330 BniDS OF ILLINOIS. 



CoryiiUB. Bill ua long as the hoad. Tntl short, nearly ovon; winex Ions ami pointed, 

 lonKcr than mil. and noarlj- reuohlne ItH tip: projeftlne beyond the under tall-covorts. 

 whU'h roach I ho middle of tull. Tip of wins formed by the third, fourth, and flfth quillB, 

 which arc loui{'-«t. Tarnl usually with a row of small Hcutolla" on eaoh side. 



OBrruUnee. Hill usually shorlor thuu head. Tall leuKtlionod, rounded, and eener- 

 ally lonfc'or than the wIuks. which are short, rounded and extend scarcely beyond the 

 lower tail-coverts; those not reaohlne the middle of the tall. Tip of wing formed by the 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth quills, which are lonKost. Tarsi usually with a row of small 

 scutellic on the inner side only. 



Subfamily CORVINE.— The Crowb. 



CiiAB. Wines long and pointed, longer than the toll, and. when closed, renehing 

 nearly to Its tip. extending beyond the under tall-coverts, the third, fourth, and flfth 

 quills forming the tip of the wing. 



The following diagnoses may sen'e to distinguish the tlu-ee genera 

 of North American Corvinte: 



A. (Corvea). Bill compressed, much higher than brood: its tJp eomprcssod. 

 Size large (i. e. over 13 Inches longi, color black, or mainly black. 



Color black throughout: bill much eomprcssod. the culmen mui'h 

 arched, and the gonys convex: nasal bristles strong - - - Corvua. 



B. iXuri/ragerr.) BUI cylindrical, scarcely or not at all higher than broad: 

 Its tip depressed. Size small (i. e. less than 15 Inches long). Color uniform 

 blue or with ashy on body, and black wings and tall. 



Color ashy, with wings and tall mainly black. Culmon convex.gonys 

 slightly concave. Nostrils covered by shorl uusal tuft - - Pioioorru*. 



Color uniform blue. bright on the head; the throat streaked with 

 whitish. Culmon straight ; gonys slightly convex. Nostrils completely 

 exposed; no nasal tufts -...-.- Oymnokitta. 



Only the fii-st of the above genera has representatives in eastern 

 North America, the other two being distinctly western. 



Genus CORVUS Linn^us. 



Corvus LmNSUB, Syst, Nat ed. 10, 1. 1758. 105. Type. Corvus corax Linn. 



"Gen. Chab. The nasal feathers lengthened, reaching to or beyond the middle of the 

 bill. Nostrils large. circular, overhung bchiitd by nn'mbrano. the edges rounded else- 

 where. Rictus without bristles. Bill nearly ns long as the tarsus, very' stout: much 

 higher than broad at the base : culmen much arched. Wings reaching nearly or quite to 

 the tip of the tall, the outer tour primaries sinuated internally. Tarsi longer than the 

 middle toe. with a series of small scales on the middle of each side separating the an- 

 terior scutellato portion from the posterior continuous plates. Sides of the head occa- 

 sionally with nearly naked patches. Tail graduated or rounded." (Uist. S. Atn. li.) 



The following species occur in eastern North America : 



A. Feathers of the throat elongated, narrow, and with very distinct outlines. ^Ra\•en»^ 

 I. C, ooraz sinuatUB. Feathers of the nock and breast dull gray beneath the surface. 



Wing UKin' than 16 inches, tail 9.60 or more. 

 '.:. C. oryptoleuous. Feathers of the neck and breast pure white beneath the surface. 



Wint; loss than 1.") inches; tail loss than 9. 



