PICA BACTRIANA, Bomp. 



A Afghan Mag*pie. 



Pica caudata, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xv. p. 26.— Id. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 91.— 



Hutton, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xvi. p. 778. 

 — — bactriana, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. i. p. 383.— Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., 



vol. ii. p. 550. 

 Alcha, Cabul, Hutton. 





It has often struck me that the more stupendous the mountain-ranges, the larger and more powerful are 

 the animals frequenting them, whether mammals, birds, or insects ; and I could, were it necessary, adduce 

 many instances in confirmation of this being the case ; but I will here merely mention that, of the numerous 

 species of true Magpies forming the well-defined genus Pica, those inhabiting the high lands of the Old World, 

 known as the Himalayan and Thibetan ranges, are much larger and finer than those of other countries. Of 

 these larger and finer species the present bird is an example. It bears a general resemblance to the 

 common Pica caudata of Europe and the P. leucoptera of Siberia ; but on a careful comparison with those 

 birds, it is found to present several points o c difference : it is larger and more powerful than either of them ; 

 its correspondingly large tail is even more highly coloured ; its rump is crossed by a very distinct band of 

 white ; and the white on the primaries is of greater extent than in its European ally, but not so extensive as 

 in P. leucoptera ; in all other respects the three birds are very similar. 



Of the P. bactriana I have numerous specimens now before me from Afghanistan and Thibet, which 

 countries appear to be the head-quarters of the species, and where it performs the same offices, and exhibits 

 the same habits, manners, and disposition, that our own bird does in Europe, the Pica media in China, the 

 P. leucoptera in Siberia, and the P. Hudsonica and P . flamro&tris in America. 



" The Afghan Magpie," says Captain Hutton, " is found all the year round, from Quettah to Giriskh, and 

 is very common. They breed in March, and the young are fledged by the end of April. The nest is like 

 that of the European bird, and all its manners are precisely the same." 



A very fine series of these birds is contained in the collection at the India Museum, Scotland Yard ; and 

 my thanks are due to the Secretary of State for India and to Mr. Moore for the use of them in furtherance 



of the present work. 



Crown black, slightly glossed with green ; remainder of the head, neck, back, and breast black ; the throat- 

 feathers open in texture, and terminating in a bristle ; scapularies, abdomen, flanks, and a band across the 

 lower part of the back pure white ; upper and under tail-coverts, vent, and thighs black ; lesser wing-coverts 

 black ; greater coverts, spurious wing, secondaries, and tertiaries glossed with green and blue, and a few of 

 the secondaries with a stripe of yellowish green along the centre of their outer webs ; outer webs of the 

 primaries, their tips, and the margin of the apical portion of the inner webs dark bronzy green ; the inner 

 webs, with the exception of the apical portion of their margins, pure white ; two centre tail-feathers rich 

 bronzy green nearly to the end, when that colour passes into rich purple, then blue, and lastly bluish green ; 

 the lateral feathers are similarly coloured on their outer webs and at the tip of their inner webs, the basal 

 portion of the latter being black, glossed with blue ; irides blackish brown ; bill, feet, and legs black. 



Total length 21 inches ; bill 2 ; wing of specimens from Ladakh from 7-| to 8f; tail 13 ; tarsi 2. 



The front figure represents the bird of the size of life. 



Warn. 



