Birds of Lucknow. 489 
and jamun trees. Interiorly it is lined with little bits of 
leaves, and round the hole the birds stick mud mixed with a 
gummy resinous substance, which becomes very hard. I have 
often watched a pair working away at the task of closing up 
their selected nursery. It is rather easy to find, if you 
carefully watch the birds, but in nine cases out of ten the 
obtaining of the eggs is a matter of difficulty. Four is the 
greatest number that I have found. They are white, spotted 
or freckled — rarely blotched- — with brick-red. 
Average of 8 Lucknow eggs '67" x 54" 
Measurement of largest egg -70" x '53" 
„ smallest egg •65"x-52" 
/ 
No. 327. DicRURus ater. Black Drongo. 
Hojanga, Buchanga [H. Lacknovv]. King-Crow [Anglo- 
Indians]. 
The King-Crow is one of the commonest of our birds and 
a permanent resident, w^hich may be met with everywhere, on 
the open maidan as well as in the compound or in the mango- 
grove. It is very fond of perching on the backs of cattle, 
and also upon telegraph-wires, tops of trees, and other more 
natural look-out places. It catches its insect-prey on the 
wing, returning to its perch to devour it. Crickets, grass- 
hoppers, butterflies, &c. seem to be its chief food. It is a 
very pugnacious bird, more particularly during the breeding- 
season, and woe betide any evil-minded Crow that happens to 
pass within a hundred yards of the nest. It has a fair variety 
of notes, some harsh and disagreeable, others pleasing. 
Mr. George Reid wrote: — '^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 that it was all the while belabouring a poor Tit or 
Warbler which 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 
more frightened than hurt.^^ 
The King- Crow breeds from the end of April to the middle 
of July, but most nests will be found during the latter 
