230 



DICRUR1B>3?. 



of the same form, but exhibit slight differences. The type of the 

 genus, D. balicassiufi, and its congener D. mirabilis, stand alone in 

 the extreme brilliancy of their plumage. B. annectens has the 

 coloration of a Buchangn without the strongly forked tail ; but the 

 outer feathers often show a tendency to turn iip at the ends as in 

 Chibia. The representative of D. annectens in Africa seems to be 

 D. ntripennis, but the smaller size and differently shaped tail distin- 

 guish it. D. morlcstus is in plumage a Chibia, resembling exactly 

 the ilalayan species of the genus without the chest-spangles : no 

 specimen, however, as yet examined by me, exhibiting any tendency 

 to have a twisted tail, or to show any hairs on the crown as in true 

 Chibia, it has seemed best to keep it in Dicrunis. The last species, 

 B. hidwiffii, is easily recognizable on account of its small size, and 

 appears to lead to Chaptia. 



1. Dicrurus talicassius. 



Le Choucas des Philippines, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 31, pi. 2. fig. 1 ; Month. 



PL Enl. 00.3. 

 Corvus balicassius, Linn. S. N. i. p. lo7 (ex Briss.'). 

 Le Balicasse des Philippines, Month. Hist. Nat. Ois. iii. p. 8-3. 

 Edolius furcatus, Waal Si/st. Av. p. .322 (e.v Linn.). 

 Edolius yiridescens, Gotdd, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 6. 



Dicruvua viridescens, Bli/th, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 202, App. xxii. 

 Balicassius philippeusis, Bp. C. R. xxxviii. p. 539. 

 Balicassius furcatus, Bp. t. c. p. 539. 

 Picrurus balicassius. Gray, Hancl-l. B. i. p. 284 ; Wald. Tr. Z. S. ix. 



p. 180. pi. xx.xi. fig. 1. 



Tail of Dicrurus balicassius. 



Adult. General colour above and below shining steel-green, with 

 a strong metallic gloss of purple, the abdomen and under tail-coverts 

 a little duller ; the metallic endings to the feathers of the head, 

 neck, and throat somewhat lanceolate in shape, giving a slightly 

 spangled appearance to these parts ; wings coloured like the back, 

 with somewhat of a purplish shade under certain lights ; qiiills 

 black, the primaries glossed with green, the secondaries more broadly, 

 the innermost being exactly like the back ; middle tail-feathers re- 

 sembling the back, the rest purplish black on the inner webs, glossy 

 steel-green on the outer ones ; flanks more or less mixed with grey, 

 with a patch of silky white plumes on each side of the rump. Total 

 length 10-5 inches, culmen 0-2, wing 5-5, tail 4-8, tarsus 1. 



Hah. Philippine Islands : Luzon. 

 a. Ad. sk. Manila. Hugh Cuming, Esq. [C.]. 



