CUKVUS. [io 



Description. Similar to^the Iiidiau House-Crow, but with the 

 dark ])arts shading into the lighter, which are ill-delined and a 

 blacliish grey. 



Distribution. Burma, Siam, Yuunan, Cochin China and the 

 north of the Malay Peninsula. Its southern limit is not known, 

 but it extends to villages some way south of Mergui. 



Birds from Assau), TN". Chin Hills and N. Arrakan are somewhat 

 iutermedia^e as would be expected, but are nearer splendens than 

 insolens. Wickham reports that he found the Common Crow at 

 Sandoway to be sjiUndens and not the Burmese form. 



Nidification. Indistinguishable from that of spleadens. One 

 hundred eggs average 35-1 x 2G-1 mm. 



Habits. In Burma this race takes the place of the Indian bird 

 in every wa}', and is its equal in familiar insolence and crafty care 

 for its own safety. 



(14) Corvus splendens protsgatus. 

 The Ceylon House-Ceow. 



Corvus splendens protegatus Madar., Om. Moiiatsb., xii, p. 195 



(1904) (Colombo). 

 Con-Its splendens. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 20. 



Vernacular names. Manchi Kald (Tel.) ; NaTla KaJcl (Tarn.) ; 

 Karari-Kaki, Kahum (Ceylon); Grcuja (Portuguese in Ceylon). 



Description. Very similar to inso/ena, but the light parts are 

 not quite so dark as in that race and are more easily defined from 

 the black. 



Colours of soft parts as in splendens. 



Measurements. A rather smaller bird than sj^/endens ; wing 

 genei'ally between 220 and 250 mm. ; other parts in proportion. 



Distribution. Ceylon only. Specimens from the extreme south 

 of Travancore are very dark compared with jVorthern Indian birds, 

 but are nearer to those than to the small dark Ceylon subspecies. 



Nidification. One hundred eggs collected by Messrs. W. E. Wait 

 and W. W. A. Phillips average 34-8x25'G mm., and are not dis- 

 tinguishable in colour from those of other races. 



Habits. Though neither so numerous nor so ubiqnitous in 

 Ceylon as its confreres in other parts, there is no difference to be 

 recorded in their habits.* 



* Corvus splendens mcdedevicus Echw. (Wiss. Erg. D. Tiefsee-Exp., p. 356, 

 190t) appears to be described from some form of House-Crow imported 

 into the Maldives. Only a single specimen was obtained. It is impossible 

 to SUV what race this bird is, and the name cannot be maintained. 



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