THE IBIS. 
SEVENTH SERIES. 
No. XXIV. OCTOBER 1900. 
XXXVII .-—On the Birds collected by Capt. A. W. S. Wingate 
in South China. By W. R. Ogilvie Grant. 
(Plate XII.) 
Towards the end of September 1898, Capt. A. W. S. Wingate 
started from Shanghai on his adventurous journey through 
Southern China to Bhamo, a distance of 2360 miles by the 
route followed. On arriving at Hankau, on the Yang-tse- 
Kiang, he chartered a boat and engaged a couple of Chinese 
servants, one of these being a taxidermist named Wang, 
with whose assistance Capt. Wingate made an interesting 
and valuable collection of zoological specimens, which he 
has most generously presented to the British Museum. 
Over 150 specimens of birds were obtained, and form the 
subject of the present paper. 
Capt. Wingate says*: “The collection of these afforded 
considerable amusement to the Celestials, who thought that 
I wanted the birds and fish to eat, the insects and snakes 
for medicines, and the shells as charms. The Chinese are 
very fond of birds, and in Pekin every other man carries 
one about the streets. They train them to fly high in the 
air and return to their masters cage. They have f gym¬ 
khanas ’ for their birds, and the one that flies highest w r ins 
the bets. They don’t like people killing small birds.” 
* ‘ Things Chinese,’ a lecture read 3rd October, 1899, before the 
United Service Institution of India. 
2 R 
SER. VII.-VOL. VI. 
