BUCHANGA LEUCOPYGIALIS. 



(THE CEYLONESE WHITE-BELLIED DRONGO.) 



(Peculiar to Ceylon.) 



Bicrurus leucopygialis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1846, xv. p. 298 ; id. Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 203 

 (1849) ; Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 124 (1852) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, 

 xiii. p. 130; Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 306 ; Legge, ibid. 1874, p. 16. 



Bicrurus cmrulescens (Linn.), Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiii. p. 129. 



Buchanga leucopygialis (BL), Holdsworth, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 439 ; Hume, Str. Feath. 1873, 

 p. 436 ; id. Nests and Eggs, i. p. 192 (1873); Legge, Ibis, 1875, p. 288; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. iii. p. 253 (1877). 



Buchanga ccerulescens (Linn.), Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 439 (in pt.); Legge, Ibis, 1875, 

 p. 288 ; id. Str. Feath. 1875, p. 202 (in pt.). 



Buchanga insularis, Sharpe, Cat. B. iii. p. 253 (1877). 



The King-Crow, Europeans in Ceylon. Pastro barbciro, Portuguese in Ceylon. 



Koivda or Kawnda Panika, Sinhalese. 



Ad. niger, chalybeo nitens, abdoinine albicante, crisso et subcaudalibus albis : rostro et pedibus nigris : iride rubra. 



Adult mule. Length 9-5 to 9 - 9 inches; wing 4-7 to 4-95; tail 4-7 to 5'1 ; tarsus 075 to OS ; mid toe 07, claw 

 (straight) 0-24 ; bill to gape 1-0 to 1-1. 



A<l nit f ftaale. Length 9-5 to 9'7 inches ; wing 4-5 to 4-75 ; tail 4-5 to 4-75. 



Iris varying from reddish brown to brownish red, in some obscure red ; bill, legs, and feet black. 



Obs. These measurements and the colours of the soft parts are taken from a series of northern and southern examples, 

 tin' representatives of the two types into which this species apparently divides itself; but in order to the more 

 uplete insight into the question, I will in my " descriptions " first deal with one type, and then pass through 

 the intermediate form to the other. 



Bark form: Buciianga leucopygialis, Blyth. 



Adult male (Wellewatta, Colombo). Wing 4-75 inches ; tail 4-0 ; bill to gape I/O. 



Iris dull red. 



Head and entire upper surface black, illumined with steel-blue; wings and tail brownish black, with a metallic lustre, 

 slightly greener than that of the back on the outer webs of the feathers ; ear-coverts and face black, without the 

 metallic lustre of the head ; chin, fore neck, and chest dull black, intensifying somewhat on the chest, and slightly 

 glossed in that part ; on the breast the centres of the feathers become gradually brown, with the edges iron-grey, 

 the latter paling to greyish white lower down, and thence into white on the abdomen, giving that part, however, 

 only a whitish appearance on account of the dark centres of the feathers ; vent and under tail-eoverts white. 



Adult male (Mapalagama, South Ceylon). Wing 4 - S5 inches ; tail 4 - 9 ; bill to gape 1*0. 



Iris obscure red. 



Much darker on the lower breast and belly than the above, as it is in abraded plumage, and the whitish edgings are 



worn off from this cause ; the vent is only greyish white, and the under tail-coverts sullied white ; gloss on 



the upper surface duller, or not so green as in the freshly-moulted specimen. 



Adult female (Poorie, W. Province). Wing 4-55 inches ; tail 4-4 ; bill to gape 1*0. 

 Iris dark red-brown. 



In more abraded plumage than the last ; the entire breast and belly dull brown, the vent greyish, and the under tail- 

 coverts greyish white. 



