Mr. R. Swinhoe un the Ornithology of Hainan. 241 



skins agree with some from Amoy. ^ . Wing 4*2; tail 5-25. 

 ? . Wing 3-9; tail 5. 



44. Lanius fuscatus, Less,; Walden, Ibis, 1868, p. 69 ; 

 L. melanthes, Swinlioe, Ibis, 1867, p. 405. 



I met this smoke-coloured Shrike on two occasions in cen- 

 tral Hainan. Like the former, it was solitary, and perched on 

 tops of trees and bushes and other conspicuous places. The 

 first specimen procured is like the one I obtained near Amoy 

 (Ibis, 1867, /. c), but wants the chocolate vent — it being there of 

 the same tint as the belly, and thus the last trace of its connexion 

 in colour with L. schach is lost. 



The second Hainan specimen is dusky rufesceut on the sca- 

 pulars, lower back, and flanks, and almost chocolate-colour on the 

 uppertail-coverts, tibial flanks, and vent. In this, then, there is 

 apparently a slight reversion to L. schach. I was at first led to 

 think that this was a cross between the two ; but I am now 

 rather inclined to believe that L. fuscatus is a recent and unfixed 

 derivation of L. schach, and still bears a tendency to revert. 

 The fact of the bird having been found at Amoy, Hongkong, 

 and Hainan shows that though its origin may be comparatively 

 recent, it has endured long enough to spread itself over 

 some hundreds of miles of country ; for even if we take it 

 as a melanoid form, we can scarcely fancy this particular mela- 

 nism being produced at difi'erent places such distances apari, 

 d . Wing 4 ; tail 5-25. ? . Wing 4; tail 4-875. 



45. ? Lanius lucionensis, Scop. 



The first red-tailed Shrike I saw was on the 20th of March, 

 at Tuntow (W. Hainan), where there were several about the 

 bushes, uttering the long chattering note of L. lucionensis. I 

 met a few again on the 2nd of April at Hoihow (port of the 

 capital). They seemed to be fresh arrivals. As I unfortunately 

 did not procure a specimen, I assign it to this species with doubt. 

 The birds I saw seemed browner than the grey-headed form 

 which visits Amoy in such numbers in spring and autumn. 



46. Tephrodornis pelvica (Hodgs.). 



I was much pleased to see, for the first time, this tropical 

 form of Shrike. It occurred in central Hainan, keeping to the 



