56 Synopsis of the Bird* 



Female hardly distinct in colour from the male. Young 

 somewhat different from the adult before the first year. Moult 

 annually. Very shy, suspicious, avoid snares ; sense of 

 smelling acute. 



Live in forests and fields, generally in scattered flocks. 

 Several migrate. The larger species occasionally prey on 

 small birds, and are very fond of eggs. Build in high trees, 

 rocks, or fissures of old edifices. Lay only once in the 

 year ; eggs 3 — 8. Easily tamed, susceptible of attachment ; 

 capable of articulating words ; purloin and conceal small 

 articles not useful to themselves. 



Spread all over the globe. 



SUBGENUS I. CORVUS. 



Gorvus, Briss. Vieill. 



Bill thick, robust. Head feathers not erectile. Tail mo- 

 derate, even, or slightly rounded. Colours black, not varie- 

 gated. 



Walk gravely. Flight elevated, long sustained. 



58. Corvus corax, L. Black ; back glossed with bluish- 

 purple ; tail much rounded, reaching two inches beyond 

 the wings ; third primary longest : length twenty-six inches. 



Raven, Corvus corax, Wils. Am. Orn. ix. p. 113. pi. 75. 



Inhabits almost every part of the globe : rare in Pennsyl- 

 vania, but numerous in the interior of the United States, and 

 to the north near the lakes. 



59. Corvus corone, L. Purplish-black, glossy; tail slightly 

 rounded, reaching but little beyond the wings ; tail-feathers 

 acute ; fourth primary longest ; first equal to the ninth : 

 length eighteen and a half inches. 



Crow, Corvus corone, Wils. Am. Orn. iv. p. 79. pl> 3G. 



Inhabits both continents, very common : more frequent in 

 the northern and middle states than in the southern. 



