34 COETID^E. 



Length 15 ; tail up to 10 ; wing 5'3 ; tarsus 1*15 ; bill from 

 gape 1-1. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Nepal to the extreme east of 

 Assam. Jerdon found it in Sikhim at from 3000 to 5000 feet of 

 elevation. Little or nothing is on record about this bird. 



20. Dendrocitta bayleyi. The Andamanese Tree-pie. 



Cat. B. M. iii, p. 82 ; Hume, Cat. no. 678 bis. 



Coloration. The feathers round the base of the bill black ; the 

 remainder of the head, neck, upper back, and upper breast dark 

 bluish ashy ; lower back, scapulars, and rump pale rufous-olive ; 

 upper tail-coverts bluish ashy : lower breast rufescent ashy ; abdo- 

 men, vent, and under tail-coverts chestnut ; tail and wing black, 

 the latter with a large white patch on the primaries and secon- 

 daries. 



Bill, legs, feet, and claws black ; the soles plumbeous grey ; iris 

 bright yellow, in some rich golden yellow (Hume). 



Length up to 14 ; tail up to 8'5 ; wing 5 ; tarsus 1'05 ; bill from 

 gape 1-05. 



Distribution. The Andaman Islands. This Tree-pie was obtained 

 by Davison near Port Blair, where it was not uncommon ; but he 

 found it most numerous at Mount Harriet and Aberdeen. He 

 observes that it is a forest bird and never ventures away from the 

 cover of large trees ; also that it never descends to the ground. 

 I did not observe it on the Great Cocos nor on Table Island. 



Genus CRYPSIRHINA, Vieill., 1816. 



With this genus we come to the end of the Magpies or long- 

 tailed Crows. The members of the present genus are small and 

 are characterized by a tail of peculiar structure, the central pair of 

 feathers being spatulate at the ends. The bill is small and the 

 nostrils are concealed by a mass of velvety fine plumes, which also 

 surround the base of the bill. 



The Racket-tailed Magpies are quite arboreal, and in the course 

 of many years' observation of them 1 have never on any occasion seen 

 one on the ground. They cling to the outer branches of trees and 

 search the leaves for insects ; they also feed on fruit. They have 

 a not unpleasant metallic note. The nest is more skilfully con- 

 structed than that of other Magpies, being firmly secured by tendrils 

 of creeping plants and presenting a compact appearance. The 

 eggs are quite Corvine in their character. 



Key to the Species. 



a. The whole head and body metallic green C. varians, p. 3-5. 



b. The head black ; the body grey C. cuaullata, p. 35. 



