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



greater part of the day. In a tree, some twenty feet from the 

 ground, I found a nest of Lanius shah, the female sitting on 

 five eggs. 



On the 26th of March my hunter returned from the hills. 

 He had penetrated no great distance, as his collection, consist- 

 ing chiefly of birds of the plain, and containing no Accipitres, 

 plainly showed. He brought, however, an extremely interest- 

 ing species from the lower range. This was a Munia, of 

 which there were several specimens both in young and old 

 plumage, dead and alive. It is a new species, closely allied to 

 M. rubronigra of Hodgson, but singularly differing from it in the 

 occiput and nape being brown instead of a rich black, as are the 

 other dark parts. This bird supplies another curious confirma- 

 tion of what I have before stated as to the affinities of the fauna 

 of this island with that of the Himalaya, rather than with that 

 of China. It has the black ventral stripe of M. rubronigra, 

 which is wanting in M. sinensis. I propose to call it 



Munia formosana, sp. nov. 



Similis M. rubronigrce, sed occipite nuchaque fuscis nee 

 nigris. 



Hab. In Formosa meridionali, ad montium pedes. ^ 

 Adult. Above, sides of the breast and flanks chestnut. Fore- 

 head, face, and under-parts deep black, the former fading into 

 brown on the occiput and nape. Lower rump deep glossy ma- 

 roon. Upper tail-coverts and two central tail-feathers flam- 

 meous. Remaining tail-feathers light hair-brown, washed and 

 edged with chestnut. Axillaries and basal edge of under-quills 

 pale bufi", the under-stems white. Edge of carpus beneath 

 chestnut, marked with black. The chestnut on the breast forms 

 a narrow belt. Bill cobalt-blue, deeper on the culmen and 

 gonys. Irides deep rich brown. Legs and claws plumbeous, 

 with light yellowish soles and bases. Length 4*25 inches ; wing 

 2*12 inches; tail 1'5 inch. 



Immature. Above light, yellowish -brown, washed with chestnut 

 on every part except the head. Under parts pale dingy buff. 

 Some of the specimens are entirely in the young plumage, others 

 show every step to maturity. The moult is probably completed 



