252 Noirni amehican birds. 



about 11 inches instead of lo) ; the l>ill is broader at tlie ])aso and tajiers more 

 rajtidly to the end ; the middle toe au'l ehiw are k)nu('r than the seutelhite 

 portion of tlie tarsus, not sliorter, tlie inner ehiw not reacliin^ to the l)ase of 

 the niiddhi one. The tail is less rounded. The «doss on the l)ellv is ^reeu 

 instead of vi«)let ; that on the back is mixed with green, not entirely violet. 



Habits. The Fisli Crow of Eastern North America has a distributi(jn 

 restricted to the Southern Atlantic and the (Julf shore. It is lound in the 

 States of Xew Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Mrj^nnia, the Caro- 

 linas, (leor^ia, and Florida, and, according to Audubon, thence to the mouth 

 of the ^Iississi]>j»i West of that river it ai)pears to be very rarely met with. 

 Dr. Wiirdemaim ol>tained it at Calcasieu, Lii. Mr. Allen, in a list of the 

 birds of ^lassachusetts, i)ublished in 18(14, names this species as \n occa- 

 sional visitor along the southern coast of that State, but I am not able to 

 find any corroboration of the statement, and believe it to be a mistake. Dr. 

 De Kay, in his Keport on the birds of Xew York, states that this Crow is 

 occasionallv seen on the shores of Louli: Island, but Mr. Lawrence is conti- 

 dent that it never occurs farther north than S(}uaw Ueacb, in New Jersey. 

 So, too, Mr. Townsend is (pu)ted by Itoth Audubon and Xuttall as authority 

 for its occurrence on the Columbia Kiver, of which we have no confirmation. 

 This species was first tlescribed l)y Wilson, who met with it and oltserved 

 its habits on the sea-coast of (leorgia. In some respects its habits were 

 the exact reverse of those of the common Crow, as the former regularly re- 

 tired at evening into the interior to roost, and came down to the shores of 

 the river Savannah, on the first ap])earance of day, to feed. Its voice first 

 attracted his notice ; there was something in it very different from the utter- 

 ances of the Crow, being more hoarse and guttural, and more varied in its 

 modulatit)ns. The mode of flight was also observed to be quite different, 

 as the Fish Crow occasionally soars about in the manner of the Kaven and 

 of Ilawk.s, Mithout Hapjnng its wings, — a flight which the Crow" is never 

 obser\ed to make, and is ])robal>ly not able to execute. 



The food was also (jliserved to be unlike, as well as the manner of pro- 

 curing it. The favorite haunt of this species seemed to be the banks of the 

 river, ui) and down which thev soared, and in a verv dexterous manner 

 snatched u}> with their claws dead fisli, or other garbage found floating 

 on the surface. Tliis Crow was also seen to perch freciuently on the back of 

 cattle, in the manner of the Jackdaw of Km-ope. It was never seen to 

 min-le with the common Crows ; and never, like the latter, roosts among the 

 reeds and marshes near the water, but always seeks the shelter of the woods, 

 in which to pass the night. 



Afterwards, in his journey near the Mississi}>])i, Wilsoix observed the same 

 birds fretpienting the borders of rivers and jionds, and feeding on the re])- 

 tiles found in those waters. They were close attendants u])on the cow-yards, 

 and were more solitary, Itut much less shy and sus])icious, than the common 

 Crow. This sj)ecies was also observed l)y Wilson in Cape May County, Xew 



