COBYUS. 25 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. The whole plumage very glossy black, the feathers 

 of the hind neck firm and with glistening shafts. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown ; legs and bill shining black. 



Measurements. Length about 500 mm. ; wing about 330 to 

 350 mm.; tail about 190 mm.; culmeu about 58 to 60 nun.; 

 tarsus about the same. 



The Eastern Carrion-Crow differs from the Common Carrion- 

 Crow in being decidedly bigger, a more glossy blue-blnck in colour 

 and in having the outer tail-feathers more graduated. 



Distribution. Siberia from the Tenesei to Japan, south to 

 Central Asia, Afghanistan, Eastern Persia, Kashmir, Tibet and 

 N. China. "Whitehead found it common in the Upper Kurram 

 Valley. 



Nidiflcation. The Eastern Carrion-Crow is resident where 

 found, but within Indian limits very little has been recorded 

 about its history. It nests in the Kurram Valley, whence White- 

 head sent me eggs, and also in Kashmir, from which State I have 

 received others. It builds in trees and very often near villages 

 or buildings, laying three to five eggs, which cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from those of the Common Carrion-Crow. 



Habits. The Carrion-Crow is found up to 1,400 feet and higher 

 during the hot weather but certainly breeds as low as 5,000 feet. 

 In the winter it descends much lower and it was obtained by 

 Magrath at Bannu. From its superficial resemblance to the 

 Common Jungle-Crow it is possibly often overlooked and it may 

 prove to be not uncommon in the plains in the extreme north- 

 west of India. In Kashmir it is not rare but haunts the wilder 

 parts of the country, though on the Afghanistan and Baluchistan 

 frontier it is, according to Whitehead, generally found in the 

 neighbourhood of villages and mankind. 



Its voice is the usual croak of its tribe and its food is as 

 omnivorous as that of the western bird. 



Corvus coronoides. 

 THE JTJNGLE-CEOW. 



Our Indian Jungle-Crows have hitherto been known by the 

 name of macrorhynchus, a name which really applies to their 

 Javan cousin, but they are merely races of the Australian Jungle- 

 Crow, and must therefore be known specifically by the name 

 coronoides, though they form several well-defined subspecies. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Wing about 305mm., bill about GO mm. . C. c. levaillanti, p. 27. 



B. Wing about 290 mm., bill about 56 mm. . C. c. culminatus, p. 28. 



C. Wing about 330mm. 



a. Bill about 60ium., more slender C. c. intermedius, p. 28. 



b. Bill about 65 mm., more massive .... C.c. andamaitetuis, p. 29. 



