326 



DICBUHID^E. 



together by birds from Khandesh on the one hand and from Pegu 

 on the other. The question has been fully discussed by Hume 

 and Sharpe, the former separating the two races, and the latter 

 uniting them. 



Distribution. The western parts oE India from Grodhra in the 

 Panch Mahals to Travancore ; Ceylon ; the Nellore ghats ; the 

 Tributary Mehals of Orissa ; Chutia Nagpur; Satubalpur and 

 Eaipur ; lower Bengal and the Sundarbans ; the Himalayas from 

 Kumaun to Assam, and thence through Burma to the extreme 

 south of Teuasserim. In the latter locality this Drongo is found 



Fig. 99. Head of D. paradiseus. 



in a small form, which becomes still further reduced in size in 

 the Malay peninsula. This small Malay race has been named 

 D. platurus. 



Habits, fyc. This species inhabits forests and well-wooded 

 localities, and is more sociable than the other Drongos, being 

 found either in pairs or in parties of four or five. It hawks after 

 insects both from lofty stations and from points near the ground. 

 It has a very fine song. The breeding-season lasts from April to 

 June. The nest, which is constructed rather flimsily of twigs, is 

 placed high up in branches of trees. The eggs are white or 

 pinkish, marked with reddish brown and neutral tint, and measure 

 about 1-15 by -82. 



