CORYUS. -J 1 



The Common Crow of India varies considerably in its coloration 

 according to climate. The light parts of the plumage of birds from 

 Sind and the dry portions of India are nearly white, whereas birds 

 from Ceylon and the more humid portions of the peninsula have 

 these partis very dark, nearly as dark as the Burmese species. 



Distribution. Occurs as a resident throughout the whole of India 

 from Sind and the Punjab to Assam, ascending the Himalayas to 

 about 4000 feet, and down to Ceylon. From Assam this Crow 

 extends southwards to Manipur and Northern Arrakan, and some- 

 where about these parts it mus't meet the next species. 



Habits, $c. The Indian House-Crow is the most familiar of all 

 Indian birds, being found in every part of the country, but more 

 especially in towns and villages, where its numbers are very great 

 and its habits obtrusive. It has in a great measure become domes- 

 ticated while retaining its wariness. It is eminently sociable, and 

 even in wild districts a solitary bird is seldom seen. It breeds 

 from May to July in clumps of trees near villages, constructing a 

 rough nest of sticks lined with grass and other soft materials. The 

 number of eggs varies from four to six, four, however, being the 

 usual number. The colour is some shade or other of green or pale 

 blue, and the eggs are marked in various ways with sepia, olive- 

 brown, and sometimes purple. They measure on the average from 

 1-44 to 1-06. 



8. Corvns insolens. The Burmese House-Crow. 



Corvus insolens, Hume, 8. F. ii, p. 480 (1874), iii, p. 144 ; Wald. in 

 Blyth, Birth Burm. p. 87 ; Oates, S. F. v, p. 159 ; Wardlaw Ram- 

 say, Ibis, 1877, p. 459 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 589 ; 

 Hume fy Dav. S. F. vi, p. 380 ; Hume, Cat. no. 663 bis ; Oates, 

 B. B. i, p. 399; Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 12. 



Corone insolens (Hume), Sharps, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 34. 

 Kyeegan, Burm. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, chin, and throat glossy black; 

 back of the neck and its sides dull brown ; ear-coverts and the whole 

 lower plumage from the throat dull brownish black ; wings and 

 tail and remainder of the plumage deep glossy black. The feathers 

 of the throat are lanceolate ; and the whole of the black portions 

 of the plumage are highly glossed with purple, blue, and green, 

 varying according to the light thrown on them. 



The dimensions are the same as those of C. splendens. The 

 iris is dark brown ; the legs and bill black. 



Distribution. The whole of Burma except perhaps the northern 

 parts of Arrakau and the northern portion of Upper Burma bor- 

 dering on Assam and Manipur. To the south the limit appears to 

 be Mergui. This species extends into Siain and Cochin China. 



Habits. &fc. The House-Crow of Burma, like its congener in India, 

 is extremely abundant in all towns and villages ; and even an 

 isolated house in the jungle will usually be found to attract a few 

 of these birds. 



