t>lCRURIN^. 427 



The King-crows, as they are termed in India, are the best known 

 birds of this family, and the most abundant in species, and, as in all 

 typical groups, very closely resembling each other. Four species 

 are found within our limits, and several others in the IMalayan 

 provinces and islands. The genus extends to the African conti- 

 nent, but slightly diflfering in form. 



278. nicrurus macrocercus, Vieillot. 



Blyth, Cat. 1219— HoESF., Cat. 193~D. indicus, Hodgs., As. 

 Res. XVIIL, with figure — Buchanga albirictus, Hodgs. — D. 

 balicassius, Latham, apud Sykes, Cat. 47 — and Jerdon, Cat. 55 

 ■ — Kolsa, Hind., in the South, also Bojanga or Buchanga — Firuja, 

 Beng. — Japal kalchit in the Punjab — Kunich, and Kalkolacld in 

 Sindh — Thampal, in the N. W. P. — Sometimes Kotival in the 

 Deccan — Yeti-inta, Tel., also Bara-dwa-jarn ; also popularly 

 Passala-poli-gadii, Tel., i. e. quasi ' Cattle tom-bird' — Kurri 

 kurrumahyTskva. — ' King-croic o^ Europeans in India. 



The Common Drongo-Shrike. 



Descr. — Glossy black, with a small white spot at the gape, some- 

 what duller black on the quills and tail, which are brownish-black 

 beneath. Young with whitish lunules on the abdominal plumage. 



Length 12 inches; extent 16 ; wing 5| ; tail 6^; bill at front 

 f ; tarsus y% 5 weight 1^ oz. ; the 4th quill is longest, and the ord 

 and 5th are nearly equal. The bill is moderately keeled and 

 strong. 



This Drongo Shrike is found throughout the whole of India and 

 Ceylon,* extending through Assam and Burmah into China, and is 

 to be met with in every part of the country, except in dense and 

 lofty jungle. It perches generally on some bare branch, whence it 

 can have a good look-out, or the top of a house or post or telegraph- 

 wire, frequently also on low bushes, hedges, walls or ant-hills ; 

 and very generally on the backs of cattle, sheep, or goats, hence 

 one of its popular Telugu names. 



It feeds chiefly on grasshoppers and crickets, which, as Sunde- 

 val remarks, appears to be the chief insect food for birds in India ; 



* The Ceylon race is, however, smaller; D,, minor of Blyth. 



