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Show 1871.] MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE BIRDS OF CHINA. 393 443. MICROPTERNUS FOKIENSIS (Swinh.), P. Z. S. 1863, p. 267. Brachypternus bodius, Ibis, 1861, pp. 267, 409. Brachypternus fokiensis, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 87 ; Ibis, 1867, p. 63. Fokien province. 444. MICROPTERNUS HOLROYDI, Swinh. Ibis, 1870, p. 95. Hainan. 445. YUNX JAPONICA, Bp. Consp. Av. p. 112. Yunx torquilla, L.; Ibis, 1860, p. 62, 1861, p. 338, 1862, p. 260; P. Z. S. 1862, p. 319, 1863, p. 267. Down the China coast in winter. Smaller than the European bird, but otherwise alike. 446. ZANCLOSTOMUS TRISTIS (Less.); Belang. Voy. t. i.; Ibis, 1870, p. 234. Melius tristis, Less. Tr. d'Orn. 1831, p. 132. Hainan. 447- CENTROPUS SINENSIS (Steph.); Ibis, 1861, p. 49. Centropus rufipennis (Illig.) ; Ibis, 1870, p. 234 ; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 266. Polophilus sinensis, Ibis, 1861, p. 267. South China, northwards to Wanchow, and* in Hainan. I can find no distinctive characters between the Chinese and Bengalese specimens; but birds from Siam have the back chestnut as well as the scapulars, = C. eurycercus, A. Hay. The Java bird is coloured like ours, but is of larger size, and has a much larger bill, = 0. rufipennis, Illig. (bubutus, Horsf.). 448. CENTROPUS BENGALENSIS (Gmel.). Cuculus bengalensis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1788, i. p. 412. Cuculus, sp., Ibis, 1860, p. 359, 1861, p. 48. Cuculus dimidiatus!, Ibis, 1860, p. 360. Cuculus viridis, Ibis, 1863, p. 392, 1870, p. 235 ; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 266. South China, Hainan, and Formosa. Birds from the same locality extremely variable in size. Our birds agree with specimens from Bengal, Malacca, Java, and some of the isles. From Timor I have seen a larger species, the C. moluccensis, Bernst. (medius, G. R. Gr.), which by its similar immature plumage is connected with the present species, but in size almost approaches the foregoing. The second or streaked plumage of the C. bengalensis is peculiar for the enormous length of the upper tail-coverts, which nearly cover the surface of the tail to its end. In the first or nestling plumage, and in the adult or rufous-and-black plumage, these coverts are short. In this intermediate dress it is recognized as the C. lepidus of Horsfield. |
