to ' The Birds of India.' 1 19 



India are decidedly smaller than those from the North, with 

 shorter wings, and generally shorter tail. Those from Ceylon 

 are perhaps still smaller, and Blyth has named them D. minor. 

 If, however, it be considered desirable to recognize the smaller 

 race as distinct, it must stand as Buchanga atra, specimens from 

 Tranquebar having been thus named by Hermann; these 

 specimens, I believe, always have the white rictal spot : the 

 Malayan D. macrocercus resembles this race in size, but wants 

 the rictal mark. 



278 bis. DicRURUs longus. 



Birds of India, Appendix, p. 871. 



This bird chiefly differs from D. alhirictus in wanting the 

 white rictal spot, and has usually, I think, a longer tail. It 

 appears to replace that species in many parts of Lower Bengal, 

 and even in Behar, and occurs throughout Assam and all the 

 districts east of the Burrampootra, nearly though not entirely 

 to the exclusion of Z). alhirictus. The Malayan D. longus is the 

 same as D. macrocercus, V., and therefore quite distinct from 

 our bird; and it becomes a question what name ours ought 

 to bear. Mr. Swinhoe has recently described a Chinese Dicru- 

 rus as D. cathoecus. He asserts that the Chinese bird differs 

 from its Indian ally in being still larger, with longer bill, and 

 much longer wing, and has a rich bronze gloss over its feathers, 

 including its wings and tail. Length of wing 6 inches, tail 6. 

 As to its longer wing, I must dissent entirely ; and if Mr. 

 Swinhoe had looked at my measurements of D. longus, I.e., from 

 Dacca, he would have seen that they quite equalled those of his 

 Chinesebird; and I have killed one with the tail 7inches in length. 

 As I see no other essential distinction, I shall, for the present, 

 distinguish the Indian King-crow without a white rictal spot as 

 Buchanga cathcecus, Swinhoe. As many specimens from 

 different localities in Northern India have the rictal spot greatly 

 reduced in size, and some, indeed, have it barely perceptible, 

 it is probable that the two races pass one into the other, like the 

 allied species of Coracias and Treron. 



279. BiCRURUS BALICASSIUS. 



The Himalayan bird is distinct from the Malayan species, to 



