PEBXCOCOTIS 'O áSTO H E íIS IS . Sw inh/,
PERICROCOTUS CANTONENSIS, Swinh.
Canton Pericrocotus.
Pericrocotus cantonensis, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1861, p. 42.—Id. P. Z. S., 1863, p. 284.—Id. P. Z. S., 1871, p. 378.
--------------- sordidtis, Swinhoe, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 284 ( juv.).
O f the well-defined groups o f Pericrocoti or Minivets there are two very distinct sections, some species
being, as in the present instance, of sober hue, whilst the others are unequalled in the brilliancy o f their
flame-coloured plumage. The birds must play an important part in nature, in‘ keeping down insects and
their lame.
Of Pericrocotus cantonensis (o f which the nearest ally is P . cinereus) Mr. Swinhoe gives the following account
in his first list o f the birds of China (P. Z. S. 1863) :—“ This species, forming so happy a link between the
grey and some of the crocus-tinted forms o f this group, I have as yet only seen from Canton, where it was pretty
common. The tendency of the female to develop the yellow tints is in this much more strongly shown than in
P . cinereus; so much so that Dr. Sclater declined to accept my identification of the sexes. But apart from any
special examination of the sexual organs, the skins carry in their plumage their sexual stamp ; for, analogous
to what obtains in the foregoing species, the male of this has a white forehead and a dark head. I have no
young specimen ; but, judging from the last, I should say that the young would be as strongly tinged with
yellow as the female.” On the same occasion Mr. Swinhoe described a second species as P . sórdidas, which
he has more recently (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 378) determined to be the young of P . cantonensis. He remarks:—
“ All these species have very similar call-notes, and feed chiefly on tree-bugs ( Cimicidce) and their eggs,
in search of which they creep and hang about among the leaves and branches of large trees, ranging the
country in flocks.”
I am indebted to Mr. Swinhoe for the following note on the species:— “ On the 20th of May, 1869, during
our expedition up the river Yangtze, I took a ramble behind the great temple Ta-foo-sze, where before the large
gilt idol boatmen offer thanksgiving for safe voyages before finishing their cruise at the city of Chungkingfoo
(Szechuen), which is within sight. I was walking about a country-gentleman’s garden, followed by his whole
family, to watch the curious monster, whose like they had never seen before, when I noticed a pair of this
small grey Minivet flying backwards and forwards anxiously, and uttering twittering notes as if in great
distress. I guessed the cause and peered about for the nest. A pear-tree had its top snapped away, and
on the stump was a knot looking like an accumulation of moss and lichens; and this turned out to be the
pretty Chaffinch-like nest of the pair. A lout o f a lad climbed up and threw the nest down. It was not
quite finished ; but there was enough o f it to make a nice picture, and I was therefore glad to place it in
your hands. I was cruel enough to secure the pretty pair who owned the nest.”
The following are the descriptions given by Mr. Swinhoe of the male and female.
Adult male.—Bill and legs black; irides deep brown ; forehead, throat, sides o f nape and vent white; the
rest of the underparts dingy; head, back, and scapulars deep brown, with a wash of grey, blacker on the
former; rump and upper tail-coverts light yellowish brown ; wings and tail rich hair-brown, the former
edged paler, the latter with the stems brownish white, and more or less white on all but the two central
rectrices ; white of under wing and wing-bone with a wash of pale saffron, the yellow being rather bright on
some of the axillaries ; wing-spot dingy yellow.
Adult female.—Rump more of a colour with the back than in the male; upper parts lighter and browner;
wing-spot bright yellow; quills edged with yellow; the light part of the rectrices rather bright yellow;
axillaries and wing-bar fine primrose yellow ; forehead narrow, dingy white; in other respects like the male.
Length 7$, wing 3b, expanse 91, tail 3 i.
P . sórdidas, which Mr. Swinhoe now identifies as the young bird, was described originally by him as
follows:—
Upper parts greyish brown, paler on the forehead, and darker blue-grey on the head and hind neck ; wings
and tail hair-brown ; greater wing-coverts tipped with white, but no wing-spot outwardly visible ; two middle
rectrices unicolorous, the rest more or less white ; the throat and vent white, the former tinged with brown ;
a black spot in front of the ey e; under plumage greyish brown ; a dingy white bar runs across the under
wing, with a faint tinge of primrose yellow.
Length 7b inches, wing 3b, tail 3 ^ .
The Plate represents both sexes of the bird, with the nest, all of the natural size.