8738 



Birds. 



shah, for example, it is perhaps at its minimum ; in Drymoica exten- 

 sicauda it is a little stronger ; in Phasianus torquatus it is noticeable, 

 and that is all ; in Budytes flava it causes a curious reversion to what 

 may be considered the typical colour, that of the British variety B. 

 Rayi ; in Leucodiophron taivanum it has worked out a distinct species, 

 which, nevertheless, occasionally in the old, but more frequently in 

 the young plumage, shows indications of one common origin with the 

 Chinese bird ; in the Pomatorhinus musicus we have a greater advance 

 still, if we can suppose it to be descended from the much smaller P. 

 stridulus of China.* 



Among the birds of the lower hills we have the Bambusicola sono- 

 rivox, which isolation has varied in distribution of tints, but not in 

 voice or habits, from its near ally, the B. sphenura of China. In the 

 mountain avifauna we have a long series only slightly connected with 

 Chinese forms, with a strong tendency to the Himalayan, and in some 

 cases either identical or so closely related as scarcely to justify sepa- 

 ration. This fact is, I think, less singular than would at first appear, 

 simply . because we know next to nothing of the Ornithology of the 

 Chinese mountain-ranges of corresponding height to those in Formosa. 

 Of Himalayan type there are no less than seventeen species, one of 

 which (the Herpornis xantholeuca) is, in my opinion, identical with 

 the Nepalese bird, and another (Alcippe Morrisonia) has barely sepa- 

 rable characters. The relation of Formosa ornithologically with Japan 

 is comparatively almost at zero. I only discovered one bird (the 

 Parus castaneiventris) that looks as if it had a common origin with 

 the P. varius of Japan ; for the Treron Formosa? is perhaps as nearly 

 allied to many others of that group as to the Vinago Sieboldii. Many 

 Japanese birds do occur in Formosa, but only as visitants, and in that 

 capacity they also show themselves on the coasts of China. I fully 

 expected, from the geological relation that Formosa is said to bear to 

 the Philippines on the south and to Japan on the north, that the fauna 

 of that island would be more or less connected with those countries ; 

 but in this my investigations have decidedly proved me mistaken. 

 The fauna is, instead, of an almost entirely Himalayo-Chinese type. 



I have been blamed by some naturalists for allowing Mr. Gould to 

 reap the fruits of my labours, in having the privilege of describing 

 most of my novelties. I must briefly state, in explanation, that I 

 returned to England elate with the fine new species I had discovered, 

 and was particularly anxious that they should comprise one entire 



* P. ruficollis, Hodgs., appears to be more nearly related to the Formosan bird. — 

 R. S. 



