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Distribution. — China and India. A 

 summer visitant in the Yangtse Valley, 

 more common on the hills, but often 

 seen in the larger trees on the plains. 



Nest and Eggs. — The nest is built 

 at a considerable height from the 

 ground in tall trees or bamboos. It is 

 a deep cup of leaves, roots, and grass, 

 bound together with cobwebs or silk 

 fibre, and usually slung in the fork of 

 a branch. The form and construction 

 varies considerably. The eggs are pink, 

 spotted with dark red and gray. 



Notes. — These birds are usually quite 

 shy, and do most of their feeding in 

 the early morning, keeping quiet during 

 the middle of the day. Their call is a 

 rather melodious whistled note. 



Family, Corvidae, tbe Crows and the Happies. 



This Family have a stout, compres- 

 sed, conical bill, which is never 

 distinctly notched, or angulated at the 

 base ; and usually rounded, operculate 

 nostrils, hidden by frontal tufts of 

 feathers. The legs and feet are very 

 strong, and most of the Family walk 

 well on the ground. The middle toe 

 with its basal segment is united for 

 about half its length to the lateral 

 one. The wings are variable in shape, 

 but all possess ten primaries, of which 

 the outer one is short — only about 

 half the length of the next. The tail 

 is also variable, being round or grad- 

 uated, but never emarginated or 

 forked. 



These are mostly large birds, the 

 Kavens being the largest of the Pas- 

 serif ormes. They are active and ener- 

 getic, possessing a high degree of 

 intelligence. 



