434 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



forest, also towards the North, in well-wooded districts, as in 

 Lower Bengal. I have also observed it on the Malabar coast ; 

 in high forest in the Bustar country in Central India ; at Calcutta ; 

 and on the lower slopes of the Himalayas. Blyth observed 

 it to be common in the teak-forests of Upper Martaban. It is 

 usually found in small parties, near the top of some lofty tree, 

 whence it sallies forth after insects exactly like some of the Fly- 

 catchers, and returns generally to the same perch. It sings very 

 charmingly. 



A closely allied species is found in Malayana, C. malayensisj 

 A. Hay. 



Gen. Bhringa, Hodgs. 



Syn. Melisseus, Hodgs. 



Char. — Bill moderately depressed at the base, well curved on 

 the culmen, and strongly hooked and notched at the tip ; rictal 

 bristles long, but feeble ; base of the bill impended by an elevated 

 ridge of recurved feathers, successively longer to the front ; 

 wings long ; 4th quill longest ; 5th sub-equal to it ; 3rd a good deal 

 shorter ; tail nearly even, with the outermost pair, during the 

 breeding season,'greatly lengthened ; the shaft naked from where it 

 exceeds the other feathers, with the tip barbed on both sides for 

 about 3;^ inches, forming a racket-tail. 



283. Bhringa remifer, Temm. 



PI. Col. 178— Blyth, Cat. 1214— Horsf., Cat. 205— B. 

 tectirostris, Hodgs. — Bhringa, Nepal — Nambong punnong, Lepch., 

 i. €. the ' Royal bird' — Piadiga-po, Bhot. 



The Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo. 



JDescr. — Color a richly steeled black, with brilliant metallic 

 gloss ; feathers of the crown scale-like, those of the nape hackled ; 

 pectoral plumes intermediate. Length to end of central tail-feathers 

 10 inches, of which the tail is 5; outer tail-feathers 12 to 15 

 inches more ; wing 5^ ; tarsus f ; bill at front |. 



The bare stem of the outer tail-feathers takes a half turn, so 

 that the racket-shaped tips are nearly vertical, with the upper 

 side inwards. 



