203

perfectly white, with the exception of three or four blackish-brown
spots, another with more of these spots, another with almost as
many as the ordinary spotted eggs have, the ground-colour in all
these being still pure white, and the spots being blackish or very
deep reddish brown. Then I have others similar to those just
described, but showing a faint salmon-coloured halo round one or
two of the largest spots, others in which the halo is further deve-
loped, and others again with the entire ground-colour an excessively
pale salmon throughout, and so on a complete series gradually
increasing in intensity of colour till we get the pure rich salmon-
buff which is at the other end of the scale. I am particular in
this description, because the eggs of this bird have been a subject
of almost as many contradictions between Indian naturalists as the
chameleon of pious memory. In shape the eggs are typically a
rather long oval, somewhat pointed towards one end. Very much
elongated varieties are common, recalling in this respect the eggs
of Cliibia Jiottentotta. Spherical varieties, if they occur, must be
very rare, the enormous series I possess containing no example.
In the colour of the ground, as above remarked, there is every
possible variety of shade between pure white and a very rich
salmon-colour. In the intensity aud number of the markings
there is an equally great variety. The markings, always spots and
specks, the largest never exceeding Ol inch in diameter, are in-
variably most numerous towards the large end, where they are
sometimes, though rarely, slightly confluent. They vary from only
two or three to a number too large to count, and in colour through
many shades of reddish, blackish, and purplish brown, the latter
being rare and abnormal.

The eggs are entirely devoid of gloss, as a rule, though here and
there a slight trace of it is observable. It is this want of gloss
alone that distinguishes some of the larger white, black-spotted
varieties from the eggs of the common Oriole, which they occasion-
ally exactly resemble not only in shape, colour, and character of
marking, but even (though generally smaller) in size.

In length they vary From 0*87 to 1-15 inch, and in breadth from
0-7 to 0-85, but the average of 152 eggs measured is 1-01 by
0*75 inch. I have two dwarf eggs of this species not included in
the above average which I myself obtained in different nests,
measuring only 0-78 by 0-5 inch, and 0-87 by O62 inch.

328. Di.cru.rus longicaudatus, A. Hay. The Indian Ashy
Drongo.

Dicrurus longicaudatus, A. Hay, Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 430.

Buchauga longicaitdata (A. Hay), Hume,Rough Draft N. $ E. no. 280.

The Indian Ashy Drongo, a species that, with the really large
series before me from all parts of India, I find it impossible to sub-
divide into two or more species, breeds alike in the plains, in well-
watered and wooded districts, and in the Himalayas up to an