on the Birds of South-eastern China. 375 



in suitable places, and especially on islands off the coast. 

 Shags have been observed as far as eighty miles out at 

 sea, but this is not usual. 



Pklecanus philippensis. 



Pelicans are rare and unusual winter visitors to Kwang 

 Tung and Kwang Si, and have only been noticed on a few 

 occasions. An immature bird was seen near Wuchau iu 

 August 1906, which, when approached, paddled down river 

 at a great pace. Other specimens have bef^n noticed in 

 Deep Bay and off the coast, near Macao, in April. 



COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS. 



The Red-throated Diver was noticed once in February 

 1901, at Deep Bay, when a Chinaman encountered on the 

 road had a bird of this species in a basket and volunteered 

 the information that it had been caught in a fishing-net. 



PODICIPES PHILIPPENSIS. 



The Little Grebe is a resident species, bat subject to 

 considerable seasonal movement. In spring the migration 

 of these birds is easily observed, because the paddy-fields 

 are then dry and they are obliged to keep to the river, 

 whereas in early autumn everything is wet. 



The habits of the bird at the uest are the same as they 

 ai'e in England, and on leaving its eggs the female covers 

 them with decayed vegetation, Lotus ponds are especially 

 favoured for breeding purposes, and each pair has its own 

 pond. The nests are hard to find, when hidden by a big 

 floating lily-leaf; and there are no boats on these pieces 

 of water. 



Near Canton a Chinaman was observed killing these little 

 birds with a musket ten feet in length ; and at Shia Po, 

 where there is a big marsh, they are killed, spatch-cocked, 

 dried flat on stretchers, and sent to market, where the guile- 

 less heathen buy them and eat them under the impression 

 that they are wild duck ! 



The eggs of this species may be found from May until 

 SER. X. — VOL. I. ;^ D 



