4 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY 



powerful feet and claws, with every scale distinctly indicated. 

 The Crows, therefore, have a right to be placed at the 

 head of the Oscines, in preference to the Thrushes, which 

 excel them only in singing, beauty of voice being a feature to 

 which the Crows can lay no claim. It should be added that 

 nearly all the Crows are " Ainbulatores " or " Walkers," that is 

 to say, they do not hop. Many of them throw up pellets 

 after the manner of the Owls. 



THE TRUE CROWS. SUB-FAMILY CORVINE. 



THE ROOKS. GENUS TRYPANOCORAX. 



Trypanocorax, Sundev. Av. Meth. Tent., p. 43 (1872). 

 Type, T. frugilegus (Linn.). 



Distinguished from all the other Corvidcz by having the 

 forehead and sides of face bare, and covered with a white 

 scabrous skin. This is peculiar to the adult birds only, and 

 is found in both male and female. The bill is more slender 

 and lengthened than in any other of the British Crows. 



There are only two species of true Rook in the world, one 

 being the Common Rook of Europe, which extends eastwards 

 as far as Central Asia, and the other the Chinese Rook 

 (Trypanocorax pastinator\ which takes its place in Eastern 

 Siberia, Japan, and China. 



THE ROOK. TRYPANOCORAX FRUGILEGUS. 



Corvus frugilegus. Linn., S. N., i., p. 156 (1766); Macg., 

 Br. B., i., p. 535 ; Seeb., Hist. Brit. B., i., p. 549, pi. 16, 

 fig. 6; Dresser, B. Eur., iv., p. 551, pi. 264; Newt. ed. 

 Yarr. Br. B., i., p. 289; Saunders, Man. Br. B., p. 237. 



Trypanocorax frugilegus (L.), Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., iii., 



p. 9 (1877). 

 Adult Male Black, with a gloss of rich purple on the head 



and neck ; sides of face greenish; wing-coverts like the back; 



wings and tail black, with a green or purple gloss; under 



surface of body black, with a purple gloss, the throat with 



a steel-blue gloss ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown. 



Total length, 17 inches; bill, 2-25; wing, 12-4; tail, 7-5; 



tarsus, 2*2. 



