The BEE KING of the Indians (_Edolius paradiseus_) is fourteen inches
long; the outer tail-feathers are eighteen or nineteen inches in length,
while those in the centre do not exceed six inches and a half; the wing
measures six inches and three-quarters. The rich plumage is of an uniform
black, with a blue metallic gloss. The feathers upon the fore part of
the head are prolonged into a crest, and, like those upon the nape and
breast, are slightly incised at their extremities.
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The DRONGO SHRIKES are met with in large numbers throughout the whole
of India, even to an altitude of 8,000 feet, and may constantly be seen
sitting upon the house-tops or telegraph-posts in the immediate vicinity
of man, or perching fearlessly on the backs of the sheep as they wander
about the fields and pastures. Some few species seek for food during the
night, and carry on the chase in parties, which assemble on a favourite
tree shortly after sunset; others, again, are active throughout the
entire day, and though they do not hunt for prey after evening has closed
in, may frequently be heard uttering their loud, harsh, monotonous cry
should the night be fine and moonlit. During the breeding season each
pair lives entirely apart from the rest, and permits no intruder to
approach the nest.
We learn from Le Vaillant, Blyth, and others, that the Drongos are in
many respects highly endowed, their instincts acute, their various senses
well developed, and their movements through the air distinguished by
great lightness and activity. So acute is their vision that, like the
Swallow, they dart upon a flying insect from a considerable distance
with a rapidity that renders escape almost impossible, and, as we have
said, readily destroy their game even in the twilight. Except when
engaged in seeking food, they rarely come to the ground; indeed, they
seem to have considerable difficulty in using their delicate feet, even
whilst in the trees, merely employing them as a means of clinging to
the branches, and appearing quite incapable of hopping from one twig to
another with anything like a sprightly motion. Such acts as bathing or
drinking are carried on, as in the case of the Swallow, whilst the birds
are upon the wing. All the members of this group are lively, noisy, and
active. They exhibit the utmost courage in defending their mates and
nestlings from danger, several individuals often combining together to
drive away a common foe. They constantly attack Owls with great spirit,
and Gurney tells us that they frequently endeavour to battle with the
larger birds of prey. So violent are they during the season for choosing
a mate, that Jerdon mentions having seen four or five of these desperate
rivals rolling together upon the ground, as they fought in a paroxysm of
rage and jealousy. All the various tribes of Drongos appear to subsist
exclusively upon insects, more particularly upon bees and wasps; some
large species also devour grasshoppers, dragon-flies, and butterflies,
but, like their smaller brethren, prefer such insects as are furnished
with stings, thus often rendering themselves extremely troublesome to the
owners of bees. At the Cape of Good Hope they are known under the name
of "Bee-eaters." Le Vaillant tells us that they seem to know exactly at
what hour the heavily-laden insects return to their hives, and adroitly
relieve them of their burdens, strewing the ground with the wings and
bodies of the victims. We learn from Gurney that they are often attracted
by the smoke from the conflagrations that occasionally burst forth
upon the arid plains of their native lands, for they know well that the
devouring flames will drive forth a host of insects, and thus afford a
rich and abundant supply of food. Philipps mentions an amusing instance
of the cunning displayed by some of these birds whilst engaged in the
pursuit of a meal. Upon one occasion, he tells us, he saw a locust
closely pursued by a bird that was almost near enough to seize it, when
an observant Drongo, having espied the tempting morsel, and finding it
impossible to reach the spot in time, suddenly uttered the cry of terror
usually employed to signal the approach of a Hawk; the ruse succeeded;
the other bird instantly darted away to seek safe shelter, leaving the
wily Drongo in undisturbed possession of the coveted booty.
The season of the year at which the incubation of these birds takes place
is somewhat uncertain, and naturalists differ very considerably in their
opinions on this point. According to our own observations and experience,
they breed but once in the year. The nest, like that of the Pirol, is
suspended between two branches at some distance from the ground, and so
placed as to be fully exposed to all the changes of wind and weather;
nevertheless, the exterior is very carelessly formed of twigs and fibres,
and has no lining except at most a few coarse hairs. The eggs, three or
four in number, have a white or reddish white shell, spotted with brown
or red. Many species of the Drongo are caught and reared; the Bee-eater
in particular is very commonly seen in the houses in Calcutta and other
Indian cities. Blyth tells us that it is readily tamed, and soon becomes
a most amusing companion, from the power it possesses of imitating not
only the voices of other birds, which it does so exactly as to deceive
their mates, but also any sound it hears.
* * * * *
The SWALLOW SHRIKES (_Artami_) constitute a family of strangely-formed
birds, that inhabit New Holland, India, and the Malay Islands. Their
muscular bodies are furnished with very long wings, in which the second
quill is longer than the rest. Their short or moderate-sized tails are
either quite straight or slightly incised at the extremity. The beak is
short, almost conical, rounded at the sides, the upper mandible slightly
bent at the tip, and incised at the margins. The feet are strong, with
short tarsi and toes, the latter armed with sharp and very hooked claws.
The plumage is thick, and of a dusky hue.