BIRDS — CORVIDAE — CORVUS CAURINUS. 



569 



eight. The outer lateral toe is shorter, not reaching the base of the middle claw. The middle 

 toe and claw are considerably shorter than the tarsus ; the middle claw is shorter than in the 

 northern bird. 



The wings fornuilii differs soniewhiit; the third, fourth, and fifth (juills lire nearly equal, the 

 third even longer than the fifth instead of shorter. The tail is short and very nearly even, the 

 difi'erence in length of feathers being less than half an inch instead of an inch. This, however, 

 may in part be owing to the absence of the middle pair. 



The colors differ somewhat from those of the common crow. There is less violet, and the 

 feathers of the back have almost a brassy gloss on their margins, as in Grotophaga. 



The specimen upon which these remarks are based, though apparently perfectly mature, is 

 changing some of its feathers, such as the inner primaries, the middle tail feathers, and the greater 

 coverts. Tlie long primaries and ten tail feathers, however, are of full length. It is possible 

 that tlie bird is really as large as the northern crow, although this is hardly probable. It was 

 killed on the main land of the extreme southern portion of Florida, not far from Fort Dallas. 



No comparison of this bird is required with the fish crow, which has the middle toe and claw 

 longer than the tarsus, not shorter, and the proportions much less. It is much larger than the 

 curious little Corvus minutus of Cuba, a specimen of which has been supplied by Mr. Lawrence. 

 Tlie Corvus minutus^ is, of course, still smaller than the C. americanus, the bill stouter at the 

 base ; the third, fourth, and fifth quills nearly equal and longest. The chin is more bristly, 

 the feathers of the throat more distinctly defined. Although about the size of the fish crow, it 

 has much stouter bill and legs, and the tarsus is much longer than middle toe and claw, not 

 shorter. The Corvus miimtus and var. Jloridanus are more nearly allied in every respect than 

 either is to C. americanus. Their measurement will be found in the accompanying table, the 

 first specimen referring to the Florida bird, the second to the minutus. 



Bartram, in his list of North American birds, (Travels in Florida,) mentions a "Corvus 



maritimus, Great Seaside Crow," but without specifying locality or giving any description. If 



a Florida bird, it quite probably refers to the present species, which is doubtless quite maritime 



in its habits. 



Detailed measurements of species. 



CORVUS CAURINUS, Baird. 



Northwestern Fish Crow. 



Sp. Cu. — Fourth qaill longeit ; fifth and third about equal ; second longer than sixth ; first shorter tlian ninth. Color black, 

 glossed with purple. Tail nearly even. Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw. Length about 16.50 inches ; wing about 11 ; 

 tail about 7. 



Hah. — Washington Territory and northwestern coast. 



By the above name I wish to indicate a small crow from the northwest coast, which, though 



' CorrtiJ minuliu, Gundlach, Cabanis Journal fiir Ornithologie, IV, March, 1856, 97. Cuba. 

 June 29, 1858. 



72 b 



