CORVID^ — THE CROWS — PICICORVUS. 



289 



longer than the middle tne, the hind toe and elaw very large, reaehing nearly to the mid- 

 dle of the middle claw, the lateral toe little shorter. A row of small scales on the middle 

 of the sides of tarsus. 



Picicorvus Columbianus, Wilsox. 



CLAEKE'S CROW. 



Corras C()/«m/i/onHS, Wilson, Am. Oni. III. 1811,29; pi. xx. — Ncttall, Man. I. 18.32, 

 218. — Nucifmga Coluinbinna, AuDCUOX, Orii. Biog. IV. 1838, 459 ; pi. 362. In. Birils 

 Amcr. IV. 1842, 127; pi. 235. — Nuttall. Man. I. 2(1 cd. 251. — Pkkorvus CuJnmbi- 

 anus, Bonaparte, Consp. 1850, 384. — Newberrv, V. R. Kep. VI. iv. 1837,83. — 

 Baird, r. R. liop. IX. Birds, 573. — Kennerly, X. iv. 32. — Coopeu and Slckley, 

 XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 212. 



Sp. Char. Tail rounded or moderately gradnated, the closed wings reaching nearly to 

 its tip. Fourth (juill longest ; second considerably shorter than the sixth. General color 

 bluish-ash, changing on the nasal feathers, the forehead, sides of head (especially around 

 the eye), and chin to white. The wings, iiichiding their inner surface, greenish-ljlaek, 

 the secondaries and tertials, except the innermost, broadly tipped with wdiite ; tail white, 



the inner well of the fifth f-nthor and the whole of the sixth, with the np])er tail coverts, 

 greenish-black. The axillars plnmbeous black. Bill and feet black. Length of male 

 (fresh), 12.60; extent, 24.50 ; wing, 8,00 ; tail, 4.30 ; tarsus, 1.20. Iris brown; bill and 

 feet black. 



Hah. From Rocky Jlonntains to Pacific ; east to Fort Kearney ; south to Fort 

 Tejon. 



This species is numerous near the summits of the Sierra Nevada, espe- 

 cially on their eastern .side, frequenting cliiefly tlae open forests of yellow 

 pine (P. pondcrosa), on the seeds of •wliich they feed almost entirely in the 



