6, CORONE. 33 



ance certainly justifies the separation of this form from the true 

 Corone comix ; but I do not think tliey will ever be recognized as 

 more than a race of the ordinary bird. My reasons for thinking 

 thus are, that in the Museum are some birds in moulting-plumage, 

 wherein the new feathers are grey in colour and not much lighter 

 than in the European species, into which it seems to graduate. 

 Hah. Persia and Mesopotamia eastwards into India. 



a. Ad. sk. Erzeroum {Dickson Sf Ross). J. Gould, Esq. [P.]. 



b. Ad. sk. Mesopotamia {Jones). Secretary of State for 



India [P.]. 



c. c? ad sk. Mesopotamia. EuphratesExpedition[P.]. 



d. (S ad. sk. Kazerum, West of Shiraz, Major St. John [C.]. 



South Persia. 



e. Ad. sk. Deccan {Day). Secretary of State for 



India [P.l. 



2. Corone splendens. 



Corvus splendens, VieiU. N. Diet. cCIiist. Nat. viii. p. 44 ; Temm. 



PI. Col. ii. pi. 425 ; Wagler, Syst. Ac. Corvus, sp. 18; Gray, Gen. 



B. 11. p. yl5; Blyth, Cut. a. Mils. A. S. B. p. UO; Bp. Consp. i. 



p. 384 ; Gray, Cat. Manmu ^-c. coll. Ilodgs. Nepal, p. 102 ; Ilursf. 



dr Moore, Cat. B. Mm. E.I. Co. ii. p. 559; Schl. Bijdr. Dierk. 



Amsterd. fol. p. 4 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 298 ; Schl. Mus. P.-B. Co- 

 races, p. 10 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 14. 

 Corvus impudiens, Hodys. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 84. 

 Corvus dauricus. Pears. J. A. S. B. x. p. 052 {two Pall.). 

 Corvus impudicus, Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 14 ; Hume, Str F. 1873 



p. 206 ; Ball, S. F. 1874, p. 418 ; Butler, S. F. 1874, p. 493'. ' 



Adult. Above greyish black, with a shade of light purple on the 

 wings ; the back, as well as the tail and outer aspect of the primaries, 

 glossed with green or steel-black ; nasal bristles and crown of head' 

 purplish black, scarcely reaching to the occiput, and including aU 

 the region of the eye, cheeks, and throat, the feathers of which are 

 lanceolate ; nape and all the sides of the neck and mantle, fore neck 

 and chest drab-brown, more dingy underneath ; aU the rest of the 

 under surface greyish black, with only a very slight gloss ; bill and 

 legs black; iris deep brown. Total length 16 inches, culmen 2-15, 

 wing 11-0, tail 7'1, tarsus 1-8. 



Obs. The Xcpalese and Himalayan examples appear to be the 

 most typical ; and those of Central India and Bengal exhibit a gradual 

 shading of black on the hind neck, which intensifies most in the race 

 called by Mr. Hume C. insoJens, from Burmah and Tenasscrim. The 

 Malayan examide is not C. insohns, but is of the dark form of C. 

 splendens. There is no doubt as to the correct locality of this Ma- 

 laccan bird, as it was purchased by Mr. Boucard from a collector 

 who shot tlie birds himself and sold them en bJoc on his arrival in 

 this country. I saw the collection myself before it was dispersed ; it con- 

 sisted of ordinary Malaccan species ; and a few rarities, such as Pcri- 

 crocotus i^/neus, Sjulornis bacha, &g., were in the same consignment. 

 I am particular in mentioning this, as it is the first instance known 

 of the occurrence of the species in Malacca, where we should have 



