190 Mr. J. D. D. La Touche on the 



neck well separated from the grey-brown back ; but the 

 winter specimens from the same locality have the red of the 

 head somewhat less distinctly separated from the colour of 

 the back, and are duskier throughout, thus approaching the 

 brighter of the dull-coloured Shanghai birds. All tliese birds 

 are absolutely distinct from the Formosan skin mentioned 

 above. The examples from Shanghai and its neighbourhood 

 (one summer and six winter skins) differ from the Kuatun 

 specimens in the less rich colouring of the head and the 

 generally duller appearance of the plumage, the colour of the 

 head merging into the colour of the back ; but another winter 

 skin from Anwhei is lighter and more brightly colouredj and, 

 by its head and back, is intermediate between the Kuatun 

 and the Formosan examples. An October skin from Ichang 

 is again very like the Kuatun skins in the distinctness of the 

 head and neck colouring from that of the back, the brightness 

 of its head, and the light colour of the underparts. A Peking 

 example of S. longicauda is very like the duller of the 

 Shanghai skins, but equals in size the Formosan bird. 



The conclusion that I draw from the comparison of my 

 skins is that there is but one real species, Suthora webbiana 

 Gray, which is, however, divisible into one Formosan and 

 three Chinese races : — 



Suthora longicauda Campbell. North of Shanghai, but barely tlistiuct 



from the following. 

 S. v:ebbiann Gray (typical). Shanghai and the adjoining country 



along the coast. 

 S. snffusa Swinhoe. Upper Yangtze and Fohhien mountains. Racial 



characters specially marked in Fohlden summer skins. 

 S. bulonmchus Swinhoe. Formosa. Very fairly distinct from the 



Chinese birds. More nearly related to the Fohkien and Ichang 



race of S. ivebhiana. 



I believe that Mr. Styan is of my opinion as regards the 

 Chinese races of S. ivebbiana, but his large series shows that 

 all the Chinese forms meet in the basin of the lower 

 Yangtze. 



Webb's Suthora is very abundant near Kuatun, frequenting 

 the tea-fields in large flocks, as also bamboo-plantations and 

 thickets near cleared ground. I saw it paired for tlic first 



