INSES$ORES. NUCIFRAGA. 367 



GENUS NUCIFRAGA, BRISS. NUTCRACKER. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



BILL conical, longer than the head, and strait ; the 

 upper mandible having its culmen rounded, and longer than 

 the lower one ; both of them terminating in a slightly obtuse 

 point. The lower mandible of nearly equal thickness with 

 the upper one, and tapering gradually from the base to the 

 point. Commissure straight to the base ; from thence back- 

 wards slightly angulated. Nostrils in the base of the bill 

 round, open, and covered by the reflected frontal bristles. 

 Wings long, rounded ; the first quill short ; the fourth and 

 fifth equal to each other, and the longest in the wing- 

 Tarsus longer than the middle toe. Feet with three toes 

 before, and one behind. The outer toe joined to the middle 

 one at its base. Claws not much curved, but very sharp. 



This bird has also been very judiciously separated from 

 the Crows by late ornithologists, essentially differing from 

 that genus, not only in the conformation of its bill, but in 

 its habits. In the latter respect it approaches nearer to the 

 Woodpeckers, and seems to form a connecting link between 

 the genera Corvus and Picus *. It is the only known spe- 

 cies of this genus ). 



It forms apparently a still closer tie between the present and the 

 preceding families; its bill being very similar in shape to that of Cassicus. 

 Mr VIGORS makes this and Barita the introductory genera to the family 

 of Corvida. See VIGORS on Nat. Aff." p. 447. 



f Another species has since been discovered in Central Asia, and 

 figured in GOULD'S " Century of Himalayan Birds." 



