326 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



description of the habits and localities of his Corvus intermedins 

 so obviously refer to the long-tailed black Hill-Orow, that I 

 doubt whether Mr. Sharpe's view can be accepted. If levail- 

 lanti, Lesson, is the oldest name for the Hill-Crow, then inter- 

 medius must be a synonym of levaillanti^ and not of culminatuSy 

 the crow of the plains. 



I have not entered intermedins as distinct from culminatus in 

 iornorance of the weig-hty arguments brought forward by Mr. 

 Hume (Lahore to Yarkand, pp. 237-239 j S. F., II., pp. 243-4, 

 and v., pp. 461-469) in support of his view that there is no 

 specific difference between the two forms. I am mainly in- 

 clined to consider the birds worthy of separation because their 

 habits and voice are so different. Mr. Brooks considers that 

 the Hill Crow has the tail longer (often by fully one inch) than 

 the bird of the plains, and the caw appreciably different. The 

 point as to habits and voice is conceded by Mr. Hume, and my 

 specimens bear out Mr. Brooks' view as to the length of the 

 tail ; but, in face of the long list of careful measurements given 

 by Mr. Hume of specimens from hills and plains, it seems im- 

 possible to maintain that the hill birds have the tail constantly 

 longer. And if no constant diagnostic point can be laid down, 

 by which shins of the two supposed forms can be separated, 

 it follows clearly, I think, that only one species can be 

 recognized. 



663.— Corvus splendens, Vieill. 



Three males. — Length, 17-3 to 17*8, expanse, 34'5 to 35 ; 

 wing, 11-7 to 11-75 ; tail, 7-3 to 7*5 ; tarsus, 1-73 to 1-8 ; bill 

 from gape, 2"05 to 2*1 ; bill at front, 1*93 to 1*95 ; closed wings 

 short of tail, 1-4 to 1-7. 



Three females. — Length, 17 to 17'5 ; expanse, 32 to 33; wing, 

 10-8 to 11 ; tail, 7 to 7-3 ; bill from gape, 1-95 to 2-0 ; bill at 

 front, 1*84 to ] -9 ; closed wings short of tail, 1-5 to 2*2. 



This Crow is exceedingly common in the Nepal Valley, the 

 Nawakot district, the Hetoura Dun, Bichiakoh, and the plains 

 of Nepal. It is one of the most common birds in the valley 

 throughout the year, and indeed occurs in such numbers there 

 as to be quite a pest. It is found all over the central part of the 

 valley, but never ascends the hills. Its habits have been so 

 exhaustively described that nothing further need be said on that 

 head ; but I may note that I have, on several occasions, seen it 

 capture and eat nestlings of Passer montanus. In the valley 

 it lays in May and June ; some twenty nests were once 

 examined on the 33rd June, and half the number then contained 

 young birds. 



