Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 267 
Indian bird that bears the above name. It is found throughout 
China, as far as the Amoor; but nowhere on the main did I ob¬ 
serve it so specially common as at Formosa. Here, in all parts, 
both north and south, almost every bird you meet with is a 
Black Drongo, sometimes perched on the top of a tall bamboo, 
uttering its loud discordant metallic notes, at others skimming 
with long undulating flight across the country, chasing with 
quick turns an insect or small bird, or again seated demurely 
on the back of a lazy buffalo, waiting to snap the flies that swarm 
to torment his hide. In fact, you fancy yourself in the country 
of the Drongos. They may often be seen in large parties, though 
they never exactly flock together. A field may contain a dozen 
of them, perched on every available prominence; yet when they 
are alarmed, each individual thinks of himself alone, and rarely 
follows the direction of his companions. Some continue all the 
year through, but in March their numbers are greatly increased 
by fresh arrivals. They soon commence pursuing one another, 
and in April construct their nests in the shape of an oval cup, 
formed of fine twigs and grasses, and lined with finer dried grass 
and fibres. These they build on the waving branches of the 
bamboo, high up, so that it rests on the curving top, and sways 
with the tree to and fro to the lightest breeze. They are, how¬ 
ever, firmly bound to their places; and I have often watched the 
female sitting quietly on the nest with only her long tail visible, 
while with each gust the tree-top nearly swept the ground. They 
lay from three to five eggs, white, with a few purplish-red specks, 
and usually have three broods in the year. During the season 
of incubation they become regular little tyrants, chasing all larger 
birds away from the locality. They seem at this time to have 
a particular aversion to Kites, Crows, and Magpies, all of which 
they pursue to a considerable distance, repeatedly striking at 
them with claws and bill, until the enemy is too far to be feared. 
Throughout the plains and lower hills of Formosa these birds 
abound, having a special partiality for bamboo-groves; but in 
China they are somewhat locally distributed. At Foochow, 
in the valley in particular, you find only a smaller grey species, 
but about the hilly ranges round this bird again occurs. The 
grey species is identical with D. leucophceus of Malacca; but, 
