24 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



quite straight, with a more or less sharp or obtuse tip. Nostrils 

 circular, entirely hidden by bristles. 4th to 6th primaries almost 

 equal and longest, 3rd very little shorter, 1st not much more than 

 half 2nd. Tail about three-quarters length of wing, end very 

 httle rounded, almost straight. Plumage soft and full, blackish- 

 brown with white spots. Sexes alike. One species in a number 

 of different forms in northern Europe and Asia, in India to 

 Himalayas, east as far as China and Japan, and as far south 

 as Hainan and Formosa. Another very different species in 

 North America. 



NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES 



7. Nucifraga caryocatactes caryocatactes (L). — THE THICK- 

 BILLED NUTCRACKER. 



CoRVus Caryocatactes, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. x, i, p. 106 (1758 — 

 Europe. Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linnaeus), Yarrell, 11, p. 330 (part) ; Saunders, 

 p. 233 (part). 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Lores and nasal 

 bristles A\'hite with bro\\'n bases ; fore-head and crov^n uniform 

 dark chocolate-brown ; rest of body-plumage rather paler 

 chocolate-brown Avith pear-shaped white spots at tip of each 

 feather, considerably larger on under-parts, ear-coverts, and sides of 

 neck than on upper-parts ; back \Aith few and still smaller spots ; 

 rump darker with scarcely any spots ; upper tail-coverts brownish- 

 black slightly glossed greenish with one or two small whitish mesial 

 streaks ; under tail-coverts pure white ; tail brownish-black, 

 glossed bluish-green above and with white tips, small on central, 

 and becoming much larger on outer pairs ; primaries and 

 secondaries broMU-black glossed bluish-green above with very 

 small white tips to inner primaries and outer secondaries, 6th and 

 7th primaries Mith a large crescentic \vhite mark on basal part 

 of inner web, 5th primary often also with a small similar mark* ; 

 primary- CO verts, bastard-wing, and greater coverts glossed bluish- 

 green with some of the outer feathers with small white tips ; 

 median coverts same but more and larger white tips ; lesser coverts 

 browner with little gloss and pear-shaped white tips. This plumage 

 is acquired by complete moult from June to September. Summer. — 

 No moult. Abrasion makes body-plumage rather paler, wings 

 and tail become browner, white tips of primaries, secondaries, 

 outer primary-coverts, and greater coverts mostly wear off. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Resembling adult but body-plumage paler brown ; 

 crown not so uniform, with pale shaft-streaks ; mantle with white 



* One specimen of A'^. c. macrorhynchus has 5th to 8th primaries so 

 marked and small mark on 9th. 



