THE BALD FRUIT CROW. 



413 



length, presenting a bold and conspicuous appearance when the bird spreads its wings. 

 The central feathers of the tail are nearly eleven inches in length, and they decrease 

 gradually in size ; those on the exterior being hardly five inches long. Their colour is a 

 wonderfully rich mixture of the deepest blue, purple, and green, the green Tieing towards 

 the base, and the blue and purple towards tlie extreniity. The under surface of the tail- 

 feathers is dull black. The lower parts of the breast, abdomen, and flanks are snowy 

 white. The total length of the 

 adult male bird is about eighteen 

 inches, the female being rather 

 smaller and with a shorter tail. 





The Fruit Crows are placed by 

 some systematic authors among 

 the chatterers, while others, as in 

 the catalogue which we follow, 

 have considered them to be nearly 

 related to the true Crows. They 

 are all natives of Southern Ame- 

 rica, and are distinguished by their 

 straight flattened beak, with its 

 upper mandible round, and a notch 

 at its extreniity. The nostrils are 

 placed in two membranous groves 

 at each side of the bill. Most of 

 the Fruit Crows are of considerable 

 dimensions, some species equalling 

 tlie Crows of Europe, while others 

 are a little less. 



The Baee-necked Fkuit Crow 

 inhabits Brazil and Guiana, and 

 is far from uncommon in those 

 countries. It is not a very large 

 bird, hardly equalling the com- 

 mon jackdaw in size, but is 

 worthy of notice on account of the 

 peculiarity from which it derives 

 its popular name. Instead of being 

 covered with the usual plumage, 

 the upper part of the liead, the 

 back of the neck, and the throat 

 are clothed with very minute and 

 closely-set feathers of a very deep 

 black, so that the bird looks as 

 if the neck had been denuded 

 of feathers, and covered with a 

 piece of neatly sewn black velvet. 

 On the sides of the neck even 

 this slight clothing is absent, the 



plumage being represented merely by a few scanty feathers of down. The general colour 

 of the feathers is black in the male, and brownish grey in the female, excepting the 

 wing-coverts and the edges of the central quill-feathers, which are slaty grey. The 

 Bare-necked Fruit Crow is not at all an elegant bird in its form, lacing heavily made 

 and thick-set. 



Theee are several other members of this curious group, such as the liAi.n Fi.uiT 

 Ceow, called also the Capuchin Bald Head, on account of the peculiarity whirli has 



BARE-NECKED FRUIT CROW.— C!/mJ^O(^crl(S fdtidus. 



