374 Lieut. R. E. Vauglian and Staff-Surg. K. H. Jones 



DUPETOR FLAVICOLLIS. 



This Bitteru is a summer visitor to the delta of the 

 Canton River^ and is much the rarest of tlie three breeding 

 species. It arrives early in May, and after nesting betakes 

 itself to the ripe paddy ; when that is cut it looks out for 

 other suitable cover until October^ when it vanishes to the 

 south. 



Only two nesting-places were found : one at Kong jNIun, 

 where this species breeds in company with A. sinensis and 

 A. cinnamomea, and the otl.er between Kong Mun and Moto 

 Mun, in the reeds ; the former only contained tliree pairs. 

 The nest is just a platform of dead and decaying vegetable 

 matter, and on it two or three eggs are laid. These are 

 white with a greenish tint. 



The eggs vary from 1"74 to 1"59 in length and from 1"27 

 to 1-21 in breadth, and average l-r)3xl'24. 



BoTAURUS STELLARIS. 



A few Bitterns occur every winter and are sometimes shot 

 in the Snipe marshes. 



Phalacrocorax carbo. 



Cormorants are winter visitors to the Kwang Tung coast, 

 and they are not found very far up the rivers as a general 

 rule. One particular bird, however, was often noted on a 

 particular stake at a place forty miles from the sea. They 

 appear in November, and for the most part leave again by 

 the middle of April. They have, however, been seen about 

 Hong Kong as late as the first week in May. 



Young birds, with white breasts and underparts, were 

 noted on November 26. 



The practice of fishing with Cormorants, which is so well 

 known among the Chinese, is only carried on up the North 

 River. 



Phalacrocorax pelagicus. 



Shags are not uncommon winter visitors to the Kwang 

 Tung coast, though they are never so abundant as tiie 

 Cormorants. From October until April they may be found 



