DiCErRUs. 203 



perfectly \^•hite, with the exception of three or four blackish-brown 

 spots, another with more of these spots, another with almost as 

 man}' as the ordinary spotted eggs have, the ground-colour in all 

 these being still pure w hite, and the spots being blackish or very 

 deep reddish brown. Then I have others similar to those just 

 described, but showing a faint salmon-coloured halo round one or 

 t\^o of the largest spots, others in which the halo is further deve- 

 loped, and others again with the entire gromid-colour an excessively 

 pale salmon throughout, and so on a complete series gradually 

 increasing in intensity of colour till we get the pure rich salmoii- 

 buff which is at the other end of the scale. I am particular in 

 this description, because the eggs of this bird have been a subject 

 of almost as many contradictions between Indian naturalists as the 

 chameleon of pious memory. In shape the eggs are typically a 

 rather long oval, somewhat pointed towards one end. Very much 

 elongated varieties are common, recalling in this respect the eggs 

 of Chibia liottentotta . Spherical ^■arieties, if they occur, must be 

 very rare, the enormous series I possess containing no example. 

 In the colour of the ground, as above remarked, there is every 

 possible variety of shade between pure white and a very rich 

 salmon-colour. In the intensity and number of the markings 

 there is an equally great variety. The markings, always spots and 

 specks, the largest never exceeding 0-1 inch in diameter, are in- 

 variably most numerous towards the large end. where they are 

 sometimes, though rarely, slightly confluent. They vary from only 

 two or three to a number too large to count, and in colour throuo-h 

 many shades of reddish, blackish, and purplish brown, the latter 

 being rare and abnormal. 



The eggs are entirely devoid of gloss, as a rule, though here and 

 there a slight trace of it is obser\able. It is this want of gloss 

 alone that distinguishes some of the larger white, black-spotted 

 varieties from the eggs of the common Oriole, which they occasion- 

 ally exactly resemble not only in shape, colour, and character of 

 marking, but even (though generally smaller) in size. 



In length they vary from 0-87 to 1-15 inch, and in breadth from 

 0*7 to 0-85, but the average of 152 eggs measured is 1-01 by 

 0-75 inch. I have two dwarf eggs of this species not included in 

 the above average ^^hich I myself obtained in different nests, 

 measuring only 0*78 by 0-5 inch, and 0-87 by 0-G2 inch. 



328. Dicruriis longicaudatus, A. Hay. The Indian Ashy 

 Drongo. 



Dicrurus longicaudatus, A. TImj, Jerd. B. Iml. i, p. 4.j0. 



Buchauga lougicaudata {A. Hay), Hume, Roxujh Draft N. S,- E. no. 280. 



The Indian Ashy Drongo, a species that, \\\i\\ the really large 

 series before me from all parts of India, I find it impossible to sub- 

 divide into two or more species, breeds alike in the plains, in well- 

 watered and wooded districts, and in the Himalayas up to an 



