8758 



Birds. 



rather to the R. chloronotus of Hodgson ; and on carefully perusing 

 the 4 Zoographie Rosso-Asiatique ' (p. 499) I certainly find this to be 

 the case. Pallas there tells you that he observed his bird in the 

 beginning of May, in Daiiria ; and in the description that follows dis- 

 tinctly says, " Dorsum cinereo-flavum vel virescens, ut et tectrices 

 caudae ; sed zona lata uropygii albido-jlava" (Mark the words in 

 italics). This whitish yellow rump-band never occurs in the R. mo- 

 destus, but always in the R. chloroyotus of Hodgson. I found both 

 species common at Peking in summer, and they doubtless also pass 

 that season in Siberia. In winter both species spread down the coast 

 of China, and away even to the plains of India. The R. modestus is 

 generally met with singly ; the R. chloronotus in pairs. In the note 

 to his article on. Motacilla proregulus, Pallas also alludes to the 

 R. modestus, doubting whether a bird of this last species received 

 from the banks of the Lena, and which he had referred to Motacilla 

 acredula, L., might not be the female of his M. proregulus. Such a 

 doubt has probably entered the head of every field-naturalist on first 

 encountering the two species, but a careful study of the two birds 

 soon dispels it. Let us turn to page 497, under the head " Motacilla 

 acredula " — i. e. probably the chifFchafF [Sylvia rufa, Lath.) We find, 

 in a note, mention made of the birds observed by M. Schmid on the 

 Lena, which he had briefly described in a MS. as " Reguli non cristati, 

 omnium forte minimis These were doubtless the R. modestus ; but 

 as no name was there suggested for them, we must look elsewhere for 

 a title for our interesting little friend. In winter it is not uncommon * 

 about woods and groves in Formosa, its loud single call-note, "sweet," 

 always attracting attention to its presence. It is very rarely in com- 

 pany with others, is lively and constantly in motion in pursuit of its 

 insect-food, and seems to be entirely happy in its own resources. A 

 comparison of skins has amply proved that the birds from China, For- 

 mosa and India are one and the same, and identical with the little 

 Dalmatian (so-called) stranger procured on the coast of Yorkshire. 



74. Motacilla luzoniensis, Scop. 



75. M. lugubris, Pall. 



76. M. ocularis, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1860^p. 55. 



77. M. boarula, L. A common resident. A male, with the black 

 on the throat just showing itself, used to visit every morning, in 

 January, 1862, a drain under my window. The wagging up and 

 down of his hind quarters seemed incessant, even while the bird itself 

 was standing still. While preening its feathers, still the tail wagged, 



