CORVUS. 531 



The true Crows belong to the long- winged group of the Corvinte, in which 

 the tail is always less than three fourths the length of the wing ; in the 

 other groups, the Magpies and the Jays, it is more than three fourths the 

 length. From the Nutcrackers they may always be distinguished by never 

 having the tail particoloured, and from the Choughs and the Orioles 

 by having the bill black. The bill is stout and conical ; the wings are 

 long and somewhat pointed, and the first primary is more than half the 

 length of the longest ; the tail is slightly rounded ; and the tarsus is 

 scutellated. 



The geographical range of the genus is cosmopolitan, with the exception 

 of South America, New Zealand, and most of the Pacific Islands. This 

 genus contains from forty to fifty species and subspecies. Ornithologists 

 have amused themselves by splitting the Crows into numerous genera, 

 apparently with no other object than to satisfy the desire for novelty, 

 and with no other result than to confuse the ornithological student. My 

 friend Mr. Sharpe admits no fewer than twelve of these pseudogenera, 

 founded upon so-called structural characters of the most trivial kind ; but 

 he informs me that he does not now think these genera can be maintained. 

 Five species belonging to this genus are found in Europe, all of which are 

 British, whilst three others are included in the western Palaearctic Region, 

 being found in North Africa and Palestine. 



The Crows are almost omnivorous, and are found in most localities, how- 

 ever bare and sterile. They are birds of powerful though rather heavy 

 flight, and on the ground walk with ease. Their notes are harsh and 

 unmusical. They build bulky nests of sticks, moss, roots, &c., in the 

 branches of trees, on cliffs, and in holes in tree-trunks, walls, and rocks. 

 Their eggs are from four to eight in number, and vary from almost white 

 to green, and in one or two instances red, in ground-colour, spotted and 

 blotched with green of varying degrees of intensity. 



