CROWS. 127 



these display polished surfaces, or brilliant colours. 

 They are omnivorous in their appetite; insects 

 and their larvae, grain, fruits, bread, flesh, both in 

 a recent state and in putridity, and even small 

 living animals, all by turns are devoured by these 

 birds with relish. 



The species are most abundant in the northern 

 hemisphere ; but the great equatorial islands of 

 the Indian Archipelago have some genera peculiar 

 to themselves* 



GENUS. CORVUS. (LiNN.) 



The beak in the typical Crows is large, strong, 

 nearly straight, but the upper mandible more or 

 less arched t~f J point, which is sometimes very 

 slightly notenek ; the sides are compressed, and 

 the edges cutting ; the nostrils oval, covered with 

 stiff bristles ; the wings rather long, pointed, the 

 fourth quill longest ; the tail moderate or short, 

 with tb^ /extremity even or rounded ; the feet 

 formed fcr .walking, the lateral toes strong, and 

 nearly equal ; the claws strong, large, and curved. 



These are large birds, almost always clothed in 

 black plumage, with the beak and feet of the 

 same colour. They are very voracious, frequently 

 associating in large flocks, which, as their appetite 

 is almost universal, often commit much havoc 

 upon the fruits of human industry. 



The largest and most powerful species of the 

 genus is the well-known Raven (Corvus corax, 

 LINN.), celebrated even from the time of the uni- 

 versal Deluge. It is upwards of two feet in 

 length, and four in expanse of wing. Its plumage 

 is of a deep glossy black, with steel-blue reflec- 



