378" Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornithological 



seea throughoat the heat oE the day perched on the dried-np 

 raarpela-stalks of the year before, from which tliey swoop 

 upon locusts and other insects. This Drongois quarrelsome 

 and takes a delight in bullying smaller members of his 

 fraternity, with the result that he is generally left severely 

 alone, all the other birds giving him a wide berth. Now and 

 again he becomes very eccentric in his flight, darting vertically 

 up into the air, while he often soars to a considerable height. 

 When a portion of ground is fired by the natives, numbers 

 of these birds may be seen on the confines of the fire, 

 catching the insects that are driven out by the heat, while 

 some fly even into the flames, and we have seen more than 

 one bird crippled. 



The notes of the male bird are screeching and metallic, 

 anad these are rendered into a kind of chattering song when 

 the pairing-season approaches. At that time the presence of 

 this Drongo becomes less noticeable, since it retires to the 

 thick woods to breed. Towards the end of December the 

 young were abroad, generally in company with one of the 

 parent-birds. They are very fond of frequenting fish-cane 

 overhanging pools of water, where they congregate towards 

 eveniug, and may be seen constantly flying out across the 

 water in short circuits after their prey, or mounting vertically 

 into the air ; while they are always the last birds to retire for 

 the night, not unfrequently keeping the Nightjar company. 

 Off and on the males utter their peculiar songs, commencing 

 with a clear mellow note, which leads one to expect a string 

 of pretty ones of equal value, but the clear note soon ter- 

 minates in the chatter already mentioned. 



The immature bird has the underparts a dull brown ; the 

 feathers of the under wing-coverts, abdomen, and under tail- 

 coverts being edged with white, which is gradually lost as 

 the feathers become suff'used with the steel-blue gloss of the 

 adult. 



60. Prionops talacoma Smith. 



Not numerous, fond of thick places, travelling in perfect 

 silence in small parties through the monotonous woods of 



