the Lower Yangtse Basin. 491 



Order STEGANOPODES. 



Fam. PELECANIDiE. 



219. Pelecanus philippensis (Briss.). 



(769.) Common on the sand-banks of the river in winter. 

 Where they breed I do not know ; but I have not observed 

 them in summer, perhaps from lack of opportunity. 



Fam. PhalacrocoracidjE. 



220. Phalacrocorax carbo (L.). 



(770.) Common on the river, wherever there are suitable 

 cliffs or rocks, several hundreds often collet^ting together. 



They assume the handsome breeding-plumage in March. 

 On the 9th of that month, when travelling on a raft down 

 the Chien San River towards the Yangtse, we passed under 

 scores of them, all sitting in pairs on overhanging boughs 

 (some of them very slender) only 15 or 20 feet overhead. 



They are largely used for fishing purposes on the clear 

 creeks which cross the delta country in all directions ; also 

 on the streams issuing from the mountains and on the in- 

 land lakes. They are generally kept in flocks of from 30 to 

 100, and are taken about the country as required. Some 

 flocks are steadily driven hundreds of miles down the river to 

 reach a new fishing- ground. 



Order HERODIONES. 

 Fam. Ardeid^e. 



221. Ardea cinerea, L. 



(626.) Very common. They breed early in March. 



222. Ardea purpurea, L. 



(627.) I have only met with this species in the month of 

 April, when it is not uncommon. 



223. HeRODIAS ALBA (L.). 



(628.) Egretta modesta, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 412. 



A few remain on the river all winter. In April others 

 arrive, and for about a month they are plentiful. They 

 then become scarce, though a few may be seen on the wing, 

 and an odd bird or two on the border of the lake, from which 



