DICRURINiE. 437 



flies, locusts, and mantides. It has a very peculiar call, begin- 

 ning with a harsh chuckle, and ending in a pecular metallic creak- 

 ing cry. Mr. Elliot expresses it by Tse-rung, Tse-rung. It has, 

 however, a great variety of notes. It follows birds of prey now and 

 then, especially at the breeding time, just as our common King-crow 

 does. I have had its nest brought me several times at Darjeeling; 

 rather a large structure of twigs and roots, and the eggs, usually 

 three in number, pinkish-white, with claret-colored or purple 

 spots ; but they vary a great deal in size, form, and colouring. 

 They breed in April and May. 



, The Bhimraj is often caught and tamed, and may generally be 

 had at Calcutta or at Monghyr, where the hill-men bring Shamas, 

 Hill Mynas, Bhimraj s, and various other hill-birds for sale. It 

 is a very amusing bird in confinement ; will imitate all sorts of 

 sounds, as of dogs, cats, sheep and goats, poultry, and the notes 

 of many birds ; hence it used to be called by some Hazar-dastan, 

 or the bird with a thousand tales. Blyth had one that imitated 

 the fine song of the Shama to perfection. In other respects, it is a 

 very fearless and amusing bird in captivity, and is sometimes even 

 suffered to have its liberty, coming readily to the call of its owner. 

 It will eat raw meat, lizards, and almost any kind of animal food 

 that is offered to it. 



285. Edolius Malabaricus, Scop. 



Lanius apud Scopoli — D. retifer apud Jerdon, Cat. 59. — 

 E. cristatellus, Blyth — E. paradiseus, var. C, Bltth, Cat. 

 1215— HOKSF., Cat. 203— Kate-ongal, Mahr. —Zamn, Mai. 



The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo. 



Descr. — Frontal crest short, barely 1 inch long, varying from 

 f of an inch to 1^. Color much the same ; bill proportionally 

 smaller, and the bird also generally slightly smaller. 



Length 13 inches; wing 5 1 to 6^; tail 6| ; outer tail-feathers 

 1 2 more ; bill at front f . This must be the Grand Gohe-mouche de 

 la cote de Malabar of Sonnerat, Voyage, 2, pi, 3, from which 

 Scopoli gave his name Malabaricus, and the omission of the 

 crest in Sonnerat's figure is probably accidental, or perhaps an error 

 of the draftsman. 



