BIRDS — CORVIDAK — I'lCA IIUDSONICUS, 577 



Sr. Cii — Ilill and naked skin behind tlio cyo, black. General rulur bliick. The belly, scapulars, and inner webs of Iho 

 primaries wliito ; hind pari uf back grayish; exposed portion of the tail fcal'iers glossy green, tinjred with purple and viulct 

 near the end ; u'ings glossed with grocii ; the socuiidarics and tertijis with blue ; throat feathers spotted with white. Length, 

 10. OU; wing, 8.50; Uil, 11.00. 



Hab. — The Arctic rcfrions of North America. The United Slates from the High Central Plains to tho Pacific, north of 

 California. 



The tail feiithers arc brilliant lustrous' green, interrupted, however, a few inches from the tip 

 by a shatle of golden, which passes into violet, then into bluish, the extreme tip greenish again. 

 This prevails on both webs of the middle feathers, but on the others is confined to the outer ; 

 the inner webs dull blackish, with a shade of indigo. On the wings the prevailing shade is a 

 beautiful blue on tlie exposed surfaces, this color margining tlie greenish of the secondaries 

 rather abruptly. 



Bill and feet black. Head and neck all round, fore part of breast, interscapular region, rump, 

 base of the tail all round, under wing coverts, axillars, and tibia, dull black, with a shade 

 of very dark blue, except the interscapular patch, which is greenish. Feathers of the hood 

 stiftened, and tij)ped W'ith metallic greenish. Under parts, inner web of primaries, (except at 

 tips,) scapulars, and tips of the feathers on the hind part of the back, white. Bases of the 

 feathers on the middle of the throat with a spot of white. Wings and tail glossy green, the 

 latter tinged subterminally with purple, violet, and golden, the latter glossed with blue. 



Exposed portion of the first primary falcate, half as long as that of the second ; fifth quill 

 longest ; second between eighth and ninth. Tail much graduated ; lateral feather rather more 

 than half the longest, 5.25 inches shorter than the longest; the tips about equidistant, except that 

 of the terminal one, which is about one and a half times more remote from the penultimate. 



The American magpie is very closely related to the European, but differs in a much longer 

 tail, and in the white spots on the feathers of the throat. The voice and habits are said to be 

 entirely difiierent.' 



' In an elaborate article on the American magpie in Cabanis' Journal fiir Ornithologio, Prince JNIaximilian takes strong ground 

 in relation to its specific distinction from the European species, and sums up tho argument as follows : 



1. The American magpie is the larger. 



2. Ita iris has a grayish blue outer ring, while that of the European magpie is altogether dark. 



3. The bill of the American bird is proportionally larger and thicker. 



4. The feathers on the lower neck are spotted with white in the American bird, while they are entirely black in tho European. 



5. The voice is totally distinct in tho two. 



6. The American bird has but two young, 



7. The eggs are differently formed, and a little differently colored. 



Jnue 30, 1858. 



73 b 



