MAGPIE. 563 



shorter, and its tail extended so as to exceed the body greatly 

 in length. 



The bill is about the same length as the head, robust ; the 

 outline of both mandibles slightly arched, their ridge narrow, 

 the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tips rather 

 sharp, the upper with a slight notch on each side. The gape- 

 line is nearly straight until near the end, when it is slightly 

 arched. 



Internally the upper mandible is concave, with a central, 

 and on each side three prominent lines ; the lower deeply con- 

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

 aperture of the nares narrow and edged with papillae. The 

 tongue is oblong, emarginate and papillate at the base, horny, 

 edged, slit at the point. The oesophagus is four and a half 

 inches long, its general diameter five twelfths. The stomach 

 is elliptical, compressed, an inch and a half long, one and a 

 twelfth broad ; its muscular coat strong ; the cuticular lining 

 rather thick, with prominent circular rugse. The intestine is 

 twenty-eight inches long, three twelfths in diameter at the 

 upper part. The rectum is two inches long, five twelfths in 

 diameter. The cceca are adnate, cylindrical, four twelfths 

 long. 



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

 the latter roundish, three twelfths in diameter. The nostrils 

 roundish, rather large, covered by the reversed feathers. 



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

 anteriorly with eight large scutella, posteriorly with two plates. 

 The first, second, and fourth toes are about equal in length, the 

 third considerably longer ; the first has eight, the second nine, 

 the third eleven, the fourth ten scutella. The claws are 

 strong, compressed, arched, acute, with a broad groove on 

 the sides. 



The plumage is full, very soft, generally blended. Feathers 

 of the head rather short, rounded ; of the throat rounded, with 

 separated barbs and a bristly tip ; of the fore part of the back 

 full, of the middle very soft and downy ; of the lower parts 

 full and blended. Wings of moderate length, rather convex, 

 much rounded ; coverts and quills all splendent on their ex~ 



o 2 



