COBYUS. 20 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Tlie whole plumage very glossy black, the feathers 

 of the hind neck firm and with glistening shafts. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown; legs and bill shining black. 



Measurements. Length about .500 mm. ; wing about 330 to 

 350 mm.; tail about 190 mm.; culmen about 58 to 60 mm.; 

 tarsus about the sanje. 



The Eastern Carrion-Crow differs from the Common Carrion- 

 Crow in being decidedly bigger, a more glossy bhie-hlack in colour 

 and in having the outer tail-feathers more graduated. 



Distribution. Siberia from the Tenesei to Japan, south to 

 Central Asia, Afghanistan, Eastern Persia, Kashmir, Tibet and 

 N. China. AVhitehead found it common in the Upper Kurram 

 Valley. 



Nidification. The Eastern Carrion-Crow is resident where 

 found, but within Indian limits very little has been recorded 

 about its history. It nests in the Kurram Valley, whence AVhite- 

 head sent me eggs, and also in Kashmir, from which State I have 

 received others. It builds in trees and very often near villages 

 or buildings, laving three to five eggs, which cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from those of the Common Carrion-Crow. 



Habits. The Carrion-Crow is found up to 1,400 feet and higher /V,'^^ 



during the hot weather but certainly breeds as low as 5,000 feet. 

 In the winter it descends much lower and it was obtained by 

 Magrath at Bannu. Erom its superficial resemblance to the 

 Common Jungle-Crow it is possibly often overlooked and it may 

 prove to he not uncommon in the plains in tlie extreme north- 

 west of India. In Kashmir it is not rare but haunts the wilder 

 ])arts of the country, though on tlie Afghanistan and Baluchistan 

 frontier it is, according to Whitehead, generally found in the 

 neighbourhood of villages and mankind. 



It? voice is the usual croak of its tribe and its food is as 

 omnivorous as tliat of the western ))ii-d. 



Corvus coronoides. 



The Jukgle-Crow. 



Our Indian Jungle-Crows have hitherto been known by the 

 name of macrorJiynchus, a name which really applies to their 

 Javau cousin, but they are merely races of the Australian Jungle- 

 Crow, and must therefore be known specifically by the name 

 coronoides, though they form several well-defined subspecies. 



Kej/ to Suhsp/'cies. 



A. Wing about oO-t mm., bill about (10 mm. . C. c. levaillanti, p. '27. 



Ft. Wing about 2!)0nim., bill about .56 111111. . C. c. cidminatus, p. 28. 

 C. Wing about .380111111. 



n. Bill about 60 mm., more slender C. c. intennedws, p. 28. 



h. Bill about 65 mm., more massive .... C. c. andamanensig, p. 29. 



