Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 393 
general length, the same length of wing or of tail; and their bills 
also vary greatly in length, in breadth, and in thickness. Indeed, 
if out of my series two extremes in form were selected, a modern 
naturalist would have no hesitation in consigning them to separate 
species. Hence the confusion that has arisen in this widely dis¬ 
tributed species, and the number of synonyms it possesses. 
This bird is fond of perching on the thick foliage of ever¬ 
green trees, balancing itself on its unstable perch by means of 
its wings, and springing from one branch of leaves to another, 
by means of its long Lark-like claws, after locusts and other soft 
insects of that family. It suspends its large rush-framed cradle 
between the long leaves of the sugar-cane and other reeds, 
weaving the dried hanging leaves into the bottom of its nest, 
and thus forming them into supports. In this rather rude struc¬ 
ture it lays generally four white eggs, which vary much in shape 
and size, but are usually obtuse at both ends, averaging 1*3 by 
1 in., are rather thick-shelled and rarely glossy. On the notes 
of the bird I have remarked in previous papers. Its flight is 
straight, executed with short flaps and once and again a motion¬ 
less sail through the air, the tail being held somewhat hori¬ 
zontally, but generally rather on the decline. At the end of Sep¬ 
tember 1861, a nest of four live young birds was brought to me, 
and I kept them alive some time. Like other young Cuckoos, 
their appetites were insatiable; and when nearly choking, they 
would still continue their cry for more food. This cry is a loud 
and frequent imitation of the syllable “ churr.” As soon as you 
left them to themselves, their notes would change to toc-toc-too , 
uttered in a subdued voice. This last note is often heard from 
the adult bird. The little creatures, only partially clothed with 
a rufous down, with the quills only just beginning to sprout, 
looked complete oddities. Their mouths were of a dark red- 
pink. A week after, the insides of their mouths had paled 
to flesh-colour with the top of the tongue black, the beak was 
flesh-coloured, washed with brownish, irides grey, legs leaden 
violet; the lark-heel was then very short. 
I extract from my journal a note on a full-fledged bird, shot 
4th October 1861:—“Bill flesh-coloured, except the culmen, 
which is broadly marked with blackish brown. Inside of mouth 
VOL. v. 2 E 
