( 5 ) 



and forehead black, instead of smoky brown, and has not the grey 

 patch on its wings, 



(No. i8, D. himalayensis.j 



BLACK RACKET-TAILED PIE. 



The Black Racket-Tailed Pie. This is a very handsome little bird 

 peculiar to Burma, and not found in India, though extending into 

 Siam and the Malay Peninsula. It is much smaller than the last 

 mentioned bird and is about the same size as the common Kincf-crow, 

 for which in fact it is generally mistaken. When it fiies its prevail- 

 ing colour seems to be black like that bird, but when the bird is 

 examined, it will be seen to have a black velvety band at the base of 

 its bill, its head and neck, in a reflected light, being a beautiful dark 

 glossy metallic green ; while the remainder of its body is black, 

 glossed over with the same metallic colour. From its name it will be 

 noticed that it has a long racquet-shaped tail, the two central feathers 

 being broadened out at the end, whilst the King-crow has the two 

 ouier/eai^/iers curled up at the end. It is a very common little bird 

 round Rangoon, and has a pleasing series of calls of the same de- 

 scription as the tree-pie. I cannot help thinking that he is one of 

 nature's so-called mimics. As he is so very like a King-crow that the 

 Burmans even call him one, but instead of acting as policeman and 

 bully to the bird world in general, he is most probably a regular 

 thief and poacher like the rest of the family. He is a bird of Lower 

 Burma and not found north of Pyinmana. The breeding season is in 

 June and July, the nest is generally made of creepers and placed in a 

 clump of bamboos or bushes, the eggs are of the usual family type 

 but very much smaller. 



Burmese name — Ami-whine. 



(No. 21. C. variansj 



HOODED RAGKET'TAILED PIE. 



This is another handsome little Magpie about the same size as the 

 last. It is peculiar to the dry-zone of Upper Burma, and not found 

 anywhere else. Its head and neck is a glossy metallic black, whilst 

 the remainder of its body is a beautiful dove grey, relieved by a 

 whitish-grey collar round the back of the neck. The feathers of the 

 tail are black, the two centre ones being of the same racquet shape as 

 the last. As already said, this bird is only found in the dry-zone, and 

 is a bird of the jungles and rarely found near human habitations. It 

 is fairly common in the districts of Mandalay, Meiktila, Yamethin and 

 Monywa. It has the regular undulating flight of the family, and the 

 same metallic cries. It breeds about April and May. Although the 

 bird is so common its nest has only rarely been found. The latter is 

 very curiously constructed; the lower part is a regular thorny halo ; 

 inside this is a very small, neat nest made of grass, the whole thing 

 giving one the idea that the bird feared enemies from heloiv, probably 



