252 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ahoul 11 iuclies instead ol' lo) ; the bill is broader at the base and tapers more 

 rapidly to the end ; the middle toe and claw are longer than the scutellate 

 portion of the tarsns, not shorter, the inner claw not reaching to the base of 

 the middle one. The tail is less rounded. The gloss on the belly is green 

 instead of violet ; that on the back is niLxed witli green, not entirely violet. 



Habits. The Fish Crow of Eastern North America has a distribution 

 restricted to the Southern Atlantic and the Gulf sliore. It is found in the 

 States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Jlaryland, Delaware, Virginia, the Caro- 

 linas, Georgia, and Florida, and, according to Audubdu, thence to the mouth 

 of the j\Iis.-;issiii]ii. West of that ri^•er it appears to 1)6 very rarely met with. 

 Dr. ^^'urdeman^ ol)tained it at Calcasieu, La. ^Ir. Allen, in a list of the 

 birds of Massachusetts, published in 1864, names this species as an occa- 

 sional visitor along the southern coast of that State, but I am not able to 

 find any corroboration of the statement, and believe it to be a mistake. Dr. 

 De Kay, in his Report on the liirds of New York, states that this Crow is 

 occasionally seen on the shores of Long Island, but ilr. Lawrence is confi- 

 dent that it never occurs farther north than Sipaw Beach, in New Jersey. 

 So, too, Mr. Townsend is quoted by both Audubon and Nuttall as authority 

 for its occurrence on the Columbia Eiver, of which we have no confirmation. 



This species was first described by Wilson, who met with it and observed 

 its habits on the sea-coast of Georgia. In some respects its habits were 

 the exact reverse of those of the common Crow, as the former regularly re- 

 tired at evening into the interior to roost, and came down to the shores of 

 the river Sa^■aunah, on the first appearance of day, to feed. Its voice first 

 attracted his notice ; there was something in it very different froni the utter- 

 ances of the Crow, being more hoarse and guttural, and more varied in its 

 modulations. The mode of fliglit was also observed to be quite different, 

 as the Fisli Crow occasionally soars about in the manner of the Eaven and 

 of Hawks, without flapping its wings, — a flight which the Crow is never 

 observed to make, and is probably not able to execute. 



The food was also observed to be unlike, as well as the manner of pro- 

 curing it. The favorite haunt of this species seemed to be the banks of the 

 river, up and down which they soared, and in a very dexterous manner 

 snatched up with their claws dead fish, or other garbage found floating 

 on the surface. Tliis (^row was also seen to perch frequently on the back of 

 cattle, ill the mauuer of tlie Jackdaw of Europe. It was never seen to 

 mingle with the common ('rows ; and never, like the latter, roosts among the 

 reeds and marshes near the water, but always seeks the shelter of the woods, 

 in which to pass the night. 



Afterwards, in his journey near the Mississippi, Wilson observed the same 

 birds frequenting the liorders of rivers and ponds, and feeding on the rep- 

 tiles found in those waters. They were close attendants upon the cow-yards, 

 and were more solitary, but much less shy and suspicious, than the common 

 Crow. This species was also observed by Wilson in Cape May County, New 



