lvii [Vol. x. 



conspicuous than in the above-named species. Scops la- 

 touchii differs chiefly from S. icterorhyncha in having the 

 feathers of the head and mautle distinctly barred with black 

 and rufous buff; but the barring is mostly concealed by the 

 wide reddish-brown tips to the feathers, which are very finely 

 vermiculated with black ; the tail is rather strongly marked 

 with irregular bars and mottiings of black on a brownish-red 

 ground ; the bars on the outermost primaries are rufous buff 

 instead of white; the underparts arc whitish buff, shading into 

 rufous on the upper breast and flanks, entirely devoid of dark 

 shaft-streaks, but very finely vermiculated with brownish 

 black ; the feathers covering the basal part of the belly, 

 vent, and the longish flank-plumes are pure white, some of the 

 latter, like the under tail-coverts, having reddish-brown bars. 



Total length about 9*0 inches, wing 5*9, tail 3-5, tarsus 

 115. 



Hab. Ah Ch'ung, Fohkien, 16th December, 1899. 



Mr. Digby Pigott communicated a note from his friend 

 Mr. J. R. Dasent, C.B., who had just returned from his 

 yearly visit to the island of St. Vincent, West Indies. 



Mr. Dasent stated that the destruction of bird- life of all 

 kinds by the hurricane of September 1898 had been very 

 great. A small bronze-green Humming-bird, which had 

 before been the commonest and boldest bird in the island, 

 had, it was believed, entirely disappeared. During the seven 

 weeks of Mr. Dasenfs stay he had not noticed one of these 

 birds, though on previous visits they were to be seen, sitting 

 on telephone wires &c., and as plentiful as Swallows in 

 summer in England. Mr. Thompson, the Administrator, 

 had told him that since the hurricane he had neither himself, 

 nor had he met with anyone who had, observed one of these 

 birds. Two other Humming-birds, formerly less common 

 than the extinguished species, still exist in the island, but 

 in much reduced numbers. 



A Parrot, usually to be found only with difficulty in the 

 mountain forests, and a Pigeon (known locally as " Ra- 

 mier ") — also an exceptionally shy bird — after the hurricane. 



