Species III. CORVUS COLUMBIANUS. 



CLARK'S CROW. 



[Plate XX. Fig. 2.] 



This species resembles, a little, the Jackdaw of Europe [Corvus 

 monedida) ; but is remarkable for its formidable claws, which approach 

 to those of the Falco genus ; and would seem to intimate, that its food 

 consists of living animals, for whose destruction these weapons must be 

 necessary. In conversation with different individuals of Lewis and 

 Clark's party, I understood that this bird inhabits the shores of the 

 Columbia, and the adjacent country, in great numbers, frequenting the 

 rivers and seashore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all the 

 gregarious and noisy habits of the European species, several of the 

 party supposing it to be the same. 



The fio-ure in the plate was drawn with particular care, after a minute 

 examination and measurement of the only preserved skin that was saved. 



This bird measures thirteen inches in length ; the wings, the two mid- 

 dle tail feathers, and the interior vanes of the next (except at the tip) 

 are black, glossed with steel blue ; all the secondaries, except the three 

 next the body, are white for an inch at their extremities, forming a 

 large spot of white on that part, when the wing is shut; the tail is 

 rounded ; yet the two middle feathers are somewhat shorter than those 

 adjoining ; all the rest are pure white, except as already described ; the 

 general color of the head, neck, and body, above and below, is a light 

 silky drab, darkening almost to a dove color on the breast and belly ; 

 vent white ; claws black, large, and hooked, particularly the middle and 

 hind-claws ; legs also black ; bill a dark horn color ; iris of the eye 

 unknown. 



In the state of Georgia, and several parts of the Mississippi Terri- 

 tory, I discovered a Crow,* not hitherto taken notice of by naturalists, 

 rather larger than the present species ; but much resembling it in the 

 form and length of its wings, in its tail, and particularly its claws. 

 This bird is a constant attendant along the borders of streams and stag- 

 nating ponds, feeding on small fish and lizards, which I have many 

 times seen him seize as he swept along the surface. A well preserved 

 specimen of this bird was presented to Mr. Peale. It is highly proba- 

 ble that, with these external resemblances, the habits of both may be 

 nearly alike. 



* The Crow above alluded to is the Fish-Crow. See the next article. 



(128) 



