D1SSEMUKU8. 325 



Genus DISSEMURUS, Gloger, 1842. 



The genus Disxemurus contains the finest members of the Drongo 

 family. The sole species found within our limits varies, however, 

 in dimensions and structure throughout its great range, but is 

 characterized at all times by the great elongation of the lateral 

 tail- feathers, the terminal portion of which is webbed on the 

 outside for a distance of about four inches and twisted upwards. 

 The web on the inner side of the shaft is very narrow. The fore- 

 head is tufted with feathers of varying length, birds from the 

 Himalayas and Central India having the tuft quite two inches in 

 length, whereas birds from Southern India and Tenasserim have it 

 less than one inch in length. 



340. Dissemurus paradiseus. The Larger Racket-tailed Drongo. 



Cuculus paradiseus, Linn. Si/st. Nat. i, p. 172 (1766). 



Lanius malabaricus, Lath. Ind. Orn. i, p. 66 (1790). 



Edolius grandis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 5. 



Chibia malabaroides, Hodgs. Ind. Rev. \, p. 325 (1837). 



Edolius paradiseus (Linn.), Blyth, Cat. p. 201 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 435. 



Dicrurus (Edolius) paradiseus (Gm.), Horsf. fy M. Cat. i, p. 155. 



Dicrurus (Edolius) malabaricus (Scop.), Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 157. 



Edolius malabaricus (Scop.), Jerd. B. I. i, p. 437. 



Edolius affinis, Tytler, Beavan, Ibis, 1867, p. 323. 



Dissemurus malabaroides (Hodgs.), Hume, N. fy E. p. 193 ; id. S. F. 

 iii, p. 101 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 218. 



Dissemurus affinis (Tytler), Hume,S. F. ii, p. 212. 



Dissemurus paradiseus (Linn.), Bli/th <$ Wald. Birds Burm. p. 128 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iii, p. 258; Tweedd. Ibis, 1878, p. 80; Hume 

 $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 219 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 399 ; Hume, Cat. 

 no. 285 ; Gates, S. F. x, p. 203 ; id. B. B. i, p. 225 ; Barnes, Birds 

 Bom. p. 156 ; Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, p. 217. 



Dissemurus malabaricus (Scop.), Hume, S. F. iv, p. 395. 



Dissemurus grandis ( Gould), Hume, Cat. no. 284 ; Oates, S. F. viii, 

 p. 166; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 156; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 101. 



The Large Racket-tailed Drongo, The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo, 

 Jerd.; Bhimraj, Bhring-raj, Hind.; Kalgia, Nep. ; Tiiikapassalapoliyadu, 

 Tel.; Hati of the Gonds; Parvak or Parvok-pho, Lepch.; Kate-ougal, 

 Mahr. ; Maha-Kaivuda, Erattu valem Kuruvi, Tain, in Ceyl. ; Hnet-dau, 

 Burm. 



Coloration. The whole plumage black, glossed with blue, except 

 on the inner webs of the quills, the throat, lower abdomen, and 

 vent ; the under wing-coverts and axillaries frequently tipped with 

 white. 



Iris red ; bill, feet, and claws black ; iris brown in the young. 



Length up to 26 ; middle tail-feathers 5;5 to 6*5 ; outer tail- 

 feathers up to 20; wing 5'8 to 7; tarsus I'l ; bill from gape 

 1*5 to 1'8 ; crest up to 2. 



I believe that it is impossible to separate the larger bird from 

 the Himalayas and Central India from the smaller one from 

 Southern India and Tenasserim, as the two forms are connected 



