14/8 THE PERCHING BIRDS 



restricted to the New World; while in spite of the fact that many species, as well 

 as families, range across the whole of the north temperate parts of the Old World, 

 from the British Isles to Japan, comparatively-few families can be termed strictly 

 cosmopolitan. Among those families, which are variously represented in almost 

 every region of the globe, may be ranked the finch tribe, the swallows, and the true 

 crows. For lustre of plumage and striking combinations of color, the perching 

 birds of the Indo- Malay an region excel all others; but South America possesses a 

 larger and more varied assortment of these birds. Among the number, tanagers 

 and chatterers form specially interesting groups. While the mocking birds, repre- 

 sented by closely-allied species in both the northern and southern divisions of the 

 New World, have the best claim to be considered the ^finest songsters in the entire 

 order, in Europe it is probable that the blue thrush possesses the most beautiful 

 notes of all the Passerines. 



In such a large and difficult group as the perching birds it is but natural to 

 expect diverse views among ornithologists in regard to classification. To a great 

 extent the scheme of Dr. Sharpe is here followed, which differs very considerably 

 from that recently proposed by Mr. Gates in the Birds of British India. Without 

 attempting to weigh the value of the two, the former has been adopted, as being 

 that more generally known. It will be obvious that in such a vast assemblage all 

 that can be attempted in the limits of our space is to notice some of the more gen- 

 erally interesting types. 



THE CROW TRIBE 

 Family 



Frequently conspicuous b)' a black or pied plumage, often variegated with gray 

 and occasionally with brown, although some species, like the blue jays of South 

 America, are much more gaudily colored, the members of the Crow family form a 

 group which, while having few characteristics in common, are yet easy of recognition. 

 Possessing a stout and generally large beak, without a distinct notch in the upper 

 mandible, and generally straight, the crows have the chin angle or union of the two 

 branches of the lower jaw, almost always produced in front of the line of the 

 nostrils; while the tongue is nonextensile. The toes are of the normal passerine 

 type, but although the first toe is strong, it is inferior in length to the third. The 

 nostrils are clear of the line of the forehead, and are protected by a number of stiff 

 bristles reaching to the middle of the beak, which are, however, shed in the adult 

 of the European rook. The wing always has ten primary quills, and the tail twelve 

 feathers. Mr. Gates, who includes the tits in the present family, points out that the 

 crows may be distinguished by having the first primary quill longer than half the 

 length of the second; while the plumage is more or less firm and glossy, and 

 the length of the bill considerably greater than its depth. Both groups agree in 

 that the plumage of the two sexes is alike, and undergoes but one molt (in 

 the autumn) ; while the plumage of the young is paler. 



Some representatives of this specialized family are found in all the great conti- 

 nents, and even islands have in some cases their peculiar species. The piping 



