36 



the same, but rather more rufous ; central tail-feathers black, the 

 others the same colour as the back ; primaries and their coverts 

 black ; secondaries black, broadly edged with ashy white. 



The young have the head brown ; the central tail-feathers and 

 wings are blackish brown, and the general colour of the body- 

 plumage is less ashy and more vinaceous. 



The young have the bill orange at the gape and black on the 

 remainder ; the eyelids pale blue with the edges orange ; the inside 

 of the mouth orange. 



The adult has the iris blue ; eyelids plumbeous ; bill black ; legs 

 and claws dark brown ; inside of the mouth flesh-colour. 



Length 12'5; tail 7*8 ; wing 4-1 : tarsus 1*05 ; bill from gape 

 85. 



This Magpie has the central tail-feathers narrower than in 

 C. varians, and more abruptly spatulate at their ends. 



Distribution. The Hooded Racket-tailed Magpie was discovered 

 by Jerdon at Thayetmyo, and I found it very common in the neigh- 

 bourhood of that station. It extends to the east about 20 miles to 

 Tamagan, and on the south about 10 miles to Palow. It probably 

 extends some way to the west of the Irrawaddy river, and to the 

 north it ranges into Upper Burma for some distance. Colonel 

 Lloyd appears to have sent it from Toungngoo ; but Wardlaw 

 Ramsay expresses doubts as to its occurrence in that district, and 

 I feel pretty sure it does not range so far to the east. 



Habits, <$fc. This species is very similar in habits to C. varians ; 

 but is found almost entirely in bamboo-jungle. 



Genus PLATYSMURUS, Reich., 1850. 



The genus Platysmurus contains two species, one of which is a 

 resident in the southern portion of Tenasserim and the other in- 

 habits Borneo. They seem to connect the Magpies with the Jays. 



The bill is very much curved and shorter than the head, and 

 the bristles covering the nostrils are numerous and stiff but short. 

 The feathers of the crown of the head are very harsh. The tail is 

 of no great length but well graduated. The sexes are alike and 

 the young appear to resemble the adults. 



Davison, who observed these birds in life, says : " This species 

 keeps entirely to the forests, going about usually in parties of 

 from four to six. They have a deep, rolling metallic note, which 

 they continually utter as they move from tree to tree. I have 

 never seen them on the ground ; they probably get their food, 

 which consists of insects, and occasionally, at any rate, of fruit, 

 amongst the trees. They are excessively restless and always on 

 the move, flying from tree to tree, generally at a considerable 

 height, and continually uttering their harsh metallic call. They 

 restrict themselves to the evergreen forests, never, that I am aware, 

 coming into gardens or open ground." 



