<\ 



154 DICRURIN^E. 



the longest ; legs short ; feet small ; tail usually long, forked ; the 

 outer feathers occasionally much lengthened ; of ten feathers 

 only. 



GENUS, Buchanga, Eodgson. 



Bill moderate or rather long, stout, depressed at the base, 

 moderately hooked, and the culmen more or less keeled, and 

 distinctly notched at the tip ; nostrils small, partially covered by 

 short feathers and bristles ; rictal bristles strong ; ^ wings 

 lengthened ; first quill short, second shorter than sixth ; tail long, 

 deeply forked ; tarsus moderate, strongly scaled in front ; outer-toe 

 slightly the longest ; claws sharp. 



Buchanga atra, Herm. 



278.Dicrurus macrocercus, Vieill. Jerdon's Birds of India, 

 Vol. I, p. 427 ; B. albmctus, Hodgs. ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray 

 Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 465 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, 

 p. 394 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 126 ; S win- 

 hoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. 



THE COMMON DKONGO-SHKIKE. 



THE KING CROW. 



Kolsa, Hin. 



Length, 11*5 to 1375 ; expanse, 17 to 1875 ; wing, 5'50 to 

 575 ; tail, 6 to 7'25 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill from gape, 1 to 1-25 ; bill 

 at front, 075. 



Bill black ; irides maroon-red ; legs black. 



Glossy black, with a small white spot at the gape (not always 

 present), somewhat duller black on the quills and tail, which are 

 brownish-black beneath. 



Young with whitish lunules on the abdominal plumage. 



The King Crow is a common permanent resident throughout 

 the region, breeding during May, June and July, a few breed- 

 ing earlier or later according to locality. 



The nest is usually built in a fork of a tree, at some height 

 from the ground, and is composed of grass roots and stems neatly 

 woven together, and is of a shallow saucer-shape. The regular 

 number of eggs is four, but occasionally five are found ; they are 

 of two very distinct types. The first is a pure white, without 

 markings ; the other a pale salmon color, marked with rich 

 red-brown. 



Between these types every variety occurs, but all the eggs out 

 of the same nest strongly resemble each other. 



They measure T01 inches in length by 075 in breadth. 



Buchanga longicauda, Hay. 



28Q.Dicrurus longicaudatus, Hay. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. 

 I, p. 395 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 394 ; 

 Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p, 66, 



