CAMPEPHAGIN^. 417 



Gen. Graucalus, Cuvier. 



Cliar. — Bill strong, deep, of moderate length, wide at the base, 

 culmen tolerably curved and hooked, slightly toothed ; a few weak 

 rictal bristles ; wings rather long, pointed ; tail moderate, slightly 

 rounded, or nearly even, with the two outer feathers shorter ; 

 tarsus and toes moderate ; claws well curved, of rather large size. 



270. G-raucalus Macei, Lesson. 



Jerd., 2nd Suppl., Cat. 60— Blyth, Cat. 1146--HoRSF., Cat. 

 231 — Graucalus papuensis apud Sykes, No. 55 — and .Jerdon, 

 Cat. 60 — G. nipalensis, Hodgs. — Kasya, Hind. — Kabasi, Beng. — 

 Pedda Akurai, Tel., ^. e. 'large file-bird.' — Talling-pho, Lepch. 



The Large Cuckoo-shrike. 



Bescr. — Whole upper plumage light plumbeous-grey, paling on 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts ; tail with the two central feathers 

 grey, the rest dusky black, the two outer ones on each side tipped 

 white, and the outermost also edged with white ; beneath, neck, 

 and breast, light grey, slightly tinged with reddish-ash on the 

 breast ; abdomen greyish-white, with numerous narrow cross-stripes, 

 white on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts. 



Irides rich lake ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous. 



Length 12 inches ; wing 6-| ; tail 5 ; tarsus 1 ; bill at front f. 



This species is found over all India, from the Himalayas to the 

 extreme South, wherever there is sufliciency of wood. It is not 

 found in the dense forests, but in thin forest-jungle, gardens, or- 

 chards, avenues, single trees, or even in thick hedges, sometimes sing- 

 ly or in pairs, or in small families. Its favorite food is insects, chiefly 

 caterpillars, mantides, locusts, and other soft insects, which it 

 searches for among the foliage of large trees ; but it also eats 

 fruit, especially the fig of the banian. I never saw it feed on the 

 ground, as Hodgson says it does sometimes. It is rather a shy and 

 wary bird, flying before you from tree to tree, uttering, as it 

 alights, two or three rather sweet and mellow notes ; but it has also 

 a very harsh rattling scream, which Hodgson compares to that of 

 the Kingfisher, and which the Telingas compare to the rasping of 

 a file. It flies in an easy undulating manner, with but few flap- 



3 G 



