Sydney Porter—Wanderings in the Far East



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I think were the Pied ( Motacilla lugubris lugens), White-faced (M.

lugubris leucopsis), and Streak-eyed (M. alba ocularis). Kites were

exceedingly common, especially about the harbour, where they can be

seen flying low over the water, snatching with their claws at anything

edible floating on the surface.


In Shanghai I enjoyed for a short time the hospitality of Mr. Eustace,

a member of the Society, and it was in that city that the great joy was

vouchsafed to me of seeing for the first time birds which it was certainly

worth a trip to the Far East to see. These included the wonderful White

and Blue Crossoptilons, Chinese Monals, Temminck’s Tragopans,

Darwin’s, Koklas, and Elegant Pheasants. The bird which was of the

greatest interest to me was the wonderful White Crossoptilon, which

I think was C. drouyni and not C. tibetanum. This is the loveliest of the

Crossoptilons, and much smaller and lighter in build than either the

Manchurian or the Blue. It is snow white in colour, of an amazing purity,

with the wings and tail washed with grey. The tail feathers do not have

the barbs long and decomposed as in the other species. The red face

and short curly black crown feathers make a striking and pleasing,

contrast to the immaculate white body feathers.


The Chinese or L’huys Monal (Lophophorus Ihuysii) which I saw are

probably the only ones in captivity at the moment. This bird is

strikingly larger than the Indian Monal, especially the female, which

appears to be nearly twice as large as the female of the commoner kind ;

she is also very much more distinctly marked. The cock, although a

magnificent bird, lacks the grace and dignified carriage of its smaller

relative. The general gait gives the impression that the bird plods along

in rather a laboured and clumsy manner. The colour scheme resembles

in the main part that of the Indian species, but it differs in several

remarkable ways. It lacks the upstanding and Peacock-like crest,

but possesses a full bronze-coloured crest which falls over the nape and

at a few yards distance is almost indiscernible. The patch of white on

the rump is much more extensive than in the other species ; this white

patch is also present in the female. The tail is longer than in impeyanus

and of a bottle-green colour, the feathers having a row of white spots

near the base.


Temminck’s Tragopan was many years ago a well-known species



