218 OMNIVOROUS BIRDS. 



who, with the nest and its owners, were turned about by every 

 change of the wind. They returned and continued to refit the nest 

 for 10 successive years, until the taking down of the spire put an end 

 to their aerial castle. 



COLUMBIAN CROW. 



(Corvus cobimbianus, Wilson, iii. p. 29. pi. 20. fig. 2. Philad. Mu- 

 seum. No, 1371.) 



Sp. Charact. — Brownish-white ; wings, and 2 middle tail feathers 

 bluish shining black ; the secondaries white at the summits ; 

 outer tail feathers white. 



Of the habits of this curious small species nothing more 

 is known, than that its discoverers, Lewis and Clarke 

 and their party, met with it abundantly on the shores of 

 the Columbia river, in Northwestern America, and that 

 they were noisy and gregarious like the common species, 

 for which some of the party mistook them. From its 

 formidable claws, and its resorting to the banks of rivers 

 and the sea-coast, it probably feeds on fish. 



The length of this Crow, of which this was the only specimen 

 brought, was 13 inches. The 2 middle tail-feathers, and the interi- 

 or vanes of the next, except at the tip, are black, and, as well as the 

 wings, glossed with steel blue. The tail rounded, and about the 

 same length with the folded wings ; the 2 middle tail-feathers are 

 somewhat shorter than the adjoining. Vent white. The claws black 

 and large. Bill dark horn-color. 



Subgenus. — Pica. (3Iagpies.) 



The feathers of the head not erectile. The tail very long and 

 wedo-e-shaped. The general color of these birds is black and white, 

 sometimes variegated, also wholly dark. 



They advance by leaps instead of steps ; and have usually a low 

 and short flight. 



