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



Kuatun wliich^ if true, further testifies to the fearlessness of 

 our Chinese Coal-Tit. The story, as related before me by 

 Kuang Liang, one of our best Kuatun hunters, is as follows: — 

 Kuang Liang was watching one day a Parus pekinensis in a 

 wood, when the bird flew down and perched on his gun, then 

 fluttered about his game-bag, apparently trying to get in ! 

 The man who told me this was quite in earnest and did not 

 in the least appear to be lying. When one considers the quiet 

 ways of a native hunter, and that the time was the height 

 of the nesting-season, the story does not appear quite in- 

 credible, and the suggestion of one of our Foochow men, 

 that the bird was perhaps anxious to get some cotton-wool 

 for its nest, perhaps explains its extraordinary behaviour. 



The soft parts of specimens shot at Kuatun are : iris dark 

 brown ; bill blackish ; legs dark leaden blue. 



55. Machlolophus rex David. 



This handsome Tit is common in the mountains about 

 Kuatun, descending in winter to the banks of the River Min, 

 where our men shot some in December 1895. It had already 

 paired when we arrived at Kuatun (29th March). It fre- 

 quents woods and clearings alike, and we often saw it mixing 

 with flocks of other small birds. This Tit is by no means a 

 shy bird, and a fine male, which had no doubt a nest in the 

 vicinity, used often to show itself on the bare branches of 

 the magnolias that grew by the village. One of its spring 

 calls is very loud and sounds like " kee quick-quick; " but, 

 like other Tits, it has a variety of notes. 



The soft parts of specimens collected are : — Iris dark brown ; 

 bill blackish brown ; legs dark leaden blue. Total length : 

 ^ , 6 inches ; ? , 5*55 inches. 



I was told that the nest is built in holes in the ground, as 

 well as in hollow trees. We have three clutches, all from 

 Kuatun : one obtained on the 24th April, 1897, comprising 

 three eggs; one of five eggs collected in the same year by the 

 natives ; and one of six eggs obtained on the 4th May, 1898. 

 The third nest was taken from a hole in a tree. The female 

 was brought to me alive with the nest and eggs. She bit 



