1840.] of the Peninsula of India. 19 



occasionally pilfers their eggs or young. Irides dark brown ; bill and 

 legs black. Length 21 inches ; of wing l3 T Vths ; tail 7| ; tarsus 2£ ; 

 bill to front 2~\ ths ; at gape 2£. 



Sub Family GLAUCOPINiE, Swains. 



Genus CRYPSIRINA, Vieill.— Dendrocitta, Gould. — Tree Crow, 

 or Magpie. 



As Swainson asserts the identity of these two genera, I take the for- 

 mer as being the legal generic name. 



159. — C. vagabunda.—Pica vagabunda, Gould's Cent. pi. 42. — Gray and 

 Hardw. 111. I. Z. — Coracias vagabundus, Lath. — Maha Lat, H. of 

 some Shikarees. — Indian Magpie. 



This bird, the Indian Magpie, is generally spread throughout the 

 South of India, but is only at all plentiful on the well wooded western 

 coast, where it is to be seen and heard in every lofty avenue. In the 

 Carnatic, I have only seen it in the jungly district near Touremcourchy, 

 and in the table land it is also rare, being met with only occasionally 

 in jungly districts, or in the neighbourhood of well wooded villages. 

 It frequents the highest jungles occasionally, not in their densest por- 

 tions, however. This bird is found single or in pairs, occasionally four 

 or five being seen together. It lives, as far as I have ascertained, en- 

 tirely on fruit of different kinds, and is very fond of the fruit of the 

 banian. It has a most peculiar cry, something like the metallic sound 

 of the call of the Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurits retifer), but its usual 

 call is a harsh rattling cry, like that of the European Magpie. Irides 

 blood red ; bill black ; legs slate colour. It is considered by the natives 

 as a kind of Shrike. Length about 16 inches ; wing 6 ; tail 10; tarsus 

 l T Vhs ; bill straight to gape l T Vhs. 



160. — C. lencogaslra. — Dendrocitfa lencogastra, Gould, Trans. Zool. 

 Soc. vol. 1, pi. 12. — Long tailed Magpie. 



This very elegant species is much more rare than the last. I have 

 only seen it in the jungles of Malabar and the Wynaad. It frequents 

 the densest portions of the jungles, and is extremely shy and wary, 

 feeding like the last on various fruit and berries. It has a somewhat 



