CORVUS. 33 
C, Contrast between pale and dark plumage 
very slight and, ill-defined ....:........, C. s. insolens, p. 34, 
D. Contrast between pale and dark plumage 
slight, yet easy1odefine .... 2.0.5.6. C. s. protegatus, p. 35. 
(11) Corvus splendens splendens. 
THE Common Inptan Hovusz-Crow. 
Corvus splendens Vieill., Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., viii, p. 44 (1817) 
(Bengal) ; Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 20. 
Vernacular names. Aawu, Pati-kawa, Desi-kawar (Hindi in 
various districts); Aag or Kak (Bengali) ; Myen-Kwak (Manipur) ; 
Kak-sorai (Assam) ; Noni Das-kak (Cachari) ; Manchi Kaki (Vel.) ; 
Nalla Kaka (Tamil). 
Description. Forehead, crown, lores, cheeks, chin and throat 
deep glossy black; nape, ear-coverts, the whole head, upper back 
and breast light ashy brown; wings, tail and remainder of upper 
plumage glossy black; lower plumage from the breast dull brown- 
ish black; the feathers of the throat are laneeolate and the whole 
of the black portions of the plumage are highly resplendent with 
purple-blue and greenish reflections. 
Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown; legs and bill black. 
Measurements. Length about 420 to 440 mm.; wing from about 
250 to 275mm.; tail about 170 mm,; tarsus about 50 mm. and 
culmen 45 mm. 
Distribution. The whole of India, except Sind and perhaps the 
extreme north-west, to the extreme south, Assam, Manipur, 
Lushai and the north of Arrakan and the Chin Hills. 
Nidification. The breeding season varies very greatly according 
to locality. In the greater part of Bengal and its eastern range 
it breeds in March and April, but in Dacca I found it breeding in 
December, January and again in April and May; in its north- 
western range 1t breeds in May, June and July; and in Assam, 
Manipur and N. Burmain Apriland May. The nest is a rough 
affair of sticks lined with smaller twigs and other miscellaneous 
softer material, and is placed at all heights in trees, growing in 
and round about cities, towns and villages. 
The eggs number four or five or sometimes six, very rarely 
seven. ‘hey are typical Crows’ eggs and run through the same 
range of variations as do those of all the Corvide. The ground is 
any shade of blue-green, and the markings are of dull reddish and 
brown with secondary markings of grey and neutral tint, usually 
they are small and irregular in shape and are scattered profusely 
over the whole egg. The average of 100 eggs is 37:2 x 27 mm. 
Habits. The Indian House-Crow is one of the most familiar 
birds throughout its habitat, whatever race it may belong to. 
It haunts human habitations and follows human beings as civiliza- 
tion gradually usurps the place of jungle or forest and wherever 
VOL. I. D 
