CORVUS ALBUS 145 



Corvus curvirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 18 W. Africa. 



Corvus leuconotus, Swains. B. W. Afr. i. p. 133, pi. 5 (1837j Sencjal. 



Corvus phasocephalus, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 232 (1851) ; Kleinschmidt, 



J. f. 0. 1906, p. 92, pis. 2, 3, 4. 

 Corvus madagascariensis, Bp. C. R. 1853, p. 829. 



Arhdt. Black and white ; the dark parts glossed with purple and steel- 

 blue, less so on the abdomen and under wing-coverts ; hind neck, mantle, 

 sides of neck and breast from crop to abdomen pure white. Iris dark 

 brown ; bill, tarsi and feet black. Total length 18 inches, culmeu 2-3, 

 wing 13-5, tail 7-2, tarsus 2-4. g , 29. 7. 66, Otjimbinque (Andersson). 



The African Black and White Crow ranges over the whole 

 of Tropical and South Africa and the surrounding islands, 

 including those of the Madagascar subregion. 



The range of this species is remarkable as including the 

 whole of the Ethiopian Eegion, as I define it, and does not 

 occur elsewhere. Throughout its wide range it is apparently 

 ver}- evenly distributed, like the Grey Crow (Corvus comix) 

 is over Great Britain, and much resembles that bird in size, 

 structure and habits. Sir Harry Johnston, with his wide 

 knowledge of Africa, writes : " The Common Black and White 

 Crow is found throughout Africa from the verge of the Sahara 

 to Natal ; but I have sometimes thought it was less prevalent 

 in the interior, especially in the forest regions, than on or near 

 the sea-coast, where it is always the bird most commonly met 

 with. It is useful as a scavenger." 



Dr. Keichenow, in his Yogel Afrikas, gives a long list of 

 the localities where specimens have been procured, which I 

 need not here repeat, and the following native names for the 

 species : Abomey, " Avumsoco-o " (F. Newton) ; Fernando Po, 

 " Caha " (F. Newton) ; Benguela, " Xiquamango," " Kelam- 

 balambe," " Equala," " Quiquamanga," " Kiquela " (Anchieta) ; 

 South Africa, " Bonte Kraai " of the Boers (W. L. Sclater) ; 

 Zambesi, " Kounjouboui " (Foa) ; Quilimane, " Nyakungu " 

 (Stuhlmann) ; Zanzibar, " Kurabu " (Fischer) ; Mombasa, 

 " Kunguru " (Fischer) ; Taita, " Gursi " (Hildcbrandt). 



[.lanuary. 19liC. 10 



