583 



NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES. THE 

 NUTCRACKER. 



F/G. !)1. 



Corvus Caryocatactes. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 157. 



Corvus Caryocatactes. Lath. Ind. Orn. L 164. 



Nutcracker. Mont, Orn, Diet. 



Le Casse-noix, Nucifraga Caryocatactes. Teram. Man. d'Orn. T. 117. 



Nutcracker. Nucifraga Caryocatactes. Selb. Illustr. I. 368. 



Nucifraga Caryocatactes. Nutcracker, Jen, Brit. Vert. An.. 149. 



Plumage brown^ with numerous ohlong ichite spots. 



The Nutcracker being merely a rare straggler with us, so 

 that opportunities of studying its habits have not occurred, 

 all that can with propriety be done here is to present a descrip- 

 tion of a specimen killed in Scotland, and now before me. The 

 sex was not determined. 



The form and size are nearly those of the Common Jay, but 

 the details being given in the generic character, it is unneces- 

 sary to repeat them. The bill, feet, and claws are brownish- 

 black. The general tint of the plumage is dull reddish-brown ; 

 the upper part of the head, the wing-coverts, quills, and tail, 

 blackish-brown. The top of the head, and the upper tail- 

 coverts are plain ; all the other feathers have an oblong white 

 spot margined with dark-brown at the end, the spots of the 



