192 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



Large-Billed Crow. — This bird is also called the Indian 

 corby, and is glossy black above, dull black beneath, has a 

 rounded tail, a raised bill with prominent culmen and 

 a strongly curved tip ; the bill, as well as the legs and 

 feet, are black. Its total length is 21 inches, of which the 

 tail takes up 7i. 



It is the carrion crow of India, breeds from April to 

 June on high, isolated trees, laying three or four eggs of a 

 dull green colour, spotted with brown. It is very destruc- 

 tive to small animals, and domestic fowls and pigeons. 



Indi.\n Crow. — The scientific name of this bird would 

 lead anyone unacquainted with its appearance to expect 

 something in the bird of paradise line ; and anyone form- 

 ing such an opinion of it would be disappointed, for it is 

 wholly black, shot with puiplo and steel blue reflections, 

 after the manner of our own crows, but more glo.s.sy and 

 brilliant. It measures from 13 to 18 inches in length, of 

 which the tail occupies from GJ to 7. 



This crow is widely distributed, and is found from the 

 foot of the Himalayas to Ceylon ; it is not strictly 

 gregarious, but is rather of social habits, hunting in com- 

 pany for its food, which is extremely varied. The breeding 

 season is from April to July. 



Occipital Blue Pie. — The head, neck, and breast are 

 deep black ; a long, occipital white band extends from the 

 back of the neck down the whole length of it, gradually 

 shading into blue ; some of the feathers on the crown are 

 tipped with white ; the mouth and scapulars are cobalt 

 blue ; and the upper tail coverts are the same, but tipped 

 with black ; the wings are of a rich cobalt blue sha le, but 

 the quills are black, and the inner webs are all tipped with 

 white ; the tail is blue, and the two central feathers have 

 white tips ; all the others have a black, followed by a 

 white, spot at their free extremities ; the breast is white, 



