COMMON BIRDS OP THE YANGTZE DELTA. 7 



the female except that the tail is much longer. In the 

 second phase the red brown of the body gives way to a 

 snowy white plumage and the head becomes a rich cobalt 

 blue. The central tail feathers are longer than the bird's 

 entire body — two beautiful white plumes slightly curving 

 downward. In the air he is remarkably light and graceful — - 

 altogether the most beautiful bird we have. The explanation 

 of the two phases of colour is a much disputed point. One 

 authority confidently states that "all males are brown until 

 after the third year, when they turn white " ; whilst another 

 is just as "certain that there are both white and chestnut 

 males equally mature." The Paradise flycatcher is not 

 common; but usually one or two may be seen in a summer, 

 and if a white male is present his striking plumage will 

 certainly attract attention. 



There are seven robine, or ouzels, as our British friends 

 call them, listed for the lower Yangtze valley, but only one 

 of these remains through the summer; three others spend the 

 winter, and three are only passers by. Our resident robin 

 is the Chinese blackbird, or, as the Chinese themselves call 

 him, wiitsen { Merula inandarina) . He is another favourite 

 cage bird, and ranks close to the wo-tni as a singer, though 

 his notes are less varied. He is solid dusky black all over 

 with yellowish bill and feet. In the spring, after mating, 

 these birds seem rather shy and prefer the large trees for 

 nesting places ; but in the winter they become quite friendly 

 and readily come to our lawns to feed on the ground, very 

 much like the American robin, roosting singly or gathering 

 in groups for the night in any convenient shrubbery. 



Of the three- winter robins the most common is the 

 red-tailed or Nauman's robin (Merula naiimani). The head, 

 neck, and upper back, are light brown, the wings, lower back, 

 and especially the tail, are reddish brown, as are also the 

 breast and sides. The amount of red seems to vary very 

 much, but the rusty red tail is always a distinctive mark. 

 The red-tailed robins tend to form into small flocks, and 

 are especially partial to the mulberry groves, where they 

 feed on the ground. They resemble the American robin 

 more than any of the others, though they are quite different 

 from the English robin red-breast, which in America would 

 not be called a robin at all, but a bluebird. 



The second of the winter robins is the pale robin 

 (Merula /jpallida), His head is mouse grey, with a circle of 

 yellow skin around the eyelids. The body is olive grey above 

 and almost white below, more or less deeply clouded grey 

 on the breast. He is usually a solitary bird, resembling the 

 blackbird very much in his habits. He frequently comes to 

 the lawn to feed, seeming to care very little about the 



