THE KING-CROW 45 



a king-crow would capture it and thereby score a point. 

 The " Pros " literally " ran round " the amateurs. 



Never before has a more crushing defeat been in- 

 flicted upon an amateur team. Time after time the 

 drongos succeeded where the crows had failed. It was 

 amusing to compare the clumsy attempts of the corvi 

 with the neat, clean curves and turns of the drongos. 

 But the crows, although outclassed, did not give in. 

 The contest lasted until the umpires decided that the 

 light was too bad for play, and so ordered stumps to be 

 drawn. 



Another proof of the masterful character of the king- 

 crow is the small amount of sleep in which he indulges. 

 Great men and drongos allow themselves only about 

 five hours' sleep in the twenty-four. The king-crows 

 are always the last of the birds to go to bed and are 

 usually the earliest to rise. Long before dawn, the 

 cheery, metallic, whistling note of the king-crow is to 

 be heard. 



A short time ago one of these birds tuned up at 2.30 

 a.m. In the middle of the day they do not sing much ; 

 they are too earnestly engaged in the business of life 

 to indulge in the " chanting of foolish litanies " and the 

 like frivolities, but, as the sun begins to approach the 

 horizon, they allow themselves a little relaxation in 

 form of song. 



In spite of all his cleverness, the king-crow is vic- 

 timized by a cuckoo. But we may say this for him, 

 that he is the dupe of no clumsy hoax. The cuckoo 

 in question is able to gain access to the nest only by 

 donning the plumage of the king-crow. The disguise is 



