Mr. R. Swinhoe on Amoy Ornithology . 63 



their appearance. We cannot, therefore, minutely compare, it 

 is true, this D. sinensis with the Formosan bird. One differ- 

 ence, however, is conspicuous. The white wing-spot is small, 

 and only visible on the third to the eighth quills, while in the 

 Formosan bird it is much larger, and extends from the third to 

 the tenth quills. According to Mr. Blyth, the Himalayan form 

 has even more white on the wing than the Formosan (Ibis, 1865, 

 p. 45), and the latter in this respect is therefore intermediate 

 between the Chinese and Indian, — which does not accord with 

 their relative geographical habitats. I have unfortunately no 

 immature specimens from Formosa by me ; but I feel pretty sure 

 that the white wing-spot does not enlarge with maturity. 



The hunter had also a male Dicceum cruentatum, a not fully 

 fledged specimen of Ixus chrysorrhoides (showing the crissum 

 chestnut-buff instead of crimson), and three females and one male 

 of Brachypternus fokiensis (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 87). One female of 

 the last has the head and neck a pale reddish cream-colour, the 

 feathers marked with blackish-brown and chestnut in the middle. 

 This appears to be the fresh-moulted condition of those parts, 

 which soon get dingy and stained darker. 



There were some adult and some immature examples of our 

 common Titmouse, which in form oscillates between Parus cine- 

 reus and P. minor. It is objectionable to require a sentence 

 each time a bird is mentioned : for convenience, then, I would 

 propose to call it 



Parus commixtus. 



The chief difference between P. cinereus of the Straits and P. 

 minor of Japan appears to be the colour of the back. The back 

 of P. commixtus, in the adult, shows a compromise between the 

 two, sometimes leaning a little more to one side than to the 

 other. My object in bringing forward the species now is to 

 note the great difference of the immature form, of which good 

 specimens have reached me from Tingchow. In this the cheeks 

 and under parts arc light yellow, instead of white, showing a 

 direct affinity to the typical P. major of Europe. The stripe, 

 extending from the chin to the middle only of the belly, is light 



