= 
50 CORVID. 
Their flight is dipping and consists of alternative flappings of the 
wings with short spells of sailings with the wings stiffly outspread. 
This Magpie is everywhere one of the most familiar of birds, 
frequenting gardens and the outskirts of towns and villages and 
not penetrating into the wilder parts. 
The type locality of rufa was certainly somewhere in South 
India, probably Malabar and therefore that place may be now 
designated. 
(27) Dendrocitta rufa vagabunda. 
THe BenGat TREE-PIE. 
Coracias vagabunda Lath., Ind. Orn., p. 171 (1790) (India). 
Vernacular names. Bobalink (Europeans Bengal); Aotr 
(Hindi in Beng.); Yakka-chor, Handi-chacha (Bengali) ; Kash- 
kurshi(N.Cachar); Khola-Khoa( Assam.) ; Dao-ka-link (Cachari). 
Description. Differs from the last in being more richly coloured ; 
the head is blackish and the red of the back is almost chestnut 
and the fulvous red below also much richer. 
Colours of soft parts as in rufa. 
Measurements. Wing 145 to 172 wm.; tail 209 to 253 mm. 
Distribution. Northern India from Garhwal to Eastern Assam, 
Behar, U. Provinces, Bengal and Manipur. 
The type locality may be restricted to Calcutta. 
Nidification. Similar to that of the last bird and neither nest 
nor egg can be distinguished. 
Habits. An equally confiding, common: bird, being found in 
flocks in gardens and parks in the centre of Calcutta and haunting 
the immediate vicinity of every town and village. 
(28) Dendrocitta rufa sclateri, subsp. nov. 
THe Cain Hivis TREE-PIE. 
Description. Similar to D. rufa rufa but with the whole 
plumage very pale and washed out and the dark grey of the head 
gradually merging with the pale dull rufous-brown or rufous-grey 
of the back. 
Colours of soft parts as in the rest of the subspecies. 
Measurements. Wing 142 to 161 mm.; tail 242 to 287 mm., 
generally well over 260 mm. 
Distribution. Chin and Kachin Hills, 
Nidification and Habits. Nothing recorded. 
Type. No. 1905—9. 10.6. Brit. Mus. Coll., Mt. Victoria, 
1,600 feet. 
