20 COEYID^E. 



Iris brown ; legs, bill, and feet black (Johnson}. 



Length 19 ; tail 7'5 ; wing 12-5 ; tarsus 2-2 ; bill from gape 2 

 to 2-2. 



Varieties. Three races of Hooded Cro\v can readily be dis- 

 tinguished, and I have seen no specimens showing that any inter- 

 breeding takes place between them. The true G. comix is found 

 in Europe and eastwards as far as the Persian Gulf. The light 

 parts of the plumage of this bird are ashy grey. C. capellanus is 

 found round the Persian Gulf and in Mesopotamia. In this the 

 light parts of the plumage are white with black shafts. The third 

 race, which for convenience I shall term C. sliarpii, inhabits Siberia, 

 Turkestan, Afghanistan, and a portion of India. In this the light 

 parts of the plumage are drab-grey. The three races are so distinct 

 that any one could separate them at once. 



Distribution. Occurs in winter in the extreme north-west portion 

 of the Punjab, in the Hazara country, and in Gilgit. Biddulph 

 observed this species in the last-mentioned place in December, 

 January, and February. It extends westward to the head of the 

 Persian Gulf and northwards to Siberia, where it appears to inter- 

 breed to a considerable extent with C. corone. 



Habits, tyc. The Hooded Crow has much the same habits as the 

 Carrion-Crow, being shy and frequenting the more barren parts of 

 the countries it inhabits. In addition to eating the usual food of 

 its ally, it is said to feed on grain and to be found in fields searching 

 the ground like the Book. It does not breed in India. 



7. Corvus splendens. The Indian House-Crow. 



Corvus splendens, Vieill. N. Diet. cCHist. Nat. viii, p. 44 (1817); Blyth, 

 Cat. p. 90 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, p. 559 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 298 ; Hume, 



Corvus 



Anomalocorax impudicus, Hodys., Gray, Hand-list, ii, p. 14 (1870) ; 



Hume, N. $ E. p. 413. 

 Corone splendens ( Vieill.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 33 ; Ley ye, Birds 



Ceyl. p. 349. 



The Common Indian Crow, Jerd ; Koioa, Pati-Koiva, Desi-Kowa, Hind, 

 in various districts ; Kay or Kak, Beng. ; Manchi Kaki, Tel. ; Nalla 

 Kdka, Tarn. ; Karavi-Kaka, Kakum, Ceyl. ; Graya, Port, in Ceylon ; 

 Myan-Kwak, Mauipur. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, lores, cheeks, chin, and throat deep 

 glossy black ; nape, ear-coverts, the whole neck, upper back, and 

 breast light ashy brown ; wings, tail, and remainder of upper plu- 

 mage glossy black ; lower plumage from the breast dull brownish 

 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 reflexions. 



Iris dark brown ; legs and bill black. 



Length l7'5 ; tail 7 ; wing up to 11 ; tarsus 1*9 ; bill from gape 2. 



