1839] 



of the Peninsula of India. 



239 



down 'on them, though it seldom strikes. It pursues kites and various 

 other birds also, whence one of its common Hindostanee names (cotwal)* 

 In the bare Deccan I have often seen one or two king-crows high in the 

 air, traversing the country, but apparently not hunting. 



The usual cry of this shrike is a sort of crow or chuckle, succeeded 

 by two or three sweeter notes, but i? has several other cries. It is 

 the first bird whose song is heard in the morning, often long be- 

 fore sunrise, and sometimes on moonlight nights throughout the whole 

 night. Its flight is in general undulating, not very rapid, performed 

 with few flappings ; but when it exerts itself after a crow or other bird, 

 it is capable of great speed, and always overtakes its enemy with ease. 

 It occurs singly or in small families. I once found its nest, jn the month 

 of August, in the Carnatic, situated in the fork of a banian tree, at a 

 moderate elevation — it was composed of twigs and roots, carelessly put 

 together, and without any lining, and contained three eggs, white, spar- 

 ingly spotted with purplish red. Its chief food is grasshoppers of 

 various kinds, also bees, moths and other insects, chiefly coleopterous. 

 Mr. Elliot in his notes says, it migrates from the Southern Mahratta 

 Country during the monsoon. In the Carnatic I never observed any 

 diminution in its numbers at any season, but in the northern part of the 

 Deccan (at Jaulnah) it certainly becomes much more rare at that time, 

 and indeed is hardly met with. The kolsa is occasionally tamed, and 

 will perch on the head or hand of its master, and fly down after a grass- 

 hopper or other insect. 



Length 12 inches; tail 6|; wing5f; 4th quill perceptibly larger 

 than the 3d and 5th ? which are about equal — tarsus a little more than 

 of an inch. 



56. D. coerulescens, Vieill. — Lan. Fingal, Shaw. — E. lencogaster.-— 

 Pharee Bojunga, H. — White bellied king crow. 



This species appears to be generally spread, but no where plentiful. 

 It frequents open though lofty jungle, and well wooded districts, but is 

 occasionally met with in topes and avenues in the Deccan and Carnatic. 

 I have seen it most numerous in theWulliar jungle, and theSegour pass 

 of the Neilgherries, where I found it at a considerable elevation. It 

 almost always captures its insect prey on the wing (sometimes however 

 picks one off the ground) ; it perches near the top of a high tree, whence 

 it pounces on its prey generally at no great distance. It has a sweet 



