32 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Bill black ; iris hazel brown ; legs and feet black. Dimen- 

 sions rather variable : average length about 18 ; wing 11 '5 ; 

 tail 7 ; tarsus 2-1 ; bill from gape 2-25. Males are rather 

 larger than females. 



Distribution. — Found all over the low-country, except on 

 the strip round the coast line, where it is largely replaced by 

 the next species. Above 2,000 feet its numbers diminish, and 

 in most localities over about 4,000 feet it appears merely as a 

 casual visitor, but sometimes in fair numbers. The sub-species 

 found in Ceylon occurs over a large part of India. Allied 

 sub-species are found in Australia, South-eastern Asia, China 

 and Japan. 



Habits. — This Crow is fairly abundant, but is not nearlj'' so 

 gregarious as the next species. In the villages and jungles it 

 is seen usually in pairs, but in the inland towns it may be met 

 with in greater numbers. It is fairly omnivorous, feeding on 

 all sorts of garbage and carrion, and is a great egg thief. 

 The breeding season is from June till August. The nest is a 

 large structure of twigs placed high up in a tree, or on the 

 crown of a coconut palm. There is a fairly substantial rough 

 lining of coconut fibre, or of grass, fine roots, wool, &c. The 

 eggs, three or four in number, are longish ovals, as a rule 

 slightly j)ointed at one end. The ground colour is light green, 

 at times with a blue or gray tinge, speckled with brown and 

 more washy under-markings of brownish-gray. Average size 

 1-63 by 1-12. 



CORVUS SPLENDENS PROTEGATUS. 



The Indian House-Croiv. 



Gorvus splendens (Gates, Vol. I., p. 20) ; Corone splendens 

 (Legge, p. 349). 



Description. — Forehead, crown, and lores glossy black ; 

 chin and throat black with a slight steel-blue gloss ; back, 

 wings, and tail black glossed with purple and greenish ; the 

 nape, ear coverts, the sides and back of the neck dark smoky- 

 gray ; the breast darker, almost black ; remainder of lower 



