5(J0 riCA. MAGPIE. 



strong ; body ovate, comj^act. Legs of moderate length, 

 strong ; tarsi of ordinary length, compressed behind, covered 

 anteriorly with eight scutella, posteriorly with two longitudi- 

 nal plates meeting behind with a sharp edge ; toes of moderate 

 size, the outer adherent as far as the second joint ; hind toe 

 comparatively large, lateral toes nearly equal, third consider- 

 ably longer ; all covered above with a few large scutella, be- 

 neath padded, granulate, and transversely sulcate ; claws 

 strong, arched, compressed, sharp, generally with an obscure 

 groove on each side, the third with the inner edge considerably 

 dilated. 



Plumage generally full, soft, more or less blended, and 

 glossed ; the feathers of the body ovate, rounded, with longish 

 plumules composed of a few downy filaments. Feathers on 

 the head short ; those at the base of the upper mandible linear, 

 stiff, with short discrete barbs, directed forwards and adpressed ; 

 there is also a series of decurved bristles at the base of the 

 rictus. Wings of moderate length, much rounded, the outer 

 primaries separated when extended ; primary quills ten, the 

 first very short, extremely narrow, and falciform, the fourth 

 and fifth longest, the sixth longer than the third ; the first five 

 having both webs narrowed towards the end ; secondary quills 

 twelve, long, broad, rounded with a minute tip. Tail very 

 long, graduated, of twelve broad, rounded feathers. 



The birds whose principal characters are included in the 

 above generic description, form a group which some have con- 

 sidered as a genus, others as a section of Corv^us, and others 

 ao'ain as associated with the Jays under a common generic 

 name, Garrulus. It is no doubt very true, as M. Temminck 

 remarks, that the INIagpies and the Jays are so allied that it is 

 difficult to separate them by a decided line ; but this is equally 

 the case with many generally acknowledged genera ; and if 

 Pica is to be united with Garrulus, it has at least an equal 

 claim to be united with Corvus, from which it differs, not in 

 the bill, feet, and digestive organs, but in the greater length of 

 the graduated tail, and the comparative shortness and concavity 

 of the wings. Magpies then may be considered as Crows, with 

 the wings shortened and the tail lengthened. These circum- 



