained eggs 

 and nests during May and June. 



51. CoCCOTHRAUSTES MELANURUS (Gm.). 



A fine male visited our garden at Hobe on 16th April. It 

 flew about the compound excitedly, and kept calling to a 

 caged bird of the same kind in the verandah. It was possibly 

 an escaped cage-bird. 



52. Spodiopsar cineraceus (Temra.). 



Very common in the Tamsui district during the winter. 

 One was shot on the 25th March. I did not notice any 

 after this date. 



53. Acridotheres cristatellus (Linn.). 



The Crested Mynah seems to be even rarer in Northern 

 Formosa than in the south of the island. I saw six at 

 Tokoham in January, and a pair came flying about our house 

 at Hobe in the spring of 1895. They appeared greatly 

 excited and flew wildly round the house, being joined, after 

 a short time, by ray three tame birds of the same species. 

 The five birds had several flights together, and at last the 

 new arrivals flew off across the river accompanied by one of 

 my birds, which returned alone after a few minutes' absence. 



The above-mentioned tame Mynahs were taken from the 

 nest and reared in Amoy. During my stay at Tamsui they 

 became so tame as to follow me for some distance when out 

 for a walk. Two of them paired early in the spring. The 

 female was the first to make advances, and for a long time 

 was beaten ofl' by the cock bird. On putting up a box for 

 them on a wardrobe in my bedroom they adopted it at once, 

 and built a ragged nest of straw, sticks, and all kinds of 

 rubbish. The first egg was laid on 16th May, after which I 

 found it lying broken in the verandah. Three other eggs 

 were laid in odd corners of the room or verandah. The pair 

 became very fierce as soon as the first egg was laid, and 

 attacked any one who came near the nest. There used to be 



