Nesting of Birds in Fohkien. 49 



are invariably made use of around Foochow, notwithstanding 

 the>fact that trees with convenient nest-holes are abundant. 

 In the mountains, where Magpies are scarce, our collectors 

 state that the Kellers' eggs are laid in holes in trees. 



"When prospecting for suitable quarters the birds are very- 

 noisy and aggressive, but as soon as laying commences they 

 become very quiet, and fly away quickly and silently when 

 the tree is approached. 



The eggs, of which there are four to the clutch, are not laid 

 till late in May, as La Touche says : " probably because the 

 Magpies' nests are not available until early in that month." 

 There seem to be two types of eggs : — 



(a) Larger — intensely glossy china-white and sparsely 



pitted. 



(b) Smaller — less glossy and closely pitted. 

 Occasionally eggs of type («) are speckled with grey, some 



of them conspicuously so. These markings are sometimes 

 on the surface, at other times within the shell. They may, 

 of course, be, as La Touche says, " a peculiar form of nest- 

 stains," but are difficult to remove and appear like genuine 

 marks. 



Twenty-seven eggs average 1*40 X 1*13 in. : the largest 

 1-50 X 114, the smallest 1*31 X 1-07. 



Ceryle rudis (Linn.). 



A very common resident. 



We have never taken its eggs, but La Touche once kept 

 some young which were very wild and untamable. 



He shot a specimen in March in which the ova were largely 

 developed. 



Ceryle guttata Vigors. 



Resident, but much less common than the last. 



W r e have no notes as to its nidification. 



Halcyon smyrnensis (Linn.). 



Common and resident. 



We have no specimens of its eggs. La Touche reared 

 two or three young birds at Amoy. They fed readily on raw 

 beef and crabs and became very tame. 



SER. VIII. VOL. V. E 



