Robert Swinhoe, On a new bird from Formosa

Swinhoe, Robert. “On a new bird from Formosa.” Ibis n.s. 13 (1877): 473-474. With plate XIV.

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[28 August 2021 updated]

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

 

XLI.—On a new Bird from Formosa.

By R. Swinhoe, F.R.S. &c.

(Plate XIV.)

 

Dr. Steere, whose ornithological discoveries in the Philippines have lately attracted so much attention, also visited Formosa during his travels in the east. The portion of the island traversed by him lay towards the southern extremity, where he penetrated into the mountain’s of the interior, not visited by me. Amongst several interesting species obtained by him and submitted to me, such as Suthora bulomachus, Sibia auricularis, Garrulax taivanus, &c., was a Liothrix-like bird, which is quite new to me. Wishing for further information, I waited until I had an opportunity of showing the specimen to Lord Tweeddale. It was new also to him; and he writes, “It is another evidence of the close connexion that must have existed formerly between Formosa and the Himalayan chain.” I will therefore bring forward

this species under the generic name.

Liocichla, gen. nov.

In general characters a Liothrix, but with the stronger legs and shorter wings of a Garrulax, and somewhat allied to Sibia.

 

[p. 474]

Liocichla steerii, sp. nov. (Plate XIV.)

Olivaceous green throughout; crown and occiput, chin and throat, flanks and rump smoky; patch of orange-yellow on anterior corner of eye; streaks of yellow on sides of the nape and vent-feathers, broadly tipped with orange; breast, belly, and edge of wing yellow; axillaries smoky; bill and legs light wood-brown; tail olive-green, feathers square at the ends and white, four central rectrices with a black bar before the white tips, three on each side with the apical portion of outer web black as well; secondaries washed with maroon, black on inner webs and apical half, all tipped with white, yellowish green on outer webs, stems black. Length. 7·5, wing 2·7, tail 3·4.