318 Mr. F. W. Styan on the Birds of 



almost disappear afterwards^ leaving only a few representatives 

 at this northern limit of their winter-quarters. In the 

 migratory list the most curious point is the omission of 

 several species which might fairly be expected to pass through 

 the district. 



Merula chrysolaus, M. cardis, and Emberiza sulphurata 

 winter in South China, and on their spring migration strike 

 across from the mountainous province of Chekiang to Japan, 

 thus avoiding the Yangtse valley. According to David, the 

 first two push on as far as the Amoor to breed. 



Hypsipetes amaurotis and Xanthopygia narcissina follow 

 the same route, but a few stragglers pass through the Yangtse 

 valley. 



Locustella ochotensis, Lusciniola a'edon, Cypselus pacificus, 

 Cerchneis pekinensis, C. amurensis, and Astur palumbarius 

 must pass through the district, and their absence from my 

 list is no doubt mainly due to want of observation. It is 

 not, however, improbable that those which pass up the east 

 coast strike across from Chekiang province to the Shantung 

 promontory, just avoiding the Yangtse mouth. 



A number of species not included in this list approach the 

 Yangtse basin, but are confined within the mountainous dis- 

 tricts to the south of it — for instance, Prinia inornata, 

 Suthora gularis, Mehphus melanicterus, Dendrocitta sinensis, 

 Centropus sinensis, Trochalopterum cinereiceps, and Leiothrix 

 luteus. 



The list will, I believe, be found correct in the main, but 

 subject to alteration and addition. A few of the migratory 

 species may possibly remain to breed, and some of those 

 placed under the head of stray visitants may prove to be 

 regular migrants. From the list of breeding birds few, if any, 

 can be eliminated, though in some cases their claim to rank 

 as such rests upon circumstantial evidence only. The dijffi- 

 culty of obtaining reliable information in China is very great, 

 and the following notes are based entirely upon my own 

 observations in the field, and on specimens which I have 

 actually handled. With these I have incorporated the infor- 

 mation to be found in David and Oustalet^s ' Oiseaux de laj 



