DISSEMUllTJS PAEADISEUS. 
401 
clo«e to the sea-oootl in places where the jungle is heavy. I have found .t on the Lunugalla pass up to 2001) feet, 
and it doubtless ranges to the sane elevation on the entire easternand northern slopes of the eentraUono. In 
the Western Province I never met with it; but in 1872 I obtained an exanp e ... the forest of Kottowe ..ear 
Galle, a remarkably isolated position, some 50 miles distant from the l.m.ts ol .ts general range. It ., the. , - 
fore possible that ii may still be found in some of the lower forests between that po.ut and Kurunegal. t us 
extending its range throughout all the low country. I have no certain evulcitee of its oerarrmce iii the g . 
jungles of the eoltee-districts ; but it may possibly ascend the Ilaputale ranges to a eons.derab e altitude i 
dry season, and in the neighbourhood of Kanily it has been procured by_Mr. Whyte s collec . J' 
procured it first at Anaradjapura, and wrote of it as being confined to the Vai.nl , it was a so in 
forests that Mr. Holdsworth met with it. . , i pact- 
On the continent thisS fine bird ranges through India* into Burinah and Tenasserim, and spr 
wards through Siam, whence many specimens have found their way into European co ections , o ^ 
south through the peninsula of Malacca we lose it in its typical form, and find this region in a i e 
smaller race {D. platyurus). It has a peculiar range as far as the peninsula of India is concenie , a ^ - 
is defined by Mr. Hume as the “ whole of Southern India and the Western Ghhts as far north as Kandeis i ; 
beyond this it is replaced by the large crested ally (i). rnalabaroldes) ^ again to appear in most o urma^ 
Tenasserim. Jerdon says that it is found in all jungles of the west coast, from Iravancoi e up to Goa, esptc 
in the W^yiiaad and other elevated districts. In the Travancore hills themselves, Mr. Bourdillon ou 
common, both at the foot of the hills and up to 3000 feet elevation, and Mr. Fairbank obseived it in t e a < 
hills. In the Deccan it is, of course, wanting ; and in Chota Nagpur we find, in accordance with i r. 
outline above noticed, the larger crested race, while further west no racket-tailed Drongo is found at a . ^ 
Tenasserim, Messrs. Hume and Davison say that it is common alike on hills and plains, frequenting clue y 
forests, but occurring also in gardens and scrub-jungle. With regard to Siam, I am unable to give particu ais 
of its local distribution in that kingdom ; hut I have seen specimens from Bangkok and other localities, an 
have no doubt it has been met with in whatever forestrdistricts Europeans have been able to collect. 
Habits. — Wherever the forest is luxuriant in the north and east of the island, this splendid bird delij, 
to reign; he is a petty monarch among the numerous feathered denizens of the woods now exercising 
varied talents in closely mocking their notes, now dashing at some diligent M^oodpecker who las ven 
“ fix ” himself for a moment on a trunk too near the swarthy tyrant ; and while he thus amuses i > 
does not miss a chance of capturing a passing beetle or locust by the exercise of a few stiokes o ns p 
Avings. It is consequently on the banks of the romantic forest-lined rivers, or the syh an oiceiso ., 
village tanks, which are both features of the wilds of Ceylon, that the Eacket-tailcd Drongo is met with; or 
may, with equal certainty, be found on the sides of the low hills, clothed with tall timber-tees, which ever - 
where intersect the low-country jungles not far from the base of the mountain system. 
aliont from limb to limb of the lofty monarchs of the forest, it gives one the impression of ^ 
happy existence, displaying its long tail-feathers as it launches itself into the air and sweeps dovvn vvith a graeel^^ 
flight on its insect prey. When seated, it is constantly jerking up its tail, and jumping “ ^ 
peLi, while it calls toL companion, who is performing doubtless the like aaitics m 
Its notes are wonderfully varied; and at one time or another I have heard it 
forest. Mr. Parker wriL me that its favourite note in the jungles near 
(Spizactus ceylonensis). It has a metallic-sounding call, somewhat similar to tl'at _P 
utters ill the early morning, usually from the top of a tall tee; aiic ns regard to its 
that it is difficult to identify it with the bird, which is not easi y cau^ i ^ following about both species 
antipathy for Woodpeckers, I may remark that I have not un J , (.[jg trunks of the trees, 
of our Red Woodpeckers, and darting at them while they were search « observed it 
The imitative powers of this species are matter of coiumen wi < 7 > ^ 
in its native wilds. Mr. Bourdillon writes, - I have often been amused to hear ^ 
-tailed race or 
* Although 1 consider that ultimately tne ueyion mm 7“' j;:';;: 
bspecies, I will here treat of its range as appertaining to the Indian form 
consider that ultimately the Ceylon bird will probably stand as a distinct and small- 
X. 4- Uc vnncffi ns nnnprtaininff to the Indian form. 
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