Mr. R. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 299 
from Taiwanfoo, I was quietly walking my horse through the 
town of Ar-kongteem, when I spied, in a cage hanging up at a 
shop-door, a bird new to me. I stopped, and tried to induce 
the shopman to sell it to me, but in vain. The next day I sent 
one of my hunters to bargain for it. He succeeded in getting 
it, though at no small figure. The bird was provided by its 
former master with a small pot of water, and another of fried 
rice, the grains of which latter it picked up individually with its 
bill and munched after the manner of Finches. Suspended from 
the roof of the cage, over a high perch, hung a dome of soft 
cock's hackles shaped like a large shuttle-cock inverted. Under 
the cover of this the bird would creep to shelter itself from the 
night's cold—a pretty and cheap invention, which, I think, 
might be recommended to lovers of the more tender birds at 
home. The little captive was extremely lively, continuing to 
hop about incessantly, and clinging to the top bars Titmouse- 
fashion. It uttered repeatedly a pleasant series of notes, and 
only occasionally a single note. When frightened, or wanting 
to attract attention, it would give forth a suppressed “ chur." 
It was very tame, coming to the side of the cage when any one 
approached it, and pecking at the protruded tongue. Its Chinese 
master had reared it from the nest; with me it lived only a few 
days; but I could not ascertain the cause of death. The speci¬ 
men was a female. A few days later my hunter succeeded in 
getting me a male. This little gem was housed in a similar 
manner to the last, but was provided, in addition, with a small 
bowl of water, in which he delighted to bathe both morning and 
evening. The food supplied was of two sorts, pounded millet- 
seed in one cup, and a kind of “ German paste," made of pounded 
rice and the yelk of egg, in another. He fed well, revelled in 
the sun, and roosted under his hackled roof apparently quite 
content. His note was more monosyllabic than that of the 
female, and he moved about more sedately. If one approached 
the cage he would begin shaking and quivering his wings, chir¬ 
ruping, and sidling slowly towards the person. If the face 
were put down to the side of the cage, his agitation and the 
tremor of his wings would increase; and he would keep on this 
fun as long as the face continued near. But if the finger were 
