Measurements. Total length about 400 to 420 mm.; tail about 235 to 255 mm.; wing about 155 to 170 mm.; tarsus about 40 mm.; culmen about 37 mm.
Distribution. Ceylon only. The type-locality must be restricted to Ceylon.
Nidification. According to Legge, the breeding season of the Ceylon Magpie is December to February but eggs collected for me by Mr. J. E, Jenkins were taken in February and March and two clutches purchased with the skins of the old birds from Lazarus, a small dealer in Slave Island, were both taken in April.
The nest is said to be like that of the preceding bird and to be in tall bushes in evergreen jungle. The eggs are large replicas of those of Cissa chinensis, measuring about 32·2 x 23·2mm.
Habits. Apparently similar to those of the Indian Green Magpie; Legge describes it as haunting evergreen forest up to at least 7,000 feet but also found it in similar forest in the foot-hills. It is a noisy bird, uttering its discordant notes both when perching and flying, so that but for its keeping to very dense cover its voice would have led long ago to its extermination by the plume-hunter.
Genus DENDROCITTA Gould, 1833.
In the Tree-pies we have a collection of birds which are closer to Pica than to either Urocissa or Cissa, inasmuch as they have black bills and very numerous stiff, but somewhat short, bristles completely concealing the nostrils. The bill, however, is short, with the commissure greatly curved and in one species, D. bayleyi, the tail approaches the next genus in structure, the central tail-feathers being gradually enlarged throughout their length, not suddenly at the tip as in Crypsorhina.
The Tree-pies are sociable, associating in small flocks and they are arboreal, seldom descending to the ground. They have a series of clear metallic notes, which sound very pleasantly in the jungle. They construct large nests, generally in trees, and lay eggs which are less Corvine in appearance than those of the true Magpies. Their food consists of both fruit and insects.
Key to Species.
- A. Tail ashy with black on terminal half.
| a. |
Crown brown, abdomen rufous
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
D. rufa, p. 48. |
| b. |
Crown black, abdomen and hind neck white
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
D. leucogastra, p. 51. |
| c. |
Crown black, abdomen and hind neck ashy
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
D. sinensis, p. 52. |
- B. Tail entirely black.
| d. |
No white spot on wing
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
D. frontalis, p. 54. |
| e. |
With a white wing-spot
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
D. bayleyi, p. 55. |
