MASON AND LEPROY. 79 



Encouragement. It is useless to try and make these birds 

 breed anywhere, they are far too touchy at the breeding season. 

 If their presence is desired on any crop, a few bamboos or sticks 

 stuck in various places encourage the birds to a certain extent. This, 

 however, I would not recommend on a cereal crop such as wheat, for 

 the birds seem inclined under such conditions to take Lady-bird 

 Beetles which are beneficial. These perches must be higher than 

 the crop they are placed in. Among crops, such as maize, it is a 

 very good plan to grow a few bajra plants, as these form an excel- 

 lent post of vantage for the birds. These plants grow in some cases 

 considerably higher than the maize. I have noticed in dis- 

 tricts where this bajra is grown among maize that the King-crows 

 always chose to sit on the bajra heads and were always more 

 numerous in the fields where the bajra plants were growing. 



All my efforts at trying to induce these birds to occupy artificial 

 nests placed in trees have failed. Apparently they cannot be 

 encouraged in this way. 



328. Dicrurus longicaudatus. Indian Ashy Drongo. Chief 

 food : bees, bugs, and other insects. Jerd. B. I., I, 430. Butterfly. 

 B. N. H. S. J., IX, 337. 



In Cashmir very often robs the Hoopoe of its prey. Jerd. B. I., 

 I, 392. 



330. Dicrurus ccerulescens. White-bellied Drongo. Grass- 

 hoppers. B. N. H. S. J., IV, 313. 



335. Chibia hottentotta. Hair-crested Drongo. Apparently 

 feeding on insects in flowers of Bombax milubiricum ; wasps, 

 bees, green beetles and rarely vetches (probably taken with an in- 

 sect by mistake) ; also fruits. Jerd. B. I., I, 439. Insects in flowers, 

 taking fewer on wing than other drongoes. F. I., I, 321. 



340. Dissemurus paradiseus. L&rgei Racket-tailed Drongo. 

 Locusts and large insects. B. N. H. S. J., X, 610. Wasps. B. N. 

 H. S. J., VIII, 21. Termites and other insects. B.N.H. S. J., XII, 

 392. Bees, wasps, beetles, dragon-flies, locusts and mantids. In 



