CISSA. 45 
a 
Genus CISSA®Boie, 1826. 
The genus Cissa contains, among others, two Indian Magpies 
of very beautiful plumage. They differ from the Magpies of the 
genus Urocissa in having a much shorter tail and the eyelids 
wattled at the edges, a feature which is very distinct in life and 
generally visible in some degree in dry skins. 
Jerdon, very properly, placed this bird between Urocissa and 
Dendrocitta, but wrongly called it a Jay. Oates, in view of its 
long tail and bright coloration, more correctly termed it a Magpie, 
a name which is now generally accepted. 
The Magpies of this genus are forest birds of shy habits, feeding 
both on trees and low bushes and sometimes on the ground. In 
the construction of their nests they resemble Urocissa and not 
Pica. They have red bills. 
Davison has mentioned (S. F. vi, p. 385) that the habits of these 
birds closely accord with those of Garrulax but the resemblance 
is not very striking, although it is a curious fact that in structure 
these two genera also possess certain aftinities. 
Key to Species. 
er ileadeANOLHee ks ROEM geicicia die cd syeisters's oes 0s C. ¢. chinensis, p. 45. 
BerHcadcandineck chestmut 5.5. ....+-...---.- C. ornata, p. 46. 
(24) Cissa chinensis chinensis. 
THe GrReEN Macprr. 
Coracias chinensis Bodd., Tabl. Pl, Enl., p. 88 (1783) (China). 
Cissa chinensis. Blant. & Oates, i, p. 28. 
Vernacular names. The Green Jay, Jerdon; Sirgang (Beng.); 
Chap-ling-pho (Lepcha) ; 2ab-ling-chapa (Bhutea) ; Pilitel (Datla 
Hills); Lal Sorat (Assamese) ; Dao-gatang-lili (Cachari). 
Description. Head and neck greenish yellow; general body 
plumage green; lores and a band through each eye meeting on the 
nape, black ; cheeks, sides of neck and whole lower plumage paler 
green; tail green, the central feathers tipped with white, the 
others tipped with white and with a subterminal black band ; 
lesser wing-coverts green, the other coverts red; quills brown on 
the inner webs, red on the outer; the inner secondaries tipped 
with pale blue and with a band of black in front of the tips. 
Colours of soft parts. Iris blood-red, pale blue-brown in young 
birds; bill deep coral-red; legs coral-red; claws horny red; 
eyelids yellowish brown, the edges red. 
Measurements. Total length about 370 to 380 mm. ; wing about 
150 mm.; tail about 200 mm.; tarsus about 40 mm.; culmen 
about 37 mm. 
The plumage of this bird in ill-health, in captivity and after 
death changes greatly ; the yellow pigment all evaporates, leaving 
