Robert Swinhoe, Letters from Formosa

Swinhoe, Robert. “Letters from Formosa,” Ibis 6 (1864): 423-429. [Dated Tamsuy, 4 April, 30 April, 2 June, and 8 March 1864.]

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[6 June 2021 updated]

(A List of Taiwan-related Works by Robert Swinhoe is available here.) 

 

Formosa, April 4th, 1864.

SIR,—I have received from my friends Messrs. Caine and Cooper, of the British Consulate at Swatow, a very interesting new form of Hypsipetes, which I think it my duty to at once describe through your friendly columns. The bird was shot by Count Caine near Swatow, on the northern borders of the Kwangtung Province, just south of the Fokien Province, in which latter Amoy and Foochow are situated. It was skinned and forwarded to me by Mr. Cooper.

 

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HYPSIPETES NIVEICEPS, sp. nov. Æneo-niger: capite usque ad pectus cum scapularium abdominalium subcaudaliumque marginibus niveis: alis caudaque saturate fuscis: rostro corallino: pedibus rubro-aurantiacis. Long. 9·7 poll., alæ 4·7, caudæ 4, tarsi 7, rostri 9, rostr. ad rictum l·25.

Rictal bristles white; lst quill short; 4th ·l in. longer than 3rd, slightly longer than 5th, and longest in the wing. Tail of twelve feathers, inclining outwardly, and giving to that organ, when expanded, a triangular form; the rectrices with mucronate tips.

This is the first species of the black Hypsipetes group, with red bill and legs, procured in China. To this form, but more nearly allied to the Indian races, belongs our Formosan H. nigerrimus, Gould. From this last the Swatow bird, besides in having a white head, differs in some remarkable particulars. It is larger, and has a smaller bill, more suddenly dilated at the base, and with the gonys ascending towards the rictus, giving a somewhat Sturnine appearance to that organ. The feathers of the back are more regularly defined, and reflect a bluer bronze. The wings are unicolour, hair-brown. The legs have shorter tarsi and toes; and the claws are orange, instead of black. The wing is of nearly similar form, the same feather being the longest; but the 3rd and 4th are more nearly of a length than in H. nigerrimus. The tail is more expanded.

If this species turn out to be the sole representative of the black Hypsipetes form in South China, it will introduce a new topic of inquiry as to why the Formosan type should approach so near to the Indian races, while in the intermediate locality of South China the group is represented by so divergent a species.

I also, at the same time, received from Swatow a male Kestrel, only sparsely spotted with black on the mantle. Of this I had before procured an example from Amoy, which Mr. Gurney now has, and which, I believe, that gentleman considers only a casual variety of the largely and deeply spotted Japanese race (Tinnunculus japonicus), which is the prevailing species at Amoy. I strongly suspect, however, that the sparsely spotted form will eventually prove to be a straggler from some area in South China, where it will be found to predominate. In such case, as a

 

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permanent race it will be entitled to a distinguishing specific name.

Yours &c., ROBERT SWINHOE.

 

 

Tamsuy, Formosa, April 30th, 1864.

About the middle of the month, four Partridges were brought to me from the interior mountains, alive, consisting of three males and one female. They uttered a chuckle very like that of the Guinea-hen (Numida). I tried my best to induce them to live; but they knocked themselves about, and one after the other succumbed. Besides their peculiar red unspurred legs, thick black bill, and very short tail, the most striking peculiarity was in their all having an ugly raw-looking red patch on the throat. I thought it curious that all the birds should be so injured, if the peculiarity arose from an injury; but, on examining them closely, I found that the bare throat was natural. I have been puzzling myself as to what genus to assign them, but I know of no group of Partridges to which they can be well referred. They are not Arboricolæ, for they are of a different type, and, from their straight claws, certainly non-perching birds. They approach nearest the genus Caccabis; but from these they differ in the unspurred leg, the short tail, and the thick bill. Therefore, though loth to multiply genera, I see no hope of avoiding it in this case; and, from their being denizens of the interior mountains, I propose to create for them the genus which I will proceed to define.

