THE BIRDS OF THE LUCKNOW CIVIL DIVISION. 32 
278.—Buchanga atra, Herm, Native name— 
Bojanga. 
The Common Drongo Shrike or “ King Crow” is everywhere 
common, frequenting gardens, avenues, groves, telegraph wires, 
jungly and cultivated tracts, and even low scrub on usar plains. 
It generally perches in positions whence it commands a good 
look-out; often on the backs of cattle, where it watches for 
the crickets and grasshoppers they disturb when grazing. It 
is an active, pugnacious and noisy bird, particularly during 
the breeding season, when its familiar call-note may be heard 
long before sunrise and after dusk. It has, however, a 
pleasant, prolonged, low twittering song, which it occasionally 
indulges in at dusk when the day’s labor’s done. 
On one occasion, early in May, I saw what I thought was 
a curious sight—a Drongo cutting such antics on the wing 
that I never for a moment suspected it was all the while 
belaboring a poor Tit or Warbler that it must have had in its 
talons. The liberation of the little captive fairly astonished 
me, but judging from the rapidity with which it made for the 
nearest tree, it was apparently more frightened than hurt, 
The earliest record I have of the breeding of this species 
is the 16th May, and the latest the 20th July; but inter- 
mediately I have come across many nests, by far the most 
from the 15th June to the 10th July. Out of 54 eggs I 
have of the two typical kinds—pure white and spotted—13 of 
the former and 41 of the latter, including four with only about 
half a dozen minute spots on each. 
Spotted eggs: 
Average measurement of 41 eggs ‘99 by °72 inches. 
1:06 ,, *72 ,, (longest.) 
Measurement of largest ege | 1-00 i 78 x (thickest.) 
Measurement of smallest egg ‘91 ,, °64 ,, 
Pure white variety: 
Average measurement of 13 eggs ‘97 by °72 inches. 
Measurement of largest egg | 1°06 ,, °72 ,,  (longest.) 
©5( 1:02 ,, °76 ,, (thickest.) 
Measurement of smallestegg ‘88 ,, ° 9 
281.—Buchanga cerulescens, Lin. 
The White-bellied Drongo is fairly common during the cold 
weather in well-wooded localities, but rarely, if ever, seen in 
such open country as the last species. In its habits it is much 
the same, except that it never frequents cows’ backs, and some- 
times sings sweetly. I believe it migrates to the hills at the 
5 
