OCR Text |
Show 1871.] MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE BIRDS OF CHINA. 401 508. COTURNIX COMMUNIS, Bonn. Ibis, 1863, p. 398; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 308. Coturnix chinensis (L.), Ibis, 1860, p. 63. Coturnix dadylisonans, Ibis, 1860, p. 358, 1861, pp. 50, 260, 341. Coturnix japonica, Bp. The Quails of North China that come south in winter have more or less rufous on their faces, and are more richly coloured than those that pass the summer with us; but the two races seem to blend into each other, and it is not easy to draw a line of distinction between them. 509. EXCALFACTORIA CHINENSIS (L.) ; Ibis, 1863, p. 398, 1870, p. 360; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 308. Coturnix chinensis (L.) ; Ibis, 1861, p. 50. Coturnix caineana, $, Swinh. Ibis, 1865, p. 351. South China, Formosa, and Hainan. 510. TURNIX DUSSUMIERI. Hemipodius dussumieri, Temm. Pl. Col. (1838) pl. 454. f. 2; Gould, B. of As. pt. xxi. Turnix sykesi, A. Smith, Zool. of South Africa; Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 600. In the winter 1868-69, when I was last in Formosa, I procured several females and one male of the little Turnix that abounds on the low grassy hills about fifteen miles from Takovv. It had escaped me before, but its eggs I had got in abundance. This I cannot distinguish from the small Button-Quail of India. The females were bigger than the male, but of similar plumage. They both had deep-bluish bills, and the former bluish grey legs, the legs of the male being more flesh-coloured. This bird has not yet been met with in China. 511. AREOTURNIX ROSTRATA. Turnix rostrata, Swinh. Ibis, 1865, pp. 542, 544, 1866, pp. 131, 297, 403, 1867, p. 230. Turnix ocellatus, Ibis, 1863, p. 398. Allied to T. plumbipes, Hodgs., T. ocellata, Jerdon (nee Scop.), but of a good deal larger size, with much more powerful bill and legs. Frequents the lowest hill-ranges of South Formosa, showing a preference for rocky places covered with scrub. The female is much larger than the male, and acquires a black throat in summer. 512. AREOTURNIX BLAKISTONI, n. sp. Turnix ocellata, Ibis, 1866, p. 131; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 308. A male specimen of the T. ocellata group was procured by Capt. Blakiston at Canton, and kindly given to me. This differs too much from the last for me to consider it of the same species. Its nearest ally is the T. pugnax, Temm., of Malacca, but it is smaller, shorter-toed, and possesses a remarkably small bill. Instead of spots PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1871, No. XXVI. |