486 VAGATORES. WANDERERS. 



variety of scenes in the course of their daily occupations, they 

 are endowed with mental faculties of considerable extent, so 

 that although hold and daring on occasion, they are at the 

 same time extremely vigilant and cautious ; and although 

 restricted by instinct to a certain course of action, are yet 

 enabled to profit by experience. It is when domesticated that 

 their faculties are best perceived ; and then they exhibit more 

 sagacity, and more powder of adapting themselves to circum- 

 stances than perhaps any other race of birds, while their docility, 

 always indicative of high mental power, is exceeded only by 

 that of a very few quadrupeds. 



The British species of this order belong to the families Cor- 

 vinae and Thremmaphilinoe. 



