PLO: 
347. 
420 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSERES — OSCINES. 
low. Length about 16.00; wing and tail about 8.00, the graduation of the latter about 2.00 ; 
bill 1.25. Rio Grande Valley and southward. Fr 
PICA. (Lat. pica, a pie.) Macpips. Tail extremely long, when fully developed forming 
more than } the total length, graduated for about 4 its own length ; the feathers with rounded 
ends, the middle pair at least tapering, and specially lengthened beyond the rest. Bill of ordi- 
nary corvine shape ; nos- 
trils concealed by long na- 
sal tufts. Wings short and 
rounded, with very short, 
narrow, faleate first pri- 
mary. Feetstout; tarsus 
little longer than middle 
toe and claw. Head not 
crested. A naked space 
about eye. Plumage black, 
iridescent, with masses of 
white; bill black or yel- 
low. Sexes alike. Habits 
arboreal and somewhat ter- 
restrial, — very irregular 
’ 5 ? 
in fact, a magpie’s general 
character being none of 
the best, though the ge- 
neric characters are ex- 
cellent. 
P. rus/tica hudson’‘ica. 
(Lat. rustica, rustic, rural; 
rus, ruris, the country. 
Of Hudson’s Bay. Fig. 
273.) MaAGpPie. Lustrous 
black, with green, purple, 
violet, and even golden 
iridescence, especially on 
the tail and wings. Be- 
low. from the breast to the 
crissum, a scapular patch, 
and a great part of the in- 
ner webs of the primary 
quills, white ; some whit- 
ish touches on the throat ; 
lower back showing gray, 
Mi N WDE RE WAL AK owing to mixture of white 
WN aw with black; bill and feet 
black ; eyes _ blackish. 
Length 15 or 20 inches, according to the development of the tail, which is a foet or less long, 
extremely graduated ; extent about 2 feet; wing about 8.00, the outer primary short, slender, 
and faleate ; bill 1.25; tarsus 1.67; middle toe and claw 1.50. 9 rather smaller than @, but 
alike in color. Arctic Amer. and U.S. from Plains to Pacific, except California ; common. 
The American magpie is extremely similar to the notorious bird of Europe, and attempts to 
establish specific characters have failed. It is a rather larger and ‘“ better” bird, though quite 
