THE BIRDS OF GILGIT. 341 



136.— Corvus levaillanti, Less. (660). 



There are evidently two species of Crows of this type ; but 

 the only good distinction in the dried skin seems to be the 

 length of the tail. The short-tailed ones (C culminatus) go 

 about in flocks ; the long-tailed ones ( C. levaillanti ) only in 

 pairs and keep to the higher elevations, only coming down in 

 winter to the main valley.* These Crows are apparently what 

 Sharpe identifies as Corvus culminatus and Corone levail- 

 lanti, except that the dimensions of his C. culminatus are too 

 small for the Gilgit bird. The distinction in comparative 

 length of first primary holds fairly good, except in one speci- 

 men; the distinction in the lie of the rictal bristles is somewhat 

 better, but is less decidedly marked in some specimens of 

 C. culminatus than in others ; but the differences in habit leave 

 no doubt that, however difficult of definition, the species are 

 distinct. 



Out of nine specimens of C. levaillanti the wing ranges 

 from 13 to 13*8 inches, except in a single specimen, unsexed, 

 which measures 12*6. The tails measure 9 to 9*5, except in 

 the specimen referred to above, in which it is only 8'8. In 

 C. culminatus the wing ranges from 11*4 to 12 6 ; the tail 

 from 7-85 to 875. 



137.— Corvus culminatus, Syhes. (660). 



See preceding remarks. 



138.— Corvus umbrinus, Hedenb. (660 bis). 



On one occasion, among several hundred Crows collected 

 over a dead animal, at 12,000 feet elevation, I distinguished a 

 pair which differed from all the others in size, colour, and 

 voice and which I refer to this species. 



139.— Corvus frugilegus, Lin. (664). 



Very common in winter; appears in large flocks. 



[I regard all these distinctions as fallacious. It is not true that all the short- 

 tailed birds live lower down and keep in flocks, or that all the long-tailed ones live' 

 higher up and keep in pairs. It may have happened to be so in the few specimens ^ 

 here referred to. but I have conclusively shown that neither those nor any of the 

 other supposed differences between our Black Crows are constant. 



Of course some birds affect higher, some lower ranges ; of course those bred and 

 dwelling at higher elevations will average larger — of course, too, where the birds are 

 very sparsely distributed they will generally only be seen, in pairs, while where 

 there are many they will often congregate in flocks. 



There are many parts of the plains of Upper India (the Etawah District for 

 instance, where almost every bird is small sized and short-tailed) where they are scarce 

 and keep invariably in pairs. Others (as in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 Allahabad) where they are common, and may be seen in parties of 20 to 40. 



Both supposed species should undoubtedly stand under the one name, macror* 

 hynchus.— A. O. H.'J ^\ <f- 



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