P IC A B O T T À N E l f . S I S 9 M s s e r t.
PICA BOTTANENSIS, Delessert.
Bootan Magpie.
Pica bottanensis, Deless. Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 100.—Id. Voy. dans l’Inde, p t. 2. p. 3 0 .-B ly th , Jo um . Asiat. Soc.
Beng., vol. xii. p. 985, vol. xv. p. 25.—Id . Cat. o f Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 91.—Gray
and Mitch. Gen. o f Birds, vol. ii. p. 314.—Horsf. and Moore, Cat. o f B irds in Mus. E ast In d . Comp.,
vol. ii. p. 551.
megaloptera, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xi. p. 193.
butanensis, Bonäp. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 383.
tibetana, Hodgs. Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. iii. new ser. p. 203 ?
O f the various Magpies forming the genus Pica, there are four or five which bear a striking resemblance to
each other, and are unquestionably very nearly allied; and there are two others which every ornithologist,
however sceptical he may be as to the value of minute specific differences, must admit possess well-defined
characteristics, namely, the Pica Mauritanica of North Africa and the P . Bottanensis of India. Both these
birds have not a trace o f the white mark across the rump, and both have so much less white on their
primaries that during flight their expanded wings present a very different appearance from those o f the
other members of the gen u s; the Bootan Magpie is moreover distinguished by having a shorter and more
rounded tail. Examples o f this interesting bird may be seen in the collections at the British and India
Museums.
Mr. Blyth has placed his Pica megalopieru in the rank of a synonym of this species, and Mr. Moore considers
that the P . Tibetana o f Mr. Hodgson is also identical with i t ; but, for my own part, I am inclined to
doubt this being the case, as, upon examining the type specimen from which Mr. Hodgson took his description,
and which still exists (though in a bad state o f preservation) in the India Museum, I observe that
it differs from the Magpie of Bootan in having a much less amount of white on the primaries, the dark
colouring o f the tip occupying not less than 2* inches of their length, while in the Bootan birds it scarcely
exceeds f of an inch. I have therefore placed a mark of doubt after the reference to Mr. Hodgson’s bird,
as it may prove to be a distinct species, and beg to call the attention o f ornithologists to the difference I
have pointed out. Time, and the acquisition o f a greater number of examples will determine whether
there be more than one species of these black-backed Magpies inhabiting the high lands of India.
Like the other members of the genus, the sexes of this species do not differ in colouring. No account of
their habits and economy has been placed on reco rd ; but in these respects they doubtless closely assimilate
to their allies.
Crown of the head black, slightly glossed with g ree n ; remainder of the head, neck, back, breast, lesser
wing-coverts, rump, upper and under tail-coverts, and thighs black; scapularies, abdomen, and flanks white;
greater wing-coverts and spurious wing oil-green ; basal portion o f the outer webs o f the primaries oil-green,
the apical portion of these webs and the tips o f both webs dark olive; inner webs white, broadly margined
on the apical portion with dark olive; secondaries dull black on the internal web, and deep steel-blue on
the outer, a few of them margined at the base with yellowish g reen ; tertiaries glossed with green and blue;
two central tail-feathers bronzy green nearly to the end, when that colour passes into rich purple, then blue,
and lastly bluish g ree n ; the lateral feathers are similarly coloured on their outer webs and a t the tip of
their inner webs, the basal portion of the latter being black, glossed with blue; irides blackish brown; bill,
feet, and legs black.
The Plate represents the bird as nearly the natural size as may b e ; if there be any difference, it is a trifle
less.