378 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE A XI) PRODUCTIOXS. 



Lord 'Widden remarks : " This must still continue a doubtful species. It was 

 founded on a sin>;lo example, shot at an elevation of lioOO feet in the Tenasseiim 

 Hills by Col. Tiekell. A second individual (mucli injured) from Tenasserim was 

 identified with it by Mr. Blyth four years later. Both appear to have been examples 

 of M. spilonotus in immature plumage." 



P.vRus c.ivsirs, Tiekell. Pegu. 



A rare straggler in Burma. 



P. coMMi.\Tus, Swinhoe. Karen-ni, at 3000 feet. 



Melanochlora suxtanea, Hodg. Arakan. Martaban. Tenasserim. 



S.flavicristata, Lafresn. 



Famili) Dicruridse. 



The drongo shrikes or King-crows are birds of lilack plumage and ten tail feathers 

 only. They are capable of rapid but not sustained flight, and are wholly insectivorous. 

 They build a loose nest, and lay white eggs, spotted with dark red. 



DICRURIN^. 

 BrcH.AjjGA ATRA, Hprm. Arakan. Pegu. Tenasserim. 



B. ANNECTANs, Hodg. Nipul. Pegu. Tenasserim. 



B. BAI.ICASSIUS, L. Burma. Nicol)ars. 



B. LoxurcATjnATA, Hay. Nipal. Bengal. Pegu. Tenasserim. 



B. pi/rr/i(ip.i, Hodg. 



£. infermedia, Blyth (apud Hume nee Sharpe). 



B. TFahloii, Beavan. 



B. himalayemis, Tytler (S.F. vi. 213-215). 

 !R. LEUcoPH.BA, Vicill. Pegu. Tenasserim. Andamans. 



B. Mouhoti, "Walden (monentc auotore, B.B. p. 130). 



B. intermedia, Blyth (apud Walden nee Hume). 

 B. MACRocEHcrs, Vicill. Pegu. 



I). Iiidicus, Hodg. 



I), albiridus, Hodg. 



Hume gives this species from Pegu (S.F. iii. p. 101), but it does not appear iu 

 Blyth's list (B.B.). 



B. LEUCOGEXYS, "Wald. South Tenasserim. 



The King-crow may often be seen hawking for insects of an evening, and generally 

 returning to the same perch after capturing one, and in common with many other 

 birds, hawks, kites, crows, mainahs, etc., they will assemble from all parts, as soon as 

 aware of a swarm of white ants being on the wing. In the forest these insects often 

 rise in winged swarms like a column of smoke ; but as soon as they clear the tree tops, 

 the column is broken and disintegrated by the ceaseless dash of birds at the luscious 

 prey, and when too dark for them, their place is taken by bats. They are called 

 King-crows from attacking crows or other bii'ds which approach their nest. Jerdon 

 describes the cry as harsh, but cheerful, and as often maintained during the greater 

 part of a moonlight night, and the earliest harbinger of the coming dawn. 



Chaptia iENEA, Vicill. Arakan. Tenasserim north of Mergui. 



C. Malatensis, Blyth. Tenasserim south of Tavoy. 



From Hume's observations (S.F. vi. p. 218) it would seem that these are 

 respectively Northern and Southern races of one species which meet about Tavoy, 

 ■where intermediate forms are common. 



The genus Bhrinqa is characterized by the base of the bill being shaded T)y 

 recurved feathers and the outer tail feathers being elongated during the bn^cding 

 season, with the tip barbed on both sides for over 3 inches, forming a racket-tail. 

 Tail nearly even. 



BnurNGA EEMiFER, Teni. Arakan. Pegu. Tenasserim. 



B. TECTiRosiRis, Hodgs. Sikkim. Pegu. 



