348 Letters, Extracts from. Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



I am not acquainted. Kites [Milvus melanotis) are of course 

 numerous, and are just now laying their eggs. An Owl, flushed 

 by me on the top of Apes^ Hill the other day, puzzled me. In 

 habit it was like Asio brachyotus, but apparently a good deal 

 larger. The only Owl I have yet obtained here was a rufescent 

 specimen of the pretty little Scojjs japonicus, preserved alive in 

 December. The fine sunny climate during winter at Takow 

 draws close on that at Amoy ; but it is warmer here, and, at any 

 rate, vastly different from the humid Tamsuy climate. Swallows 

 and Drongos, as I mentioned before, may be found here all the 

 year round. By the way, I saw one of the latter [Dicrurus ma- 

 crocircus) with a small bird in his claws. The quarry appeared to 

 be Drymoeca extensicauda, mihi. Before proceeding further I will 

 give you my note on the small Owl which died 21st December : 



Scops japonicus. Rufescent. Iris fine clear yellow. Bill 

 greyish-brown ; lower mandible ochreous. Feet bluish-grey, 

 tinged with brown. Claws light brown at base. Entire length 

 about 7 inches. Wing 6 inches. Tail (of twelve feathers) 

 rounded, 2*9 inches. 



I communicated before (Ibis, 1863, p. 380) the fact of Munia 

 acuticauda having been domesticated in Japan to the extent of 

 every shade of albinism and melanism, but I have not yet dis- 

 covered whether the bird is found wild in those islands. I 

 have since seen domesticated Java Sparrows [Oryzornis oryzivora), 

 also from Japan. These birds can scarcely be indigenous to 

 Japan, and must have been taken there by the Dutch from Java. 

 In the domesticated race every variety of albinism occurred, but 

 I saw no signs of a melanite tendency. The domestication may 

 have only been partial. They breed freely in confinement, as 

 do the i)iwm«. 



Consul Caine, at Swatow, as I told you, sent me a specimen 

 of a Merops which I identified as M . philippensis {supra, p. 230). 

 He has since informed me that it was shot there in August (and not, 

 as I before said, " in the beginning of winter "), when in company 

 with some others of its species. They kept perching on the 

 tops of bamboo-poles, and sailing into the air after insects. 

 Among the birds sent me by Mr. Caine are some that are well 

 worth noting : — 



