CORVIDJE — THE CROWS. 233 



Species and Varieties. 



RAVENS. Feathers of the chin and throat stiffened, elongated, narrow and 

 lanceolate, with their outlines very distinct. 



1. C. cor ax van carnivorus. Length about 25.00; wing, 17.00; 

 tail, 10.00 ; graduation of tail, 1.60 to 2.40. Feathers of the neck 

 and breast light gray beneath surface. Hah. Whole of North 

 America ; Guatemala and Mexico. Rare in Eastern United States. 



2. C. cryptoleucus. Length about 21.00; wing, 14.00; tail, 

 8.50 ; graduation of tail, about 1.25. Feathers of neck and breast 

 snowy-white beneath surface. Hob. Llano Estacado, or Staked 

 Plain of Texas; Arizona; Colorado. 



CROWS. Feathers of chin and throat soft, short, broad, obtuse, and with 

 their webs blended. 



A. Angle of mouth feathered — North American Crows. 



a. Tarsus longer than the bill. First quill not longer than tenth. 



3. C. americanus. The gloss of the plumage purplish-violet, and 

 hardly perceptible on head and neck, middle toe and claw rather 

 shorter than tarsus, measured from beginning of scutellse. 



Wing, 12.25 ; tail, 7.20 ; culraen, 1.85 ; tarsus, 2.00 ; middle 

 toe, 1.45 ; wing-formula, 4, 3, 5, 6, 2 ; first quill equal to 

 tenth. Hah. North America generally . var. americanus} 



Wing, 12.50; tail, 7.20; culmen, 2.10; tarsus, 2.30 ; middle 

 toe, 1.60. Wing-formula ? (moulting). Hah. South Florida. 



var. flo ridanus. 



4. C. ossifragus. The' gloss of plumage violaceous-blue, almost 

 green on the head, neck, and breast, where very perceptible. 

 Middle toe and claw longer than tarsus, as above. Wing, 10.50 ; 

 tail, 6.50; culmen, 1.55; tarsus, 1.65; middle toe, 1.35. Wing- 

 formula, 4, 3, 5; first quill slightly shorter than tenth. Hah. 

 Atlantic Coast of the United States. 



6. Tarsus shorter than the bill. First quill longer than tenth. 



5. C. caurinus. Gloss of the plumage as in americanus, but 

 deeper. Wing, 10.50; tail, 6.40; culmen, 1.95; tarsus, 1.70; mid- 

 dle toe, 1.25. Wing-formula, 4, 3, 5. Hah. Northwestern coast 

 of North America. 



6. C. mexicanus.^ Plumage highly lustrous, blended. Soft bur- 

 nished steel-blue, changing to violet on the crown, and with a 

 greenish cast on lower parts. Wing, 9.00 ; tail, 6.50 ; culmen, 

 1.60; tarsus, 1.20; middle toe, 1.10. Wing-formula, 4, 3,5. 

 First quill very much longer than tenth. Hah. Western Mexico 

 (Mazatlan, etc.). 



B. Angle of mouth naked — West Indian Crows. 



a. Tarsus much shorter than the bill. 



1 The measurements given are of a California specimen, in order the better to show the great 

 distinction to be made between this species and caurinus, which is probably not found in 

 California, being a more northern species, and having the coast of Washington Territory, or 

 perhaps Oregon, as about its southern limit. 



2 C. mexicanus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 375. This species is perfectly distinct from all the 

 others. The plumage has a silky blended character, and very high lustre, almost exactly as in 

 the larger Grakles {Quiscalus major, etc.). 



VOL. II. 30 



