Mr. R. Swihhoe on the Ornithology of Hainan. 87 



trying my luck at him when one of my comrades on the other 

 side of the bank first snapped a cap, and then fired an unsuc- 

 cessful shot at him. The bird increased the speed of his flight, 

 shaking himself as he went along, and we thus lost the noble 

 fellow. I saw another on the 15th of March taking long 

 sweeping flights round a rock off West Island (S. Hainan), but 

 there was no getting at him. It was a light-coloured bird, and 

 more like the B. leucogaster than any other Sea-Eagle I know. 



8. BUTEO JAPONICUS, T. & S. 



I first fell in with this bird on the island of Naochow. He 

 was resting at noon, after a meal off Passer montanus, in one 

 of the bushy trees of a small gi'ove. My appearance dis- 

 turbed him, and he flew across heavily, when I secured him. 

 The irideswere yellowish-brown, just tinged with green, the cere 

 and legs orange-yellow. This was on the 2nd of February, and 

 the Buzzard was probably there, as at Amoy and Hongkong, a 

 winter visitant I afterwards saw the species on the 11th of 

 March at Lingsuy (S.E. Hainan) and on the 25th of March at 

 Heongpoo (W. Hainan). 



9. ? POLIORNIS POLIOGENYS (T. & S.). 



At Lingmun (Central Hainan) I saw a small Buzzard-like 

 bird, which escaped wounded over a hedge. I took it to be this 

 species, but, as I cannot be sure, I mark it with a query. The 

 Polimmis is also a migrant on the China coast, and may possi- 

 bly pay winter-visits to Hainan. 



10. Circus spilonotus, Kaup. 



There were several of this Harrier squatting about a large 

 grassy plain, on the 15th of February, near the city of Ting-gan. 

 I could not get near enough to them to have a shot. I observed 

 it also over the paddy-fields near the capital. 



11. Circus ^ruginosus (Linn.). 



I saw the Marsh-Harrier about the fenny shores of Hoihow 

 harbour (N. Hainan) ; and up the river, near Ting-gan city, on 

 the 15th of February, I winged a female with the help of a 

 cartridge. 



