BIRDS — CORVIDAE — CORVUS AMERICANUS. 



567 



The wings are elongated ; the fourth quill is longest ; then the fifth and the fourth, which 

 are successively a little shorter ; the fifth to the ninth are graduated rapidly, the diminution in 

 length becoming successively less. ' The second quill is, however, about intermediate between 

 the sixth and seventh ; the first is about the length of the first secondary, shorter than the last 

 primary. The comparative lengths of the quills will be expressed by the following table of 

 distances from the tip of the longest primary to each one in succession : 



The tail is rounded, the feathers graduated ; the lateral 1.20 of an inch shorter than the 

 middle one. They are rather truncate at the end ; the outer webs most rapidly rounded ; the 

 outer and inner webs of the innermost feathers very nearly equal. 



The color everywhere is black ; lustrous above ; duller on the head and beneath. There is a 

 violet gloss above, excejit on the primaries, where it is green. 



Specimens vary somewhat in the length of the bill and other dimensions. California skins 

 appear to have the tail rather less graduated ; the middle toe proportionately shorter, the size 

 less. In a skin from the Upper Missouri (5191) the bill is rather more slender and less high, 

 although this is probably an indication of immaturity. 



According to Mr. Audubon, the chief difi'erence between the European Corvus corone and 

 American crow consists, in the first place, in the smaller size of the latter, measuring 18 

 instead of 20 inches ; the wings 12 instead of 13J. This difference, however, is not very 

 decided, as will be seen from the table of measurements, where some skins are as large as in 

 C corone. The bill and feet are also said to be weaker. The most important feature of 

 distinction appears to lie in the structure of the feathers of the head and neck, which in C. 

 corone are narrow, with the tips distinct, while in the American bird these tips are blended 

 together and do not maintain their individuality. The feathers on the fore neck in corone 

 are also lanceolate and distinct, showing the outline of each one as in the raven, while in the 

 American crow they are three times as broad, rounded, and entirely blended. Mr. Audubon 

 further remarks, that the neck of the European bird is glossed with green and blue, while that 

 of the American has a decided purplish brown tinge. 



Prince Maximilian states, in addition, that the note differs in the two species. 



