A MELODIOUS DRONGO 127 



Of the less ornamental drongos, the king crow is 

 the best-known example. This bird is found in all 

 parts of India, and occurs in Ceylon. Almost as widely 

 distributed, but far less abundant, is the white-bellied 

 drongo. This species may be met with in all parts of 

 India save the Punjab. In the Western Province 

 of Ceylon it is replaced by a drongo having less white 

 in the plumage. 



It is a moot question whether this last is to be looked 

 upon as a race or a distinct species. Legge writes : 

 " No bird in Ceylon is so puzzling as the present, 

 and there is none to which I have given so much 

 attention with a view to arriving at a satisfactory 

 determination as to whether there are two species in 

 the island or only one. I cannot come to any other con- 

 clusion than that there is but one, the opposing types of 

 which are certainly somewhat distinct from one another, 

 but which grade into each other in such a manner 

 as to forbid their being rightly considered as distinct 

 species ; and I will leave it to others, who Hke to take 

 the matter up for investigation, to prove whether my 

 conclusions are erroneous or not." Oates has since 

 constituted the birds which have less white on the 

 lower parts a distinct species, which he calls the white- 

 vented drongo (Dicrurus leucopygialis). He admits 

 that the amount of white on this form and on the white- 

 belHed species {Dicrurus ccerulescens) is variable, and 

 that a bird is occasionally met with which might, as 

 regards this character, be assigned indifferently to 

 one or the other species, but, says he, the colour of 

 the throat and breast will, in these cases, be a safe 



