rORVTD.E — THE CROWS. 28 1 



Family CORVIDJB. — The Crows. 



CiiAn. Primarios ton; the first s^hort, ^eiu'ially about halt" jus lonpr as tlio soron<l (or a 

 little more) ; the out«T four siiuiatt'd on tlir inner edge. The nasal fossa? and nustrils 

 usually more or less coneealed hy narrow, stitfened hristles (or bristly feathers), with 

 Mhort appresse<l lateral hranrhes extendinjc to the v«'ry tip, all dire<-ted forwards (these 

 bristles oeeasiotuvlly wantin^'^). Tarsi seutellate anteriorly, the sid( •- undivided (except 

 sometimes below), and separated from the anterior plates by a narrow nak«'d strip, some- 

 times nile I up with small seah's. ]3asal joint of middle toe tuiited about e<pially to the 

 lateral, generally for about half the length. Bill generally notched. 



Tlie preceding characters distiiij^'uish the family of Crows (iiiite markedly 

 from all others. Tlie features of the bristles on the bill, and the separation 

 of the lateral and anterior scales by a narrow interval, are worthy of par- 

 ticular attention. The commissure is without the obtusely angular bend 

 near the base, seen in the Ida-Uhv. 



There are two sub-families of Corrhlfr represented in America, one embra- 

 cing the true Crows, the other the Jays. They pass very insensibly into each 

 other, and it is difficult to mark the dividing line. We may, however, dis- 

 tinguish these, as found in the United States, by the following characters : — 



Corvinae. Bill as long as the head. Tail short, nearly even; wings long and pointed, 

 longer than tail, and nearly reaching its tip; projecting beyond the un<ler tail-eoverts, 

 which n-ach the middle of tail. Tip of wing formed by the tnird, fourth, ami lifth quills, 

 which are longest. 



Oarnilinae. Bill usually shorter than head. Tail lengthened, rounded, and generally 

 longer than the wings, which are short, rounded, and extend scarcely beyond the lower 

 tail-coverts ; these not reaching the middle of the tail. Tip of wing formed by the fourth, 

 fifth, and sixth cpiills, which are longest. 



The row of small scales is usually present on both sides of the tarsi in 

 the Corviiicv, but in the Jays is generally restricted to the inner face. 



Subfamily CORVINiE. 



Char. Wings long and pointed; longer than the tail, and, when closed, reaching 

 nearly to its tip, extending far beyond the under tail-coverts ; the third, fourth, and fifth 

 qtulls forming the tip of the wing. 



The following diagnosis may serve to distinguish the three genera of 

 North American (7b?Tmcp ; — 



A. ( Corvecc). Bill compressed, much higher than broad ; its tip compressed. 

 Size large (i. e. over 15 inches long), color black, or mainly black. 



Color black throughout ; bill much compressed, the culmen much 

 arched, and the gonys convex ; nasal bristles strong . . . Corvrts 



