con v us. 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 easy lo define C. s. protegatus, p. 35. 



(11) Corvus splendens splendens. 

 THE COMMON INDIAN HOUSE-CROW. 



Corvus splendens Vieill., Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., viii, p. 44 (1817) 

 (Bengal) ; Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 20. 



Vernacular names. Kawa, Pati-kawa, Desi-kawar (Hindi in 

 various districts) ; Kag or Kak (Bengali) ; Myen-Kwak (Manipur) ; 

 Kdk-sorai (Assam) ; Noni Das-kak (Cachari) ; Manclii Kaki (Tel.) ; 

 Natta 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 lanceolate 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 275 mm. ; tail about 170 mm, ; tarsus about 50 in in. and 

 culmen 45 mm. 



Distribution. The whole of India, except Sincl 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 it breeds in May, June and July ; and in Assam, 

 Manipur and IN". Burma in April and 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. They are typical Crows' eggs and run through the same 

 range of variations as do those of all the Corvidce. 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 



YOL. I. D 



