Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornitholor/y of Hainan. 235 



never go for a walk without both hearing and seeing it. I have 

 three adults^ and one in immature plumage, from the neigh- 

 bourhood of the capital city, and an adult male from the south. 

 They measure : — 



S. Hainan. . adult c?. Wing 7-75; tail 10-2o. 



„ 2- „ 8-75; „ 11-.5. 

 „ 2- V 8 '5; „ 12-2o. 

 immature. „ 8 ; „ 10 



The adult specimens are dull- coloured, and lack, on the 

 breast especially, the fine deep bluish-purple of the continental 

 bird; but this colour is not constant in my series from different 

 parts, and appears to fade^ and often to change to bronze. My 

 immature bird is in the second stage of plumage, which I have 

 not seen before in this species. 



Head and hind neck deep dusky olive-brown, the stems of 

 most of the feathers being pale yellowish-brown. Wings and 

 upper back chestnut, washed on the tertials and tips of the 

 quills with brown; two or three of the secondaries banded with 

 blackish-brown. Lower back, tail-coverts, and two middle rec- 

 trices deep greenish-brown, barred with dull yellowish-brown, 

 the others deep brownish-green, with only a few indistinct bars 

 near their bases. Throat and breast light yellowish -brown mot- 

 tled with brown, the feathers having whitish stems. Belly and 

 flanks dusky blackish, barred closely and obscurely with light 

 dingy yellowish -brown. 



This second plumage the bird does not, according to Dr. Jer- 

 don (B. Ind. i. p. 349), always acquire on its progress to maturity, 

 sometimes j umping from the first to the adult form . C. rafipennis 

 has not fallen much under my observation. But C. viridis, 

 which has been the prevailing species at places where I have 

 been mostly stationed, I think I can state with certainty, as a 

 rule, undergoes the three changes. 



37. Centropus viridis (Scop.). 



In the outskirts of the jungle at Lingshuy (S.E. Hainan) I 

 saw several of this small Crow-Pheasant, and on West Island (S. 

 Hainan) I obtained a specimen. It was in the second phase 

 of plumage. 



