1863.] MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE BIRDS OF CHINA. 279 



of a specimen were found in a wood near Pekin (see The Ibis, 1861, 

 p. 333). I extract my note on the bird procured : — Length 1 \^ in. ; 

 wing 5j2jj-; tail 4| ; bill 1, to gape 1^; tarsi Ij^q-; mid toe lf\; 

 hind toe 1 ; side toes equal. The second primary is | inch longer 

 than the fifth, whereas Bonaparte, in his ' Conspectus Avium,' says 

 that in the true O. aurea they are equal. Bill pale brown ; legs 

 and claws pale brownish ; irides deep hazel ; feathers of the rump 

 spinous, as in the Cuckoos, Geocichlce, CampephagcB, and Pericrocoti j 

 testes dark purple ; stomach somewhat oval, compressed, rather mus- 

 ciUar, and about j^j in widest diameter ; intestine 1 7 inches long, from 

 Y^y to -f-^ wide ; cseca \ long, one slightly higher than the other, and 

 placed Ig inch distant from anus. Whether this be a distinct race 

 from the Siberian and rare British visitant I am not prepared to say ; 

 I have but one specimen of our bird. It was an extremely rare 

 visitant to Amoy, and, as far I could ascertain, only in spring, when 

 the banyan-berries were ripe. I presume it came from the wooded 

 mountain-ranges of the interior. Formosa yields a race which is 

 larger and paler than the Amoy bird, with sensibly longer wings and 

 tail. For this I have proposed the specific name O. hancii (see 

 The Ibis, 1863, p. 275). The Japanese race, which is declared to 

 have been shot in Britain, as well as the true O. aurea, is by some 

 considered a good species, and has been named O. heinei. 



102. TURDTJS SIBIRICUS, Gm. 



T. leucocillus, Pall. 



A male in complete plumage shot at Amoy, 19th April, 1861, 

 was of a smoky black, with a pure white eyebrow, white on the 

 axillaries, a white bar across under vdng, and drops of white on the 

 medial belly-line and crissum. Bill black ; inside of mouth orange- 

 ochre ; edge of rictus pale dusky yellow ; legs and claws ochre, with 

 saffron base to tarsi and soles of toes. 



This is said to be a common bird in Siberia. In Japan it probably 

 breeds, as Captain Blakiston brought young birds from Hakodadi. 

 In the south of China it is rare, occurring occasionally during its 

 migrations. It is said to have been procured as far south as Java, 

 but is not noticed by von Schrenck from Amoorland. The females 

 are brown and Thrush-like ; and the young plumage closely assimi- 

 lates the species to Oreocincla, which group it also approaches in 

 the somewhat spinous rigidity of the feathers of its rump, and in 

 the white bar across its wing. In addition to these two last cha- 

 racters, in the smoke-grey hue of its mature plumage it appears to 

 show a decided tendency towards the Campephagine group Volvo- 

 civora, which in the immature state has the white bar across the 

 wing, allying it to the usually red-tinted Pericrocoti, one of which 

 (the P. cinereus, Lafresn.) has, like it, a sober grey plumage and a 

 constant white under-wing bar. The Campephagce, as most natu- 

 ralists are aware, also enjoy the peculiarity of having spinous rump- 

 feathers, which prick the hand when passed upwards over the rump. 

 All true GeocichlcB have this curious spinous character, as also the 

 white bar across the under wing. 



