266 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Pica caudata, var. hudsonica, Bonap. 



MAGPIE. 



Corviospica, Fokster, Phil. Trans. LXXII, 1772, 382. —Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, 1811, 75, 

 pi. XXXV. — Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 40. — Ib. Syn. 1828, 57. — Nuttall, Man. I, 

 1832, 219. —AUD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 408, pi. ccclvii (not of Linn^us). Corvus 

 hudsonica, Jos. Sabine, App. Narr. Franklin's Journey, 1823, 25, 671. Picus hud- 

 sonica, Bonap. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 383. — Maxim. Reise Nord Amer. 

 I, 1839, 508. — Ib. Cabanis, Journ. 1856, 197. — Newberry, Zool. Cal. & Or. Route, 

 Rep. P. R. R. VI, IV, 1857, 84. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 576, pi. xxv. —Lord, 

 Pr. R. A. Inst. IV, 121 (British Columbia). —Cooper & Suckley, 213, pi. xxv. — 

 Dall & Bannister, Tr. Chic. Ac. I, 1869, 286 (Alaska). — Finsch, Abh. Nat. Ill, 

 1872, 39 (Alaska). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 296. Chptes hudsonicus, Gambel, 

 J. A. N. Sc. 2d Ser. I, Dec. 1847, 47. Pica melanoleuca, "Vieill." Aud. Syn. 1839, 

 157. — Ib. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 99, pi. ccxxvii. 



Sp. Char. Bill and naked skin behind the eye black. General color black. The 



belly, scapulars, and inner webs of the 

 primaries white ; hind part of back 

 grayish ; exposed portion of the tail- 

 feathers glossy green, tinged with 

 purple and violet near the end ; wings 

 glossed with green; the secondaries and 

 tertials with blue ; throat-feathers spot- 

 ted with Avhite in younger specimens. 

 Length, 19.00 ; wing, 8.50 ; tail, 13.00. 

 Young in color and appearance similar 

 generally to the adult. 



Hab. The northern regions of North 

 America. The middle and western 

 Provinces of the United States exclu- 

 sive of California; Wisconsin, Michi- 

 gan, and Northern Illinois, in winter. 



The American Magpie is al- 

 most exactly similar to the 

 European, and differs only in 

 larger size and disproportionably 

 longer tail. According to Maxi- 

 milian and other authors, the 

 iris of the American bird has a grayish-blue outer ring, wanting in the 

 European bird, and the voice is quite different. It is, however, difficult 

 to consider the two birds otherwise than as geographical races of one primi- 

 tive stock. 



Habits. The American Magpie has an extended western distribution 

 from Arizona on the south to Alaska on the northwest. It has been met 

 with as far to the east as the Missouri Eiver, and is found from there to the 

 Pacific. It is abundant at Sitka ; it was observed at Ounga, one of the 

 Shumagin Islands, and was obtained by Bischoff at Kodiak. 



