The KITTAS (Cissa) are met with in Southern and Eastern Asia. They bear so great a resemblance to the Jays in their mode of life and general deportment, that we have no hesitation in assigning to them a place here, instead of following in the steps of some naturalists who class them with the Thrushes. The Kittas are a race of extremely beautiful birds, elegant in form and brilliant in plumage; their beaks are thick, strong, and almost as long as the head, curving from the base, and bent upwards towards the tip; the feet are large and strong, the toes powerful and of medium length, with formidable claws; the wings are round, their fourth and fifth quills being longer than the rest; the tail is either short and rounded or very long and graduated; in the latter case the central feathers extend far beyond those at the sides.
THE LONG-TAILED KITTA.
The Long-tailed Kitta (Urocissa Sinensis) is about twenty-six inches in length, seventeen to eighteen inches of this measurement belonging to the tail; the wing measures eight inches. The plumage is very splendid, the entire head, throat, and breast being deep black, shading into blue, with the exception of a white streak which passes over the head and nape; the mantle and upper tail-covers are of a light cobalt blue, the latter tipped with a broad patch of black; the wings are of the same blue tint, the inner web of the quills being black, and all the feathers tipped with white; the tail is principally blue, but its centre feathers are white, and the rest tipped with white and black; the under side of the bird is whitish, shaded with a reddish grey.
The Long-tailed Kitta is met with in the western parts of the Himalaya, and is replaced by a very similar species in the eastern provinces. Swinhoe tells us that it also inhabits the forests around Hong Kong in great numbers. In India it is found living at an altitude of 6,000 feet above the level of the sea, occasionally perching in the brushwood, but spending the greater portion of its life upon the ground, from which it obtains its principal food. In its habits it is so observant and intelligent as to be extremely useful to its feathered brethren, by warning them of the approach of an enemy; indeed, it is said that it will sometimes follow the leopard for miles, and thus prevent it from quietly stealing upon its prey. During its flight, which resembles that of the Magpie, the tail is kept in an horizontal position, but when perched it is held erect, and constantly waved as the bird utters its sharp and chattering cry. The Long-tailed Kitta builds amongst the branches of trees, at various heights from the ground, and forms its nest of twigs woven loosely together and lined with different kinds of vegetable fibre. The brood consists of from three to five eggs of a pale greenish grey, thickly strewn with brown spots, which form a kind of wreath at the broad end. Many of these birds have been brought alive to England, and in India they are occasionally kept tame in a cage.
The FEATHER-BEAKS (Cissa) are recognisable by their powerful bills, which are of medium size, slightly arched, and compressed at the sides; the wings are rounded, and the tail but slightly graduated.
THE SIRGANG.
The Sirgang of Bengal, or Green Jackdaw, as it is called by the Anglo-Indians (Cissa Sinensis), is a bird about fifteen and a half inches long, of which eight and a half belong to the tail; the wing measures six inches. The coat of this species is also remarkable for its beauty; the predominating colour is a delicate chrysophrase green, shading here and there into blue or blueish green, and changing into yellow upon the head; the black bridles are prolonged to the nape, where they unite, thus forming a kind of ring. The quills and wing-covers are of a beautiful deep red, shaded with brown (those of the old birds are greenish brown); the secondary quills are pale blueish green, with a broad border of black; the tail-feathers are white, those at the side are black, tipped with white. The feathers upon the head are elongated into a crest. The Sirgang is met with throughout the south-eastern districts of the Himalaya, with the exception of Assam, Silhet, and Tenasserim; in Sikim it is often found living at an elevation of 12,000 feet. Jerdon tells us that it wanders from tree to tree in search of delicate leaves or insects, and that it also eats grasshoppers. We learn from other sources that it will fall upon and destroy small animals after the manner of the Shrikes, and is as expert as a Falcon in pursuit of its prey. The voice of the Green Jackdaw is loud, and, compared with that of some of its congeners, not unpleasing. When caged it soon becomes tame, and is attractive in its habits.