OREOPERDIX, n. gen. Bill thick and heavy, tending to that of Numida; nostrils covered in most part by a bulging opercular skin. Legs large; tarse longer than middle toe; claws long, straightish, and blunt; outer toe longer than inner, both attached by a membrane to the middle toe as far as second joint, and extending in a narrow fringe up greater part of the toe; hind toe on a level with the rest, and attached to the inner toe by a basal web. Wing concave, of moderate length; 4th and 5th remiges longest. Tail soft and very short, of 14 rectrices. Throat in typical species inflamed (in spring) and much denuded. Sexes of similar plumage; but female much smaller, with thinner and lighter bill and legs.

 

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OREOPERDIX CRUDIGULARIS, n. sp.

Line round the eyes, above the ear-coverts, extending broader across throat, black. Black feathers on throat few and scattered, exhibiting a raw-looking red patch. This appears to be the work of the inflamed and expanded state of the numerous small arteries under the skin, and not due to pigment-colouring; and the feathers on that account lose their hold and fall away, as it is not of equal extent in all the individuals. This inflamed state of the throat has probably some connexion with the excited nature of the bird at the spring or breeding-season; and it is not unlikely that in winter the redness does not exist and the feathers do not fall off. Before the eyes, chin, and cheeks, under-neck and fringing the black line to over the eye, belly, and sides yellowish white, the yellowish fringe and the black neck-line having most of the feathers tipped with black. Forehead, breast, and under parts smoke-grey, tinged with olive, streaked centrally on the flanks and lower breast, and margined on the vent and parts of the axillaries with yellowish white. Occiput and back of nape reddish brown, tipped with black. Upper parts brownish olive, with several roundish bars on each feather of black, spotted and mottled as well with the same on the wing-coverts and scapularies, which are also splashed with reddish brown. Quills deep brown, margined with mottled reddish brown. Tail same as back, but the black bars somewhat irregular. Bill black. Irides olive-brown; bare skin round eye purplish flesh-colour. Inside of mouth flesh-colour. Legs light red; under-tarse, soles, and claws dingier.

♂. Length 11 in.; wing 5·6 in., rounded fourth quill slightly longer than fifth, and longest. Tail soft, 2·4 in. long, of fourteen feathers, bulging, and somewhat graduated, giving a rounded form to the tail when expanded. Tarse l·8 in.; mid-toe l·5 in.; its claw 6 in. Bill, along culmen, ·85 in.; from gape l·l in.; depth at base ·4 in.

♀. Similar in colouring to the male, but smaller, with slighter legs, feet, and bill. Length 8·5 in.; wing 5·2 in.; tail 2 in. Tarse l·5 in.; mid-toe l·3 in.; its claw 4 in. Bill, along culmen, ·85 in.; from gape l·l in.; depth at base ·3 in.

 

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The only two other birds procured, of special interest, are a Waxwing (Ampelis phœnicoptera) and a Ninox japonicus. The former new to the Formosan fauna, and, I presume, only an accidental visitor; the latter only observed before, and not procured.

Yours &c., ROBERT SWINHOE.

 

 

Tamsuy, Formosa, June 2nd, 1864.

SIR,—I have before observed that the Black Crow (Corvus sinensis, Gould) in the south of China is locally distributed. At Swatow it is common; at Amoy it gives place to the white-ringed C. pectoralis, Gould; and at Foochow it is scarce, but still holds its ground with the White-neck. At Peking it is the Crow, C. pectoralis being there a somewhat rare bird. In Formosa the Black Crow is extremely wild, and restricted to the hills. About the plains of Taiwanfoo I never saw it, nor does it occur in the immediate neighbourhood of this place. Among the wooded hills further up this river it is frequently seen; and I found a pair breeding on the south shore of the river, in a well-wooded valley about seven miles distant from here. I only succeeded in securing a nearly fledged young bird. But on a recent visit to Sawo Harbour, on the east side, I was pleased to fall in with two pairs, and succeeded in securing a male, and, from its appearance, I think there is good reason to consider it a peculiar species. The noisy and singular cries of this bird are very similar to those of the Chinese species. I have before commented on the superstitious reverence for this bird shown by the Chinese colonists, and the fruitless attempts I have made to urge them to bring me specimens. I therefore propose to specify it as the

CORVUS COLONORUM, n. sp. ♂. Length 34·5 in. Wing 14·3 in.; first quill 3·7 in. shorter than second, which is 1·3 in. shorter than third, which is nearly equal to fifth, and about ·25 in. shorter than fourth—the longest in the wing; the primaries all narrow towards their tips. Tail 9·3 in., nearly equally graduated, the outer feather being l·2 in. shorter than the longest; all the rectrices obtusely ended, their shafts being curved inwardly. Bill along culmen 2·6 in.; greatest depth 1 in. Tarse l·3 in.

