GRAKLE. 



165 



This last came from the Mahratta Country, in India. Found 

 also in Java, called there Jallak Sungu. 



21.— DIAL GRAKLE. 



Gracula Saularis, Ind. Orn. u 192. Lin. i. 165. Gm. Lin. i. 397. Shaw's Zool. 



vii. 474. 

 Sturnus Saularis, Daud. ii. 321. 

 Lanius Bengalensis niger, Bris. ii. 184. Id. Supp. p. 41. Id. 8vo. i. 209. Gerin. 



ii. t, 157. 

 Fringilla nigra, Klein. At. p. 98. 

 La Pie-griesche noire de Bengale, Biif. i. 297. 

 Le Cadran, Levail. Afr. iii. 50. pi. 109. f. 1, 2. 

 Saulary, Rati, 197. 19. mas. Id. 197, 20, fern. 

 Indian Pye, or Dial Bird, Alb. iii. pi. 17, 181. Edw. pi. 181. 

 Dial Grakle, Gen. Syn. ii. 265. Id. Supp. 91. Hist. Sumatr. 98, 238. 



SIZE of the Missel Thrush ; length seven inches or more. 

 Bill black ; irides yellow ; corners of the mouth the same ; plumage 

 in general black ; belly, sides, and under tail coverts white ; upper 

 wing coverts next the body, and second quills white, forming a 

 streak down the middle of the wing ; the tail rounded, the four 

 middle feathers black, the others white ;* legs brown or dusky. 



The female is smaller, inclines to ash-colour, and differs in 

 having the fore parts of the neck and breast dark brown, the 

 black parts not so deep as in the male, and the white appears sullied. 

 This inhabits both Africa and India ; common at Sumatra, and 

 there called Moori. Is a restless bird, flying perpetually from 

 branch to branch, often in large flocks. The Achenese use it for 

 the purpose of fighting, as the cock, and the two combatants fre- 

 quently attack each other on the wing, and drop to the ground in 

 the struggle. Has a pretty note, which commences with the dawn. 



* Brisson counted twelve feathers in the tail, but M. Levaillant allows of but ten ; 

 for, he says, the two middle feathers are black, the four others on each side white. In 

 those I have seen the tail consisted of twelve. 



