CORVIN.E. 99 



66. NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES. 

 (NUTCRACKER.) 



Con-iis caryocatactes, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 157 (1766). 



The Nutcracker is a well-known bird, about the size of a Jay, dark 

 brown, spotted with white. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iv. pi. 253. 



The Nutcracker is a resident in Japan, both in Yezzo (Blakiston, 

 Ibis, 18G2, p. 326) and on the mountains of Southern Japan. 

 There are six examples in the Pryer collection from Fuji-yama, 

 where they occur at an elevation of about 5000 feet, descending 

 nearer the plains in winter (Jouy, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 

 1883, p. 302). 



The Nutcracker is an occasional visitor to the British Islands, and 

 its breeding-range extends across Europe and Siberia to Japan. In 

 Siberia the white spots, both on the upper and under parts and on 

 the ends of the tail-feathers, are much more developed than they 

 are in Europe and somewhat more so than they are in Japan. In 

 Siberian examples the bill is much slenderer than in European and 

 Japanese examples, and consequently they have been called Nuci- 

 fraga caryocatactes leptorhynchus (Seebohm, Ibis, 1888, p. 236). 



67. CYANOPOLIUS CYANUS. 

 (EASTERN BLUE MAGPIE.) 



Corvus cyamis, Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs, iii. p. 694 (1776). 



The Eastern Blue Magpie is much smaller than the Common 

 Magpie (wing from carpal joint 5^^ to 5| inches). The head is black 

 above, the body grey above and nearly white below, and the tail and 

 most of the wing are azure blue. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 42. 



The Eastern Blue Magpie is a resident in Southern Japan. There 

 is an example in the Swinhoe collection from Yokohama (Swinhoe, 

 Ibis, 1877, p. 115) ; and there are four examples in the Pryer col- 

 lection from the same locality. It is rather remarkable that it has 

 not been recorded from Yezzo, as it is common in the valley of the 

 Araoor and in North China. 



The Spanish Blue ^Magpie, Cyanopolius cooki, is so closely allied 



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