156 DICRURINjE. 



and tail black, with a faint gloss ; abdomen, vent, and under tail- 

 coverts, dull grey-black. 



The Bronzed Drongo is not uncommon on the Sahyadri Range* 

 as far north as Khandalla. It does not occur elsewhere within 

 our limits. 



GENUS, Dissemurus, Olog. 



Bill lengthened, strong, moderately depressed at the base, com- 

 pressed towards the tip ; the culmen well curved and hooked, 

 and distinctly notched, and the ridge well developed; rictal 

 bristles long, rather weak ; a few short frontal plumes cresting 

 the nostrils, but they mostly rise up and fall back over the fore- 

 head, forming a fine crest ; tail forked ; the outermost pair have 

 the inner webs gradually thinning off, and the shaft is bare for 

 some distance, terminating in a web, long and broadish on the 

 outer side, with a narrow and short web on the inner side. 



Dissemurus grandis, Gould. 



284. Edolius paradiseus, Lin. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, 



p. 435. 



THE LARGE RACKET-TAILED DRONGO. 



Length, to end of ordinary tail, 14 ; wing, 675 ; tail to 

 middle, 6 - 5 ; outer tail-feathers, 12 or 13 inches more ; the 

 shaft having the terminal end, for about 3' 5 inches barbed 

 externally, but towards the tip only on the inner side, and turning 

 inwards, so that the underside becomes uppermost ; bill at 

 front, 1*4 to 1*5 ; tarsus, 1. 



Plumage uniformly black, with a steel-blue gloss ; feathers 

 of the crown slightly hackled, those of the nape strongly so, on 

 breast slightly ; plumage generally loose and puffy ; frontal 

 crest falling backwards over the nape, varying from 1 5 to 2*25 

 inches in length. 



According to Jerdon, the Large Racket-tailed Drongo occurs 

 in Central India. 



Dissemurus paradiseus, Lin. 



285. Edolius malabaricus, Scop. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. 



I, p. 437 ; Butler, Deccan, Vol. IX, p. 395. 



THE MALABAR RACKET-TAILED DRONGO. 

 Bhimraj, Hin. 



Length, 13 ; wing, 575 to 6*25 ; tail, 6 f 5 ; outer tail-feathers, 

 12 inches more ; bill at front, 075. 



Plumage uniformly black, with a steel-blue gloss ; feathers 

 of crown slightly hackled, those of the nape strongly so, on 

 breast slightly ; plumage generally loose and puffy ; frontal crest 

 falling backwards over the nape, varying from 075 inches to 1*25 

 in length. 



The Bhimraj is a permanent resident all along the Sahyadri 



