34 crow. 



23— CHANGEABLE CROW. 



Corvus varians, Ind. Orn. Sup. xxvi. 



Phrenotrix Temia, Lin. Trans, xiii. p. 165. Horsf. Zool. Res. No. 1 . — plate of the 



Bird. Id. pi. of bills, N. a. b. 

 Le Temia, Levail. Ois. ii. p. 22: pi. 56. Daud. ii. 244. Shaiv's Zool. vii. 372. 

 Changeable Crow, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 119. 



SIZE of the Song Thrush, but longer. Bill black ; general 

 colour of the plumage black, and the texture of the feathers delicate 

 and soft ; those round the base of the bill to the eye and chin stiff 

 and short, similar to black velvet; but on the rest of the bird appear 

 glossed with green and purple in different lights ; the tail greatly 

 cuneiform, composed of ten feathers, the four middle ones of equal 

 lengths, exceeding the rest of the body, being seven inches long, the 

 others lessen by degrees to the outer, which are very short and broad, 

 colour of the four middle ones black, glossed with green ; the others 

 black, but with a gloss of green only on the outer webs ; legs black. 



This was received from Batavia, but where it originally came 

 from, quite uncertain. The bill in shape is thick, and not unlike 

 that of the Beef-eater, which may lead to think, that in manners 

 it may somewhat resemble that bird. In Java, known by the 

 name of Chekitut, or Benteot. 



Inhabits Java, where it is not uncommon, but is not a familiar 

 bird, never approaching the villages and habitations like many others ; 

 for the most part found near solitary hamlets, situated in tracts re- 

 cently cleared for cultivation, where its food is supplied in abundance, 

 by the insects contained in the rich mould, and by the wild fruit trees 

 about the skirts. — In Dr. Horsfield's figure the four middle tail feathers 

 are not equal in length, but those on each side of the two middle 

 ones are shorter, as in the Magpie. 



In Mr. Bullock's Museum was one greatly similar, in which the 

 colour of the plumage was glossy black, inclining to brown on the 



