430 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



279. Dicrurus balicassius, Lm. 



Corvus apud LiNN^us — Blyth, Cat. 1218 — D. affinis, Blyth, 

 J. A. S., XL, 174 ; PI. Enl. pi. 603 — Bhuchanga annectans, 

 HoDGS., I. R., 1837 — Oriolus furcatus, Gmel. 



The Crow-billed Drongo. 



Descr. — Plumage entirely glossy black, as in the last species, 

 but wanting the white spot at the gape ; bill very large, wide at 

 the base ; upper ridge well elevated ; tail less forked than in ma- 

 crocerciis, the outer feathers just curling perceptibly outwards. 



Bill and legs black; irides brown. Length about 10 to 10^ 

 inches ; wing 5^ to 5| ; tail, outer feathers 5 to 5|- ; bill at front 1^. 



This species is placed by Bonaparte as the type of his sub-genus 

 Balicassius, under the name of B. furcatus ; and the Australian 

 species, D. bracteatus, Gould, and another from the Philippines, are 

 included in the group. A New Guinea species, E. mezorhynchus^ 

 Q. and G., is given as Bicronostreptus, Reich. 



This remarkable Drongo appears to be very rare in Nepal, in 

 the lower valleys near the plains, and extends thence eastward 

 throuo-h Lower Bengal and Dacca to Assam, Burinah, and Malacca- 

 Nothino peculiar is recorded of its habits, but it is probably a 

 forest species. I did not procure it at Darjeeling nor in the Sikhim 

 Terai. 



280. Dicrurus longicaudatus, A. Hay. 



Madr. Jour. XIII. — Jerd., Cat. 2ud Suppl. — D. pyrrhops, 

 HoDGS. — D. macrocercus apud Jerdon, Cat. 57 — Blyth, Cat. 

 1220 — D. intermedins, Blyth — Horsf., Cat. 196. — D. cineraceus 

 apud Gray — Hodgs., Cat. Birds. — Sahim, or Sahem pho, Lepch. — 

 Chechum, Bhot.— iV^7 Finga, Beng. 



The Long-tailed Drongo. 



Bescr. — Above glossy bluish-black, beneath dusky blackish, 



with a tinge of blue ; wings and tails brownish-black, also with 



a blue gloss. The young bird, as in others of the genus, has some 



white mixed with the black of the abdomen and under tail-coverts 



