200 On the Birds of South-eastern China. 



the Magpie may also serve^ and that o£ the Mynah has 

 been found appropriated. 



On March 31 a pair of these birds was found to have 

 dispossessed a couple of Magpies of their nest, and the male 

 was sitting on a twig close by "churring" loudly, whilst his 

 mate Avas inside the empty nest. The birds deserted this 

 nest. On April 6 a bird was found sitting on three eggs in a 

 Avell-madc nest of strips of soft bark^ placed in a hollow 

 horizontal limb of a large banyan-tree, about ten feet from 

 the ground, and so tightly did she sit that she had to be 

 lifted out by hand squealing like a rat, and scratching and 

 biting lustily. On May 1, up the North River, a clutch of 

 four was taken, but the bird usually lays three eggs. 



These Owls may be heard " churring^' at all hours of the 

 night and throughout tlie day as well ; they are frequently 

 mobbed in daylight by small birds. Eight eggs average 

 l"49xr20, and vary in length from 1'57 to 1'38, and in 

 width from 1-27 to MG. 



ASIO ACCIPITRINUS. 



Sliort-eared Owls occur up the West River most often in 

 tlie month of April and have, as a rule, been flushed whilst 

 Snipe-shooting in mulberry-canes, or Quail-shooting in long 

 j;rass. 



This species was also met with in January, February, 

 and INIay, and may be considered a rather scarce but regular 

 spring migrant. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE V. 



Chinese Eggs. 



Fio-. L Citculus viicrapterus. Macao, 26 May, 1900. 



„ 2. Alcippe Imeti. llowlik, 28 May, 1907, 



„ 3. Partis cmereus. Near Howlik, 19 May, 1907. 



,, 4. Prinia mornata. Moto Mim, 2 June, 1907. 



„ 5. „ Tnni-chau, 1 August, 1907. 



„ 6. Pericrocotiis roseiis. Wu-cliau, 1 July, 1907. 



„ 7. Chlon's sinica. Wu-chau, 29 March, 1906. 



,, 8. Burnesia sonitnnfi. Howlik, 19 May, 1907. 



„ 9. Cncomanfix mcrulinvfi. Hong Kong, 2o April, 190^. 



„ ]0. TerpMphone incii. Tak-hing, 29 May, 1906. 



„ 11. ('a)npophnga mdanoptera. Howlik, 17 June, 1907. 



