34 
Mr. E. Swinhoe on the Ornithology 
These birds were fond of perching on the tops of bushes, where 
they would stand in very upright positions, often darting into the 
air to seize an insect, or to take up some worm or beetle from 
the ground. Their actions were all quick, and almost instanta¬ 
neous. The tail was rarely moved, and then up and down slowly, 
or occasionally thrown up with Eobin-like motion. This simple 
fact I think is sufficient to show that this species is not a typical 
Eedstart, though it assimilates to that genus in the red tail and 
brown plumage of the female. The thick bill and grey plumage 
of the male, however, would perhaps show its tendency to the 
Saxicolce. Its ordinary note is a subdued kind of rattling 
noise; but I have heard one, that stood still for several minutes 
at a time, keep on emitting at intervals a loud sharp note ap¬ 
proaching to the syllable “pew” 
33. Larvivqra-?-* 
I send a wretched specimen of this bird, the only one I could 
procure. I have never met with it anywhere but at Macao, where 
it is not uncommon in wooded spots, hopping about on the ground 
amongst the undergrowth, and hence very difficult to shoot. 
When I first heard the note, I could scarcely believe it to be 
that of a bird, so like was it to the single chirp of the grasshopper; 
but, creeping on my hands and knees into the thicket, I got a 
view of the little fellow hopping about, and looking much like a 
Eobin. He would sometimes shake his tail up and down; at 
others he would throw it up, expanding and closing it. When 
two of them came together, the sibilant note was repeated more 
hurriedly and loudly, and then much resembled the chirrup of a 
shrew mouse. 
Bill leaden brown, paler on the edges. Inside of mouth pale 
flesh-yellow. Legs and claws pale flesh-colour. Iris deep brown. 
34. Parus minor, Temm. Cantonese, “ Pak-pay shew-low.” 
Common everywhere; but the individuals appear to be some¬ 
what larger than those at Amoy, and are in most cases quite grey 
on the back, a few only having a greenish-yellow tinge. I can 
* This specimen appears to me to be a young bird of Erythacus 
akahige (Temm.), Fauna Japon. pi. 21 b; and Mr. Gould is of the same 
opinion.—P. L. S. 
