BIRDS OF 



indistinctly streake.i witli darker. Upper mandible plunibeous-black, lower, 

 bluish-plumbeoui". ; iris deep-brown ; legs and feet brownish-black. Size, 

 slightly less than the preceding. 



H.M3. Upper Mississippi Valley and the region of the Great Lakes. 



Nest, a hnllcw in the ground, lined with grass 



Eggs, ^ lo 1 . wall white marked with spots of btown and purple. 



As near as I can remember this species first appeared in 

 Ontario about the year iS68. It was noticed at once as being^ 

 different from our winter visitor, being less in size and its phun- 

 age having the washed-out look peculiar to the Prairie birds. 

 Smce that time it has increased annually until it has become quite 

 established. 1 think thc\- do not all leave in the fall, but that a 

 few remam and associate with the northern form, which arrives 

 from the north early in the winter. Great niunbers appear in 

 February or early in March, and should the season be late they 

 swarm in the road tracks and bare places everywhere, waiting 

 for the disappearing of the snow, and even before it is quite gone 

 many pairs commence building their nests. Soon the flocks 

 separate, the birds scatter in pairs over the countr}', and are not 

 again seen in such numbers imtil the following season. 



There are now eight different species of the Genus Ofocoris, 

 described as being found in North America. They have all a 

 strong family likeness, but differ sufficiently to warrant specific 

 distinction, though several of the groups are of very recent 

 formation. They are found mostly in the west and south-west, 

 only two species having, till now, been observed in Ontario. 



F'amily CORVID^. Crows, Jays, Magpies, etc 

 Subfamily GARRULIN^. Magpies and Jays. 



Genus PICA Brisson. 



185. PICA PICA HUDSONICA. (Sab.). 475. 



American Magpie. 



Bill black; head, neck, fore-part of the breast and back, black, glossed 

 with green and blue ; middle of the back, greyish-white ; scapulars, white : 



i86 



