14 Mr. E. Hargitt on the Genus Gecinus. 



the present species and Gonld's G. tancolo from Formosa, 

 and I cannot detect any specific character by whicli the latter 

 can be separated from G. guerini. Specimens identical with 

 Formosan examples are found on the mainland, and although 

 they are darker and have more black on the head and on the 

 lores than the more northerly specimens, still, in a series, 

 every possible gradation is found ; and this being the case, I 

 cannot see where the line is to be drawn. 



Swinhoe (Ibis, 1863, p. 389) mentions having obtained a 

 male and two young birds in the mountainous country near 

 Foochow, and states that they differed from the Formosan 

 examples in having the two lateral tail-feathers banded with 

 brownish white, and the pale bars on the two central feathers 

 carried up to the shafts, instead of separated from them by 

 a line of brown. All specimens of G. guerini have the lateral 

 tail-feathers banded as in the Foochow birds, but in Formosan 

 examples the barring is more obsolete. A specimen from 

 Formosa in the Swinhoe collection, which I take to be the 

 bird specially compared by Swinhoe with the Foochowan 

 examples, has certainly the spots on the central pair of tail- 

 feathers separated from the shaft by a dark line ; but these 

 feathers are new, being scarcely full-grown, and I believe 

 this line to occur in the new and perfect feather. In an 

 example, also from Formosa, having the plumage much worn, 

 the spotting on the central tail-feathers appears nearer the 

 shaft. 



G. guerini does not appear to be found north of Nankin 

 (where it is replaced by G, canus) , but extends over Central 

 and Southern China into the island of Formosa. I have 

 only seen one example from Nankin, and that is in the 

 British Museum. SAvinhoe writes that this species is found 

 at Shanghai, &c., circa 30° latitude, and along the Yangtsze 

 to Szechuan. Capt. Blakiston procured it on the same 

 river, and specimens were also obtained between Hankow 

 and Quaicliow by Mrs. Greig and Dr. Rcid. The Rev. H. 

 H. Slater states that it is found in Woochung, Central 

 Hoopih, and likewise records it from Szechuan. Mr. 

 Seebohm's collection contains specimens from Shanghai, 



