The Marquis of Tweeddule on the Dicrurida;. 69 



VI. — Notes on the Dicruridae^ and on their Arrangement in the 

 Catalogue of the Collection of the British Museum*. By 

 Arthur, Marquis of Tweeddal^. 



The Dicruridae constitute a natural, self-contained, sharply 

 defined family, which has its members ranging throughout the 

 Ethiopian and Indian regions and the Austro-Papuan, inclu- 

 ding the Moluccas. One, and only one, appears to be migra- 

 tory, Buchanga leucogenys, which reaches Japan in the summer 

 months. As indicated by the form of the beak, the presence 

 of strong rictal bristles, the short tarsus, short toes, and 

 ankylosed first phalanges of the outer and middle toes, the 

 Dicruri are Muscicapine in their affinities ; and this relation- 

 ship is unmistakably exhibited in their habits. All the 

 species of which the ways have been recorded, have the habit 

 of descending from their perches to catch insects on the 

 wing, and then immediately returning to the same or some 

 adjoining place of rest. Some species, such as members of 

 the genera Bhringa, Chaptia, Dissemurus, and several of the 

 genus Buchanga, never descend to the ground, but capture 

 their prey entirely on the wing. Edolius forficutus, accord- 

 ing to Pollen C^Faune de Madagascar^), has similar habits. 

 Those species that do descend to the ground, such as Buchanga 

 atra, do so to seize their food, and only remain for a short 

 time. This last-named species has the useful habit, where 

 there are extensive plains of long dry grasses without 

 suitable trees or bushes, of sitting on the backs of ante- 

 lopes, sheep, cattle, &c., using them as beaters, and catching 

 on the wing the insects disturbed by the feet of the grazing 

 animals. The feet in all the Dicruri are essentially con- 

 structed for grasping, by which, together with the lengthened 

 tail, walking is rendered difficult, if not altogether impossible. 

 During a seven years^ residence in India, I never once ob- 

 served the common King-Crow [Buchanga atra) move along 

 the ground ; and it is the most widely spread and least speci- 

 alized of all the Asiatic species. The flight of all is short, but 



* Catalogue of the Passeriformes iu the Collection of the British Mu- 

 seum. — Culiomorpha;. By R. Bowdler Shai-pe. (1877.) 



