PASSERRS-COUVID.E 5 



especially on wing^s, survive tlie moult and arc found in winter 

 with fresh strewn i^rey feathers. 



A't'j-/Vt7//.— Constantine, N. Algeria. 



Pica. 



Black-and-white Crow-like birds with long, graduated tail ; 

 ist primary sickle-shaped; food, worms, snails, acorns, eggs, 

 small mammals and birds, rarely carrion ; nest large, domed, 

 in trees or bushes : eggs pale bluish white or yellowish olive, 

 spotted or blotched with purplish grey or greenish brown. 



Pica pica pica (L.). Magpie. F}-. Pie ordinaire ; Ger. 

 Elster ; Ital. Cecca ; Swed. Skata. 



c^ $ Black, with green and violet reflections ; a grey or dull 

 white bar on rump ; scapulars and abdomen white ; thighs and 

 under tail coverts black. Bill, legs and feet black. Wing $ 

 192-195, 9 182-187. Tarsus 45-52. Bill 30-36. 



Resident. — Europe generally (including British Isles), except 

 .Spain and Portugal and extreme N.E. of Russia ; also W. Asia 

 (Asia Minor to Persia). 



P. pica bactriana Bonaparte. Rump band very marked, 

 mostly white. Wing 210-227 (H.). A N. Asian race, which is 

 found to the west in the Ural Mountains. Two specimens from 

 Petchora, N.E. Russia, in Harvie-Brown collection belong to this 

 form. Wing $ 217, 9 210. 



P. pica melanota Brehm. Back and rump black, or rump 

 band very indistinctly marked. 

 Resident. — Spain and Portugal. 



P. pica mauritanica Malherbe. Rump entirely black ; behind 

 eye a naked cobalt blue patch ; size smaller. Wing 155-165 (M.). 

 Resident. — N.W. Africa, Tunis to Morocco. 



Cyanopica. 



Resemble Magpies in habits and structure, but not in 

 plumage; ist primary normal in shape; nest cup-shaped, on 

 trees ; eggs greenish white or buff marked with purplish or 

 dark brown. 



