THE KING-CROW. 39 



America by the king-bird and other members of the 

 American family of tyrant-flycatchers. In Europe 

 no bird seems to have taken up this position, though 

 the missel-thrush attempts it a little. Perhaps the 

 European birds are too free and independent to be 

 thus lorded over, or possibly the supply of insects is 

 not suitable for the support of birds which, although 

 as big as thrushes, do not hunt for their prey, but, 

 like Mr. Micawber, wait for something to turn up 

 and then come down on it, as is the custom of these 

 Oriental and American oligarchs in feathers. The 

 true shrikes, one would think, might fill such a place, 

 but they prefer devouring their smaller relatives to 

 waging war on birds of prey, though they hate them 

 well enough. I have only noticed one near relative 

 of the King-Crow about Calcutta, and that in the 

 Botanical Gardens, ia the person of the Kesraj or 

 Hair-crested Drongo (CJiibia Aottentotta), a larger 

 species than the King-Crow, with a shorter tail and 

 longer bill, and exquisitely glossy plumage, deriving 

 its English name from the curious ornament of a few 

 long hairs springing from the forehead. This bird is 

 sociable, unlike the common Drongo, and does not 

 go in much for fly-catching, preferring to rummage 

 in flowers for honey and insects, for which purpose 

 its long, curved, fine-pointed bill is well adapted — 

 it is, in fact, a Drongo trying to turn honeysucker. 



