JACKDAW. 553 



the sides convex, the edges rather sharp, and having a slight 

 sinns close to the narrow but rounded tip ; the lower mandible 

 with the angle rather short, of moderate w^dth, the sides erect, 

 slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute, the dorsal out- 

 line very slightly convex, the tip compressed and rather acute. 

 The gape-line is almost straight. 



Internally the upper mandible is concave, with a prominent 

 central and on each side two lateral lines ; the lower deeply con- 

 cave, with a central ridge. The palate is flat ; the posterior aper- 

 ture of the nares narrow and edged with papillae. The tongue 

 is oblong, emarginate, and papillate at the base, sharp-edged, 

 horny, slit at the point, ten twelfths of an inch long. The oeso- 

 phagus is four inches and a half long ; the stomach elliptical, 

 moderately muscular, w^ith a tough rugous cuticular lining; 

 the intestine twentv- seven inches lonof ; duodenum five, w^ith a 

 diameter of four tvrelfths, the rest diminishing to three and a 

 half tw^elfths ; the coeca four twelfths long, half a tw^elfth in 

 diameter ; the rectum an inch and a half long. 



The eyes and apertures of the ears are of moderate size ; the 

 nostrils oval, in the fore part of the broad nasal membrane, 

 and concealed by the reversed bristly feathers. 



The feet are of ordinary length, strong ; the tarsi covered 

 anteriorly with eight scutella, behind w4th two plates, the 

 lower part transversely rugous ; the first toe with, nine, the 

 second with eight, the third with eleven, the fourth with nine 

 scutella. The claws are strong, compressed, arched, tapering ; 

 that of the hind toe has the sides flat, of the middle toe con- 

 siderably curved outwards. 



The plumage of the head and neck is soft, elongated, and 

 blended, excepting on the forehead, where it is of ordinary 

 length and glossy. The rest of the plumage is rather full and 

 soft, the feathers indistinctly defined, their margins loose. The 

 wings are rather long, rounded, very broad at the commence- 

 ment, but suddenly tapering towards the end. The first pri- 

 mary quill is short, the third longest, the fourth about one 

 twelfth of an inch shorter, the second half an inch shorter than 

 the third, and about equal to the fifth, the first equal to the 

 ninth ; the outer primaries narrowed as in the other species. 



