DICBUEUB. 209 



330. Dicrurus caerulescens (Linn.). The White-bellied Drongo. 



Dicrurus caerulescens (L.), Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 432. 



Dicrurus caeruleus (Milll.), Hume, Rough Draft N. fy E. no. 281. 



I have never seen a nest of the White-bellied Drongo. Mr. 

 E.Thompson says: — "This bird's breeding-habitat is from 2500 

 to 6000 feet in the Himalayas. It is common on the south-eastern 

 slopes of Nyneetal. It lays in May and June, placing its shallow 

 cup-shaped nest in some little fork near the top of a moderate- 

 sized oak-tree, if breeding on a mountain-side, but of some tall 

 Alnus nipalensis, Acacia elata, or Acer oblongum, if nesting in deep 

 dells or valleys The nest appeared to be exactly like that of 

 D. ater; but I can say nothing very positive about it or the 

 eggs, as, though continually seeing them, I never, I think, took the 

 trouble of getting one down." 



Colonel Gr. P. L. Marshall, commenting on Mr. Thompson's 

 remark that this Drongo is common near Naini Tal, says : — "My 

 experience on this point is negative ; I have carefully searched the 

 south-eastern slopes of Naini Tal for four years without even 

 seeing the bird, so that I do not think it can be classed as a com- 

 mon breeder here." 



Mr. J. Davidson informs us that on the 16th July be saw a 

 brood of Dicrurus caerulescens on the Kondabhari Ghat, just able 

 to fly. Referring to "Western Khandeish, he tells us that he saw 

 only two nests. They were on adjoining trees in the Akrani ; 

 they were largish nests, not like those of D. ater, but more resem- 

 bling those of D. longicaudatus described in ' Nests and Eggs.' 

 One nest contained three young ones, the other was only building ; 

 and nothing could have been more plucky than the way the old 

 ones defended their nest. 



331. Dicrurus leucopygialis, Blyth. The White-vented Drongo. 



Buchanga leucopygialis (SI.), Hume, Rough Draft N. Sf E. no. 281 

 bis. 



Colonel Legge gives us the following account of the breeding of this 

 Drongo, which is confined to Ceylon : — " The breeding-season of this 

 Drongo is from March until May ; and the nest is almost invariably 

 built at the horizontal fork of the branch of a large tree, at a con- 

 siderable height from the ground, sometimes as much as 40 feet. 

 It is a shallow cup, measuring about 2\ inches in diameter by 1 in 

 depth, and is compactly put together, well finished round the top, 

 but sometimes rather loose on the exterior, which is composed of 

 fine grass-stalks and bark-fibres, the lining being of fine grass or 

 tendrils of creepers. The number of eggs varies from two to four, 

 three being the most common. They vary much in shape, and also 

 in the depth of their ground-tint; some are regular ovals, others 



vol. i. 14 



