24 Notices and Descriptions of various New [No. 169. 



throughout India generally.* The common Indian Black Crow (C. cul- 

 minatus, Sykes,f is often erroneously termed 'Raven' by Europeans, 

 and as often confounded with the European C. corone : it is eminently a 

 " Carrion Crow" in its habits, and especially frequents the vicinity of the 

 great rivers, being less confined than the next species to the immediate 

 neighbourhood of human habitations. The common Indian Crow (C. splen- 

 dens, Vieillot,) has sometimes been mistaken for the Jackdaw (C. mone- 

 dula), and sometimes for the Hooded Crow (C. comix), of Europe; 

 as in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' for 1839, p. 163, 

 where the specification of the " Rook" and " Carrion Crow" both refer, 

 as I believe, to C. culminatus, and the Raven is also there mentioned as 

 an inhabitant of Assam (a statement which it would be satisfactory to 

 have verified). C. culminatus is the Common Crow of Arracan; the 

 C. splendens being only known in the northern part of that province, as 

 about Akyab, (according to Capt. Phayre,) — and to the southward, upon 

 the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal, I am told that it is the species of 

 the Tenasserim Provinces. Proceeding further southward, a very distinct 

 species of black Crow (C. macrorhynchos, Vieillot,) abounds towards 

 the Straits of Malacca, which is probably the Sumatran C. corax apud 

 Raffles ; and the Javanese C. enca, (Horsf.), is distinct again, as I 

 am informed. I have also been told that C. macrorhynchos is a much 

 shyer bird than C. culminatus, with a very different caw ; and the elon- 

 gation of the beak, remarkable in C. macrorhynchos, would seem to be 

 still further carried out in C. enca, insomuch that the latter species was 

 ranged by Dr. Horsfield as a Chough (Fregilus). Professor Temminck 

 states that the European Raven, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, and 



in having the crown, nape, and back, quite uniform green, without the hoary-blue 

 tinge conspicuous in the male; and the upper mandible is more or less black, like the 

 lower one. 



In P. pondicerianus, the upper mandible of the female is usually black, but often 

 more or less mingled with red ; that of the male being always bright coral-red : and 

 the same is probably the case with both the foregoing new species, as well as with P. 

 malaccensis, The young female of P. pondicerianus has recently been described by 

 Mr. Fraser, by the name P. modestus. This latter species is common in Bengal, 

 Assam, and along the eastern side of the Bay to the Malay countries generally; but is 

 very doubtful as an inhabitant of Pondicherry, or any other part of the Indian 

 Peninsula. 



* It is common at Ferozepore, at least during the cold season. 



f In the Diet. Class, d' Hist. Nat., this bird is erroneously referred to C. major of 

 Levaillant. 



