336 Mr. R. Swinhoe’s Notes on Ornithology 
67. Hawfinch. Coccothraustes vulgaris , Selby. 
In cages. 
68. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra, L. 
In cages. 
69. Chinese Magpie. Pica sericea, Gould. 
Very common: associating in the winter in large flocks. 
70. Blue Magpie. Cyanopica cyanea (Pall.). 
This shy and noisy bird occurred in large flocks among the 
thick groves of the pine. Imagine yourself in a dark grove of 
such trees, walled all round. Several large tomb-mounds stand 
at the other end, side by side. They can contain nought but 
the dust of the departed; for these trees were planted at the same 
time; and see to what a height they have attained, their long 
arms twining fondly together, and throwing a dark gloom on the 
coarse grass and weeds below. You hear a rustle over your head, 
then another and another, and a loud nasal chattering commences. 
You look up quietly, and see leaping from bough to bough a 
party of long-tailed blue birds, displaying their pretty tints at 
each leap, and spreading their tails to balance themselves as they 
alight. This is the month of October, and still they are moulting. 
Presently one sees you, and gives the warning “carr” pronounced 
nasally and gutturally, as much as to say “ an intruder,” and with 
notes sounding something like u cairn wit-wit twit-twit” off he 
flies. All hands follow, each bird as he flies from his perch joining 
in the chorus “ twit-twit.” Thus in nearly single file they stream 
off to the next grove. In July 1858 I found these birds very 
common near Shanghai, where they were rearing their young in 
similar groves. Their nests were usually placed close to the top 
of the fir-trees, and were built exteriorly of sticks, and open at the 
top, much in the manner of the Jays. As far as habits are con¬ 
cerned, the Blue Pies certainly have far more in common with 
the long-tailed Jays, Urocissce, than with Magpies; and some 
of their actions are not unlike those of the large Chinese 
Garrulax , G. perspicillatus (Gm.). 
71. Rook. Corvus pastinator, Gould. 
Hundreds of this bird frequented the large trees around the 
