Birds of North-west Fohkien. 193 



27. CiNCLus PALLAsi Tcmm. 



Common on the torrents near Kuatun. Full-grown 

 young were flying about during our stay. Adult birds were 

 extremely wild^ but the young generally allowed a close 

 approach. Several eggs were collected for me before our 

 arrival. One of these is of a somewhat elongated ovate with 

 pointed apex^ and measures l*55xO"77 inch; another is 

 more oval, measuring 1-50x0 76 inch. 



28. He.nicurus sinensis Gould. 



We have not obtained the nest of this bird in N.W. Fohkien, 

 but I took one in the Peling country near Foochow on the 

 14th May, 1897. It was found in an alley at the back of 

 a house, and was placed on a ledge of the cut rock forming 

 the back wall of the alley, at a height of about 9 feet from 

 the ground. On my apj) roach the bird flew down the alley 

 and waited there till the crowd had dispersed, and, notwith- 

 standing that an egg had already been taken from the nest, 

 returned to it as soon as the place was again quiet. 



The nest is a cup, composed outwardly of moss, with thick 

 sloping walls in front, diminishing in width at the sides, and 

 very thin at the back, wdiere the nest rested against the rock. 

 The inner part of the nest is of fine grass, fine roots, and 

 tendrils, these forming a strong inner cup, but which can be 

 seen through where no moss occurs below it ; there are a 

 few skeleton-leaves as final lining. The depth of the cup is 

 between If and 2 inches. The inner diameter is 3j inches. 

 From the edge of the cup to the foot of the sloping front wall 

 about 4 inches. The thickness of the back wall is about ^ inch. 

 There were four fresh eggs : two of somewhat pyriform 

 ovate shape, and two more ovate, but also with sharp apex. 

 The ground-colour of these eggs is a cold or stone orange, 

 and they are spotted and lightly speckled Avith two shades 

 of a warm brick-red over reddish-lilac underlying spots. 

 The spots are fewer on one egg, darker, and there is a small 

 dark cap of semi-underlying blotches of warm I'ed-brown. 

 There is an approach to a cap on another e^^. These eggs 

 are of smooth texture, with very little gloss. They measure 

 0-95 X 0-G7, 0-9.i X 069, 090 x 066, and 0-90 x 0*66 inch. 



