Birds. 



8739 



part of Mr. Gould's fine work on the Birds of Asia, still in progress. 

 On an interview with Mr. Gould I found that the only way to achieve 

 this was to consent to his describing the entire series to be figured, 

 as he would include none in the part but novelties which he should 

 himself name and describe. I somewhat reluctantly complied ; but 

 as he has done me the honour to name the most important species 

 after me, I suppose I have no right to complain. 



I have much pleasure in taking this opportunity to record my 

 thanks to Messrs.. G. R. Gray, Sclater and Gould, as also to Mr. 

 Leadbeater, for the kind assistance they have afforded me in lending 

 me specimens and books required for the satisfactory completion of 

 this paper. 



1. Pandion haliaetus, L. ; Chinese, He-pew (Fish-panther). Os- 

 preys are unusually common about the harbour of Tamsuy, and I have 

 frequently seen no less than five at the same time scattered over the 

 sand-spit that divides the mouth of the river. We disturbed one with 

 a particularly large fish in his claws, with which he had great diffi- 

 culty in soaring into the air. They were very shy of approach ; but 

 by a fortunate shot my constable managed to put a bullet into one 

 with an ordinary fowling-piece, at a distance of something like three 

 hundred yards. This specimen, which was a male, measured 21 

 inches; wing 17j inches; expanse 56 inches ; tail 8 inches ; iris clear 

 bright yellow, with a black line round it ; bill black ; basal edge of 

 upper, basal half of lower, and cere bluish gray ; inside of mouth light 

 pinkish purple, with bluish white tongue ; legs pale yellowish gray, 

 tinged with blue ; claws black ; ear-covert small, round, scarce 3-tenths 

 of an inch in diameter, the bone depressed below, with an oval slit 

 occupying the centre. This male specimen was somewhat larger than 

 a male from the coast of China ; but in both sexes I have found the 

 Chinese birds smaller in every case than European examples. 



2. Buteo japonicus, Schleg. Faun. Japon. 



3. Milvus govinda, Sykes. Mr. Gurney considers our kite to be 

 the true M. govinda of Sykes, which ^occurs in India and its archi- 

 pelago, together with a cognate form, the M. affinis, Gould ; and he is 

 of opinion that the two forms from these localities have been con- 

 founded together by naturalists. As in China, so in Formosa, from 

 the south to the north this species abounds, seeking its food more on 

 the water and marshy grounds than on the land. It hovers for hours 

 over the shipping in harbour, watching for any offal or refuse that may 

 be thrown overboard. It is a very foul feeder, is generally impregnated 



