on Dr. Jerdon's ' Biids of India,' 35 



662. CoRvus TENuiROSTRis, Moore ; C. enca, HorsSeld. 

 This is, as I have before remarked (Ibis, 1865, p. 32), a 



Malayan bird, the range of which extends to Lombok, Flores, 

 Ternate, and Timor, according to Mr. Wallace. It is rightly 

 expunged from Dr. Jerdon's list in his ' Appendix '(ii. p. 873). 



663. CoRVUS SPLENDENS. 



Dr. Jerdon's account of the habits of this species is excellent. 

 I have seen several nests composed more or less, and two almost 

 exclusively, of the wires taken from soda-water bottles, which had 

 been purloined from the heaps of these wires commonly set aside 

 by the native servants till they amount to a saleable quantity 

 (J. A. S. B. xxvii. p. 290). At Akyab this Crow abounds, 

 and also (as I was informed by Mr. AV. T. Blanford) at jMandell 

 (high up the Irawadi). At Khyuk Phou a party of seven in- 

 dividuals made their appearance on the 7th of December, 1856, 

 which have since stocked the neighbourhood'^. Elsewhere in 

 Arakan this Crow has still no representative; but across the 

 mountains which divide that province from Pegu, in the valley 

 of the Irawadi, again at Moulmein, Tavai, and as far south as 

 Mergui, as also in Siam, it is replaced by a wholly black race, 

 quite similar both in form and habit, but having a much shriller 

 voice (a sort of shrieking caw), if possible still more inharmo- 

 nious than that of the other. There is just a very faint tinge 

 of ash-colour on the nape and breast, where the common Indian 

 Crow is pure cinereous ; but this must be specially looked for to 

 be remarked. The Crows of Ceylon are also melanoid; but 

 whether they differ in voice from those of continental India I 

 am unaware. Except as regards the difference of voice, the 

 Burmese and Siamese Crows may be said to hold the same re- 

 lationship to the Indian race which C. corvus does to C. comix, 

 or C. spermolegus to C. monedula. The melanite race of C. 

 sj)lendens is erroneously referred to C. culminatus by Schom- 

 burgk (Ibis, 1864, p. 252). 



According to Temminck, this Crow has a wide distribution 

 over the continent of India and the islands of the Asiatic Ar- 

 chipelago. The latter is a mistake, which is not repeated by 



* The precise date is given from the diary of my friend Major Ripley. 



D 2 



