266 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Pica caudata, v;u. hudsouica, Bon%vp. 



MAGPIE. 



Corvuspica, Forster, Phil. Trans. LXXII, 1772, 382. — 'WiLSOir, Am. Om. IV, 1811, 75, 

 pi. .\.\xv. — Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 40. — Ib. Syn. 1828, 57. — N^TTAL^ Man. I, 

 1832, 219. —AuD. Oi-ii. Biog. IV, 1838, 408, pi. cccMi (not of Linn.sus). Corvus 

 huclsmiica, Jos. Sabine, A pp. Narr. Franklins Journey, 1823, 25, 671. Picus hud- 

 sonica, BoNAP. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 383. — Maxim. Reise Nonl Amer. 

 I, 1839, 508. — Ib. Cabanis, Jouru. 1856, 197. — Newberry, Zobl. Cal. & Or. Routf, 

 Rep. r. R. R. VI, IV, 1857, 84. — Baihd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 576, pi. xxv. — Lord, 

 I'l-. 1!. A. Inst. IV, 121 (British Columbia). — Cooper & Suckley, 213, pi. x.\v. — 

 DA1.L& Baxxistek, Tr. Chic. Ac. I, 1869, 286 (Alaska). — FixscH, Abh. Nat. Ill, 

 1872, 39 (Alaska). — Cooper, Oru. Cal. I, 1870, 296. Cleptes hudsonicus, Ga.mbel, 

 J. A. N. Sc. 2cl Ser. I, Dec. 1847, 47. Pica melanoleum, " Vieill." Aud. Syn. 1839, 

 157. — Ib. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 99, pi. ccxxvii. 



Sp. Cu.- 



naked skiu behind the eye black. General color black. The 

 belly, scapulars, and inner webs of the 

 primaries ■n-hite ; hind part of back 

 grayish ; exposed portion of the tail- 

 feathers glossy green, tinged with 

 purple and violet near the end ; wings 

 glossed with green; the secondaries and 

 tertials with blue ; throat-feathers spot- 

 ted with white in younger specimens. 

 Length, 19.00; wing, 8.50; tail, 13.00. 

 Young in color and appearance similar 

 generally to the adult. 



Tl.KB. The northern regions of North 

 America. The middle and western 

 Provinces of the United States exclu- 

 sive of California; Wisconsin, Michi 

 gan. and Northern Illinois, in winter. 



^Ix- The American ^lagpie is al- 



'^i^ most exactly similar to the 

 "-.- European, and differs only in 

 larger size and disproportionably 

 longer tail. According to ]\Iaxi- 

 railian and other authors, the 

 iris of tlie American bird has a grayish-blue outer ring, wanting in tlie 

 European bird, and the voice is quite different. It is, however, difficult 

 to consider the two birds otherwise than as geographical races of one primi- 

 tive stock. 



H.\.BiT.s. The American Magpie has an extended western distribution 

 from Arizona on the south to Alaska on the northwest. It has been met 

 with as far to the east as the ^lissouri Eiver, and is found from there to the 

 Pacific. It is abundant at Sitka ; it was observed at Ounga, one of the 

 Shumagin Islands, and was obtained by Bischoff' at Kodiak. 



Pira lliitrntli. 



