58 SHRIKE. 



base several bristles, pointing forwards; irides red; general colour 

 of the plumage black, glossed in some parts with blue ; the head 

 and neck feathers longer than the rest, and sharp at the ends ; tail 

 of a moderate length, but the exterior feather is three times that of 

 the others, measuring between seven and eight inches, the shafts of 

 which are naked for six inches, the remainder webbed only on the 

 outer side ; legs strong, black. 



Inhabits the Coast of Malabar, and other parts of India ; flies 

 heavily, and is only seen in the evening. Among the drawings of 

 Lady Impey I find a similar bird, but nearly as large as a Jackdaw. 

 Plumage black, glossed with blue ; on the fore part of the head a 

 vast crest, rising high, and bending forwards ; before it some loose 

 feathers, those behind are also long and loose. It is called by the 

 English the Crested Blackbird, but the Indian name is Bumrage, 

 and is no where more common than on the hills in the Kingdom of 

 Aracan. 



In the figure given of the bird by Levaillant, the head is not 

 crested, otherwise similar to our engraving of it : and it is said to 

 have been brought from Batavia. I find this to be well figured among 

 the drawings of Sir J. Anstruther, where it is called Bungradja. 

 It appears there, that this bird, and the Fork-tailed Shrike, are 

 considered as one species ; that without the greatly elongated exterior 

 tail feathers being the female ; those with the head smooth called 

 Bujunga. It is also conjectured, that the Paradise Cuckow of 

 Linnaeus is no other than this bird. M. Brisson, from whom authors 

 have had their descriptions, copied his figure from a drawing sent to 

 him from 31. Poivre, but the toes we may suppose are wrong, being 

 placed two and two. 



