CORVID^fl. 167 



329. Ptilostomus Senegalensis. (Linn.) PL 



Enl., p, 538; Swain. Nat. Lib., Vol. 11, PL 135; 

 Corvus Senegalensis, Auct. ; Le Piapiac, Le Vail., 

 PL 54 ; Coracias Nigra, Lath.; Corvus Afer, Lin., 

 Shaw, Vol. 7, PL 371 ; Corvus Piapiac, Baud. 



GLOSSY black, with transverse linear shades on the tertial 

 feathers ; quills and tail light-brown, the latter with the 

 feathers lanceolate. Length, 17J" j wing, 6^. 



Found, according to Le Vaillant, on the banks of the " Groot Kirer.'' 

 Builds a round nest, at the top of a high tree, composed entirely of 

 thorny twigs, with a small round hole for entrance. Eggs six to 

 eight, light blue, marked with brown patches. It has never occurred 

 to any of my correspondents in this country. Sundevall states it is a 

 Senegambian species ; and I doubt if it is an inhabitant of South 

 Africa. 



The Sub-Family, CORVIN-ffiJ, or Crows, 



have the bill of various lengths, the base broad, and the 

 sides compressed, with the culmen more or less curved to the 

 tip, which is usually entire ; the nostrils entirely concealed 

 by the projecting frontal plumes, except when the head or 

 cheeks are denuded of feathers ; the wings long, and slightly 

 rounded ; the tail long and graduated, or moderate, and 

 nearly equal ; the tarsi lengthened, and covered in front 

 with broad scales ; the toes moderate, and strong, the lateral 

 ones of equal length. 



Genus CORVUS, Linnams. 



Bill strong, generally long, with the culmen more or less 

 arched, or nearly straight to the tip, which is entire ; the 

 sides gradually compressed from the base ; the gonys long, 

 more or less advancing upwards to the tip, the nostrils basal, 

 lateral, rounded, or entirely covered by the projecting bristly 

 plumes ; wings long and pointed, with the first quill shorter 

 than the second, and the third and fourth quills the longest ; 

 tail moderate, sometimes equal and rounded ; tarsi longer 

 than the middle toe, and broadly scutellated in front ; toes 

 moderate, strong, the outer slightly united at the base, and 

 the lateral ones nearly equal ; the claws strong, moderate, 

 and curved. 



330. CorVUS AlbicoIliS, Lath. ; C. Gaffer, Licht. ; 

 Le Corbivau, Le Vail., PI. 50; C. Vulturinus, Shaw., 

 Vol. 7, p. 343 ; Ringhals Kraai of Colonists, lit. 

 Ring-neck Crow. 



GENERAL colour, black, with a bronze reiection ; head, breast, 

 and top of hind portion of neck, bronze : lower portion of 



