THE KING-CROW 4! 
He, however, differs from all other birds in the ferocity 
of his attack and the eagerness with which he rushes 
into the fray. 
Like the London street cad, the king-crow thoroughly 
enjoys a row. He never loses an opportunity of 
picking a quarrel. If another bird so much as wink 
its eye at His Royal Highness, that is held to be 
sufficient provocation. To venture within twenty yards 
of the tree in which the royal nest is situated is high 
treason. 
Now, since the drongo’s nest is not so large as a lawn- 
tennis ball, and is usually carefully concealed in a forked 
branch of a leafy tree, it often happens that a quiet, 
inoffensive bird, one who has never done anything 
naughty, innocently settles in the tree only to be roughly 
handled by the unreasonable owners of the nest. It is 
superfluous to say that the crow never loses a chance 
of “taking a rise” out of a king-crow. The interest 
which the larger bird takes in the:nest of the smaller 
is really quite affecting. 
A crow is pottering about aimlessly, looking out for 
mischief for idle claws to do, when it observes a couple 
of drongos busily at work. “A nest, probably young 
ones!” says Mr. Corvus Splendens to his noble self. 
He then proceeds to wend his way towards the king- 
crows, sailing along with that air of jaunty nonchalance 
which cats and crows alone can assume. 
“Morning! How's the nest and the dear little 
angels?” caws he. In less time than it takes to relate, 
the irate drongos have dashed at the crow, and are 
trying to secure beakfuls of feathers out of his back. 
