THE COMMON DLACK CHOUSE. 
157 
aaaenible at fee<ling times, for of lale ypars ihU spe- 
cies lias incrtrased to uu iinmcrtHe exti'nt, ami froca 
tlie life af tiie iicna btitig to a rei tiiiii (ie<j;ree |iro- 
tecti*tJ, a surtitifjit breeclin^ hlotk U aluaya kppt 
Up. At tlie season of lliL-ir ilius assu inbliiiMr in flocks, 
ibi^y are extremely *hy a::il wary. 
The plumfi^^e of ihe adult male is, on r11 tbe upper 
parts, of a rieli Hteel -blue^; on tbe under part^t. pitch- 
blatk, wliicb duller rolourabcns seen on ibfi si-fond- 
arios and win [{-vet verts. Tlit; Heroadaries are tipped 
witU wbiie, formin^f a Itar arruss ibe wings conspicu- 
ous in fliiibi, ami ilie uiider-iail coverts are uf ilie sriino 
pure cdour. Tim foi tii of ibe «aij is, licnvever, tbe 
moHt curiim^ or aiiuitialtiuH si.tr ucturi* in ibitt Ulni, dif- 
fering frnm all I he otberi*, (except oJte, wberu it is very 
EliLjliily tiidicated,) in beiitg forked, and having tbe 
feathers^ Ijcnditi;^ outuard. From this circuniHiancet 
it liai* bwn formed into a nuitgeiruH by Swainson, 
under ibe title Lt/ruras* mid m uiadu in ibat {gen- 
tleman's system to r<'|treseiit ibe fissiriwiral form 
oninng iUl.- 'I'etraDiiidie, lieariiiLf anabi^fy in ita fui ked 
tail and gluasy pluuiagp ti> ihe Diwigo slnikes of 
Africa aiiil India. The femalt? bear* llit; more unob- 
trusive cobmra wbicti run ihrougJi ibe sex in tbe rest 
of tilt* i-cunp, and lias achastti nnd beanliful armniie- 
metit of brown, ldu( l%, and grey iab- yellow. Tbe fork 
of the tail is very !»ligbtly seen. 
From the Grou'te and Ptarmj|fnn we appear to tr* 
rivtt naturally at tlto^ic birdti wbtcb tiU tbek Hituaiion iii 