 

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Irides deep hazel-brown . The feathers of the throat are rounded, and not lanceolate as in C. sinensis. Occiput and hind-neck greyish black, tinged with olive. Lower parts obscurely shot with green; upper parts with green and purple, the latter colour chiefly on the wings.

Another novelty of much interest is a new Pitta, of which I received a specimen from the Formosan Mountains on the 16th May. It is allied to Pitta cyanoptera and P. nympha. From the former it can at once be distinguished by its reddish crown and light under parts, and from the latter by the colour of its crown and the want of the black chin. It may be described as follows:—

PITTA OREAS, n. sp. Crown dull reddish brown; eye-streak full and long, yellow-ochre; median coronal streak, and stripe from base of bill, under ear-coverts to back of neck, and entire hind-neck black. Back and scapulars green, as in P. brachyura; shoulder-spot and upper tail-coverts fine verditer blue; wing-coverts and tertiary quills green, more or less bluish, with more or less black on their inner webs; quills and tail black, a white spot on the former occupying portions of the first seven quills; the tenth quill slightly edged at the tip with bluish, the rest towards the tertiaries broadly edged on a good part of the outer web with bluish green. Throat and under-neck white, with a tinge of ochre. Under parts pale ochreous, washed with green on the flanks; centre of belly, from breast downwards, and whole of under tail-coverts fine carmine. Axillaries black; under shoulder-edge greenish blue. Bill black; legs and claws light flesh-colour.

Length 8 inches; wing 5 in.; tail l·8 in. Bill, along culmen, 1 in.; to gape l·2 in.; depth at base ·35 in. Tarse l·6 in.

Yours &c., ROBERT SWINHOE.

 

 

Mr. J. H. Gurney sends us the following extract of a letter from Mr. Swinhoe, dated Formosa, 8th March, 1864:—

“I have succeeded in procuring another fine specimen of the Owl described in the ‘Ibis,’ 1864, p. 218, under the name of

 

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Bubo caligatus, in which I can detect no horns; but I find that the feathers of the hind-neck are long and loose, some of those on one side especially so, and I consequently imagine that in the bird described in the ‘Ibis’ the native stuffer must have pushed the skin up over the ears, so as to give to the specimen the appearance of horns...... The species may yet prove to be Syrnium indranee. I subjoin a riote on the individual last procured.

“Syrnium caligatum,♀, 21st February, 1864. Bill pale yellowish white, tinged with blue (the blue tint being evanescent), deepening into indigo near its base; claws deep brown on rather more than the apical half, passing into dingy white towards their bases. Length 20 in.; tail 10½ in., of twelve feathers somewhat graduated; wing 15¾ in., the fifth quill rather the longest.

“I received from the interior, at the same date, a specimen, new to the Formosan avifauna, of Buteo poliogenys, Schlegel. Bill blue-black, pale on the gonys and lower portion of base of upper mandible; cere and over the eye dull olive-green; eyelids and commissure-angle gamboge; legs and toes of a deep rich chrome-yellow; claws black, more or less patched with pale brown, chiefly about their middle portions; upper portion of the tibia feathered. Total length 16½ in.; tail 9 in., of twelve even feathers, obtuse at the ends, and somewhat graduated outwardly, so as to give the tail a rounded appearance when expanded; wing 9¼ in., the fourth and fifth quills equal and longest. Tomiæ of bill with a single deep festoon on each side.

“Appearance of bird, between Buzzard and Sparrow-Hawk; so that Hodgson’s generic name Butastur is very aptly applied to it. Some feathers of the hind head long and subacuminate, forming a crest protruding about half an inch.”