CORVID.E — THE CROWS. 265 



A specimen of P. nuttalli lias the lateral tarsal plates with two or three 



Pica httdsoiiica. 



transverse divisions on the lower third. This has not been observed by us 

 to occur in P. hudsonica. 



Species and Varieties. 



P. caudata. Head, neck, breast, interscapulars, lining of wing, tail-coverts 

 and tibiai, deep black : wings metallic greenish-blue; tail rich metallic green, the 

 feathers passing through bronze and reddish-violet into violet-blue, at their tips. 

 Scapulars, abdomen, sides, flanks, and inner webs of primaries, pure white. 

 Sexes alike ; young similar. 



a. Bill and bare space around the eye black. 



Wing, 7.50 ; tail, 9.50 or less, its graduation less than half its length, 

 4.50 ; culmen, 1.20 ; tarsus, 1.75 ; middle toe, 1.05. Hob. Europe. 



var. caudata ' 

 Wing, over 8.00 (8.50 maximum) ; tail over 10.00 (13.50, max., its 

 graduation more than half its length, 7.70) ; culmen, 1.55; tarsus, 1.75: 

 middle toe, 1.05. Hah. Northern and Middle North America, exclu- 

 sive of the Atlantic Province of United States and California. 



var. hudsoniea. 



b. Bill and bare space around the eye yellow. 



Wing, 7.-50 ; tail, 10.50; its graduation, 5.00; culmen, 1.50; tarsus, 



1.75; middle toe, 1.05. Hab. California .... var. nuttalli. 



1 Pica caudata, Fi.em. Brit. An. p. 87. Corvus pica, Linn. Fuan. Suec. p. 31. Pica mclu- 

 noleuca, Vieill. N. D. XXVI, 121. Pica albiventris, Vieill. Faun. Franc, p. 119, t. 55, f. 1. 

 Pica european (Cuv.) Boie, Isi.s, 1822, 551. Pica 'i-usticorum. Leach, Syst. Cat. Manim. ami 

 Birds in Brit. Mus. p. 18. 



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