( 249 ) 



a lighter and a darker one— possibly from North (and South) China. Onr Hainan 

 examples wonld, in that case, belong to tlie darker race. Possibly this species is 

 only a winter visitor on the island of Hainan. 



260. Dicrurus cineraceus innexa (Swinb.). 



Buchmiija innexa Swinhoo, Huh, 1870. p. 246 (Hainan). 

 Buchanga cincracea Grant, P. Z. S. 1900. p. 465. 



8 c?? Secha, April and May 1902 (No. 55). 



4 <?$ Lei Muimon, December 1902, January 19(j:3 (Nos. 120, 145). 



1 S Sonth Hainan, December 19113 (No. 145). 



1 (J Hoihow, November 1903 (No. 145). 



2 ? ? Utoshi, March 1903 (No. 145). 



1 S Wupa-shi, 3. iv. 1904 (No. 55). 



6 cJ? Liudon, March 1903, March 1904 (Nos. 55, 145). 



Tbe study of these Drongos is very difficult, bat, as our fine series from Hainan 

 is conspicuous by the large dimensions of the beaks, it might well be separated 

 from D. cineracexs cineraceus from Java and Bali. The series is a very interesting 

 one, being somewhat variable. Some examples, in fact more or less all those that 

 are in abraded plninage, have whitisli lores and a more or less striking indication 

 of white ear-coverts, while others are qnite dark, almost black, about these parts. 

 Some of those in worn plumage look exactly as if they were hybrids between 

 D. cineraceus and 1>. leucogemjs, but they can always be distinguished from the 

 latter by their mucli darker under wing-coverts, which are paler and have whitish 

 edges in D. leucogeiv/s. Snch apparently intermediate e.xamples were named 

 " Bucluirign iiuu'xa" by Swinhoe, wliile others with dark lores and ear-coverts were 

 enumerated by him under the name of " Bucluiiuja monhoti." 



The other supposed subspecies of D. cineraceus are more difficult to distinguish 

 than D. cineraceus innexa. I), cineraceus wallacei from Lombok is so slightly 

 darker, and averages— but is not always ! — so little larger, that it .is difficult to 

 separate. The supposed D. cineraceus palawanensis (Whitehead) is also very 

 slightly darker than D. cineraceus cineraceus of Java, but 1 fail to see how to 

 distinguish it from the Lombok birds. 



Specimens from Sumatra seem to agree with those from Java, while Teuasserim 

 ones are apparently paler on the underside, but questionably separable. 



The form justly named nigrescens by Gates (of. Fauna Brit. India, Birds i. 

 p. 315, 1889) 1 take to be the representative race, inhabiting Burma and Assam. 



D. stigmatops Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1879, p. 247) is quite distinct. I have only 

 seen it from Borneo. 



What Swinhoe said about the notes of tlie various species of Dicrurus is 

 interesting and important— viz. that those of the " Ashy Drongo " {D. cineraceus) 

 are quite distinct from those of the " White-cheeked" (D. leucogemjs) and of the 

 "Black species" (/>. atra cathoecus). 



267. Dicrurus atra cathoecus Swinh. 



Dicrurus cathoecus Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871. p. 377 (China, Hainan and Formosa). 

 Buchanga atra (non Hermann !) Grant, P. Z. S. I WO. p. 464. 



8 (J? Kiuugchau, February, March 1902 (Nos. 5, 26). 



6 <J? Hoihow, March, November, December 1902 (Nos. 5, 26). 



2 (J<J, 1 ? Lei Muimon, December 1902, January 19U3 (No. 26). 



