500 RESEARCH IN CHINA. 
DICRURID&. 
Dicrurus sp. (cf. D. cathecus). 
In southern Shen-si we frequently saw a bird which resembles this species in all particu- 
lars except in having a yellow beak (that of Swinhoe’s bird was black). Its peculiar cries 
may be heard at all times during the day, but especially toward nightfall. It utters a 
loud strenuous whistle of two notes, of which the latter is strongly accented and drawn 
out. In each cry the bird seems to be making an effort to project the sound as far as possi- 
ble. Swinhoe describes the notes of this bird as being ‘‘loud and discordant,” but the notes 
of the Shen-si species are clear and penetrating rather than discordant. 
In order to facilitate identification in the future, the field description of this bird is 
appended: ‘‘About the size of the crow-blackbird (United States). Plumage entirely 
black. Legs greenish. Beak light yellow. Eyes red.” 
Buchanga leucogenis WALDEN. White-cheeked Drongo. 
Buchanga leucogenis WALDEN: Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. series v, March, 1870, 219 (Nagasaki, 
Japan). 
This was first seen in the southern Ts’in-lings, early in May, and occasionally there- 
after as far as the Yang-tzi river. At this season of the year the birds are always seen 
in pairs. They nest in large trees and the young are hatched late in May. This bird pre- 
fersasa perch the uppermost branches of the tallest trees. There it sits, nearly motion- 
less, as it watches for its prey, and then dashes out after it as do the flycatchers. 
Specimen No. 6074. Collected May 30, 1904, at Ta-ning-hién, Ssi-ch’uan. 
LANIIDZ2, 
Several species of the genus Lanius were observed in different parts of the empire, 
but none were satisfactorily identified. 
(?) Lanius tigrinus Drapigz. Thick-billed Shrike. 
Lanwus tigrinus DRAPIEZ: Dict. Class. d’Hist. Nat. xt, 1828, 523 (Java). 
A bird, apparently of this species, was seen in a cage in Peking. The Chinese call it 
‘‘Shan-hsiieh.”’ 
SITTIDZ. 
Sitta sinensis VERREAUX. Chinese Nuthatch, 
Sitta sinensis VERREAUX: Nouy. Archives du Mus. Bull. v1, 1870, 34 (Kiu-kiang, Chinese Tibet). 
Nuthatches appear to be rare throughout that part of China which we visited. On 
one occasion only, I observed what was apparently this form, climbing about a large 
oil-nut tree in the valley of the Han river, Shen-si. 
PARID&. 
Parus cinereus minor (TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL). Japanese Gray Chickadee. 
Parus minor TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL: Fauna Japonica, Aves, 1850, 70, plate 33 (Japan). 
We found this chickadee throughout the whole of our journey, from the coast of Shan. 
tung to eastern Ssi-ch’uan. Among the cedars of T’ai-shan it was especially common in 
the autumn, and we found it nesting in the Ts’in-ling mountains, in April and early May. 
The call of the Japanese chickadee differs but slightly from that of our American vari- 
eties, and the habits of the various members of the genus seem to be similar. 
Specimen No. 6019. Collected January 17, 1904, at Wang-kuai-chon, Chi-li. 
Specimen No. 6051. Collected April 25, 1904, in the canyon of the Hei-shui-ho, 
Ts’in-ling mountains. 
