COR VID.E — COR VINyE : CRO WS. 



491 



roving in search of 



liills of the Rocky Mts., as the Black Hills of S. Dakota, and casually to Kansas, Nebraska, 

 Missouri, and Arkansas ; the only American representative of tlie European Nutcracker, N. 

 caryocatactes ; abundant, imperfectly gregarious. A remarkable bird, wild, restless, and 

 noisy, sometimes congregating by thousands in the pineries of the West 

 food. Breeds in pines, usually 



on a iiorizontal bough at no great 

 elevation, in alpine and north- 

 erly localities ; the compara- 

 tively few nests thus far known 

 liave been taken in Colorado and 

 Oregon, containing eggs in April 

 and May ; nest of sticks as a 

 basis, on which bark -strips, 

 grasses, and other fibrous sub- 

 stances are well matted together. 

 Eggs 2-3, 1.35 X 0.90^ light 

 grayish-green, speckled and 

 blotched with brown and lilac, Fm. 331. - Clark's Crow, reduced. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) 



especially about the larger end, but often quite evenly over the whole surface; the general 

 effect is of a lighter colored egg than usual in this family. I have observed this bird in many 

 parts of the AVest, from Arizona to the Black Hills of S. Dakota, the National Yellowstone 

 Park in Wyoming, the Bitter Root valley of Montana, and the Salmon River region of Idaho, 

 and always found it a striking object, with something in its flight and other actions to remind 

 one of a Woodpecker. I have more than once known it to be mistaken for the Rocky Moun- 

 tain Jay, Perisoreus canadensis capitalis, whence probably the reas<jn why it shares with the 

 latter the names of " Moose-bird," " Meat-bird," and " Camp-robber," which are stated to be 

 ai^plied to it by Major Beudire in his biography of the bird. (Life Histories, ii, 1896, p. 418.) 

 The species was discovered by Capt. AVra. Clark near the site of Salmon City, Idaho, Aug. 22, 

 180.5 : see my History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, ii, 1893, p. 530. 

 CYANOCEPH'AIiUS, (Gr. Kvavos, kimnos, hlne: Kfcf)aXr}, kephale, head.) Bluk Crows. 

 Bill of peculiar shape, with nearly straight culmen mounting on forehead, thus somewhat as 



in Sturnella, between promi- 

 nent and somewhat antrorse 

 antise, which, however, do not 

 hide nostrils; slender, taper- 

 ing, acute, not notched ; gonys 

 straightish, scarcely ascend- 

 ing. Nostrils small, oval, en- 

 tirely exposed. Tail nearly 

 square, much shorter tlian 

 wings. Wings long, pointed, 

 folding nearly to end of tail ; 

 4tli primary longest, 3d and 



Fig. 3.3'.'. — Blue crow, nat. size. ; culmen too convex. (Ad. nat. del. E. C.) 5th scarcely shorter; 2d 

 shorter, 1st sliorter still. Feet stout, indicating somewliat terrestrial habits ; tarsus longer 

 than middle toe without claw, tlie envelop subdivided behind towards the bottom. Claws all 

 large, strong, and much curved. Color Itluish, nearly uniform ; sexes alike. One species. 

 (G>/tnnokittn and Gi/mnocittaitf former cds. of tlie Key; but Cuanoceplutlus Bp. 1842, antedates 

 Gymnokitta Maxim. 1850 (as given in Bp. Consp. 1850, p. 3S2), the latter being j)roposed 

 as a substitute for Gymnorhinus Maxim. 1841, which is jireoccupied by Gyvniorhiua GuAV, 

 1840, in another connection.) 



