559 



PICA. MAGPIE. 



Bill about the length of the head, straight, strong, tapering, 

 of nearly equal height and breadth at the base, compressed 

 towards the end. Upper mandible having the dorsal outline 

 slightly arched, towards the end declinate, the ridge narrow, 

 the sides sloping at the base, convex towards the end, the edges 

 direct, sharp, with a slight notch or sinus close to the tip, 

 which is declinate, rather sharp, and projects a little ; lower 

 mandible w^ith the angle medial, of moderate width, rather 

 acute, the dorsal outline slightly arched and ascending, the 

 edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip rather acute. The 

 gape-line straight, towards the end declinato-decurvate. 



^louth of moderate width ; upper mandible concave with- 

 in, and grooved ; lower mandible deeply concave, with a 

 prominent central line ; palate flat ; aperture of the posterior 

 nares edged with small papillae directed backwards ; aperture 

 of the glottis similarly margined, and with numerous papillae 

 behind. Tongue oblong, narrow, emarginate and papillate at 

 the base, flat above, horny on both surfaces, thin-edged, the 

 point slit. The intestinal canal of the common species is in 

 all essential respects precisely similar to that of the Qrows. 



Nostrils in the fore part of the short nasal groove, which is 

 filled up by a membrane, roundish, open, but concealed by the 

 narrow reversed feathers, which cover a large portion of the 

 bill. Eyes of moderate size ; eyelids feathered, having a nar- 

 row crenate bare margin. Aperture of the ear roundish, of 

 moderate size. 



Head large, oblong, rather convex above ; neck rather short. 



