13fi BIKl) GALLERY. 



Ill the Crow wc Hud tlie most liiglily-(levelo|ic(l type of wiiij; and 

 toot. Ill the t'ormiT every quill and wing-covert is pert'eetly t'ornied ; 

 and iu the latter all tlie scales on the metatarsi and toes are more 

 strongly indicated than in any other Passerine Ijird. 



The distribution of the family is nearly universal. 



Three subfamilies are recognised : the True Crows (CurriiKp), Mag|)ies 

 and Jays (Guriii/iiue) , and the Choughs (Firr/i/iiue). 

 [Case 84.] Of the former the best-known examples are the Haven (2793j, 

 Carrion-Crow (2796), Hooded Crow (2797), KooU (2792), and Jack- 

 daw (2801), all well-known British residents; also tlie Nutcracker 

 {Xiirifni(/(i airi/iicfi/i/cfi's) (2806), an irregular visitor to England. A 

 remarkable African form is found in ('um/'/in- (2794-5), wliicli has 

 a greatly developed upper mandibk'. 



Our Magpie (2810) and Jay (2823) represent the second subfamily 

 ( (ifintdiiue), with which are also associated xarioiis striking Oriental forms, 

 sueli as L'rocissn (2822), Dendrncitfa (2819-20), and rv,y.w (2815-16), 

 and the .Vmerican genera A7//(//m//7/ (2831 2) and ry«;/r;ro/7/,c (2829-30). 

 [Ua.-^e83.^ Tlie third subfamily, Fnyi/i/iw, includes onr Common Chough (dr/i- 

 cu/h.^) (2837) and the Alpine Chough [Pyrrhororax) (2836). 



Among the more aberrant forms also included in the family we may 

 draw special attention to the curious looking West African Bald-headed 

 Crow (Piciit/uir/c.s) (2840), the New Zealand Kokako or Wattled Crow 

 (G/mtcoph) (2839), and the Iluia {Hrfcni/or/w m-iitiros/ris) {2939} . In 

 thi.s New Zealand bird the two sexes exhibit a ditferent form of bill, that 

 of the male being moder.itely j)0werful, while in the female it is slender 

 and sickle-shaped. The pair are said to hunt in company, and live on 

 the grubs which burrow in wood. The male attacks the more decayed 

 portions of the wood, ehiselliug out the concealed grubs like a Wood- 

 pecker, while the female inserts her long bill into boles, where the 

 hardness of the surrounding wood prevents the male from jienetrating. 

 When tiie male is unable to icacli some larva;, the female has been 

 observed to come to bis aid, and n ith her longer and more slender beak 

 secure the hidden prey. 



