GRAKLE. 167 



22.— EGYPTIAN GRAKLE. 



i 



Gracula Atthis, Ind. Orn. i. 192. Lin. i. 165. Gm. Lin. i. 308. Ph. Trans, lvii. p. 



347, 10. Shaio's Zool. vii. 475. 

 Corvus .Egyptius, Hasselq. It. 140. 20. Id. Engl. 197. 

 Sturnus Atthis, Daud. ii. 321. 

 Egyptian Grakle, Gen. Syn. ii. 466. Id. Supp. ii. 128. 



SIZE of a Lark. Bill dull black, base reddish ; eye bluish ; 

 head flatfish at the top ; upper part of the body deep green, spotted 

 with blue green on the crown, nape, and shoulders ; sides of neck 

 and back the same, but not spotted ; on each side of the neck a 

 longitudinal broad line, which is ferruginous on the fore part, the 

 rest whitish lucid blue ; throat whitish ; belly ferruginous ; prime 

 quills deep green without, and dusky within ; tips the same ; tail 

 nearly even, deep blue ; legs blood red ; claws blackish. 



Inhabits Egypt, supposed to live on insects, centipees, and 

 scorpions, the remains of them being found in the stomach. In a 

 representation of this, among the drawings of the late Mr. Bruce, 

 the colour is green, but the ears, axillae, and under parts glossed 

 with a purplish blue; tail blue green ; bill and legs black. 



This was found in Abyssinia, and known by the name of Warda.* 

 Dr. Forster describes it as being the size of a jackdaw, with a green 

 body, blue back, ferruginous belly, and red legs ; he adds, that be 

 met with it about the river Yerooslan, beyond the Volga. 



As I cannot reconcile the great difference of size between Dr. 

 F.'s bird and that of Hasselquist, this matter must be left for future 

 consideration. The size of Mr. Bruce's is not mentioned. We have 

 never met with the bird.f 



* Sonnini calls it Egyptian Raven. See Trav. (Engl. ed.J ii. 239. Note *. 

 t M. Teniminck gives it as one of the Synonyms of the common Kingfisher. See 

 Man. d'Ornitk. ed. ii. p. 422. 



