36 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



him hotwal, superintendent, of police. Armed with, 

 very punishipg beak and claws, he is a terror to evil- 

 doers like the kite and crow, who cannot catch him, 

 much as they would like to — I have seen a sicMy 

 King -Crow fall a prey to a kite — ^but also, it is to be 

 regretted, at times a nuisance to the more peaceful 

 portion of the bird community, robbing them when 

 he can of their insect prey ; although perhaps he 

 feels that this is merely an exaction of a tribute due 

 to his energetic exertions against the criminal classes, 

 which the pubUc would churhshly withhold. 



It must be adxnitted that he is sometimes very 

 unscrupulous ; a King-Crow has been known to give 

 the alarm of a hawk in order to frighten off a bird 

 which was capturing an insect which he wanted 

 himself, though such an action shows intelhgence 

 of no mean order ; and also exemplifies the vocal 

 powers of the King-Crow, which, like many other 

 birds possessed of a powerful and flexible voice, has 

 considerable aptitude for variations. His notes are 

 very pleasant, and he is ahnost the earhest bird to 

 tune up in the morning. The malej^d female King- 

 Crows are quite alike, and even the young are fledged 

 black at first, though afterwards they, become mottled 

 with white below, and it is years before this marking 

 disappears altogether. The eggs that give them 

 birth are very pretty, being sahnon-coloured spotted 



