112 CORVINE. NUCIFRAGA. FREGILUS. 



This genus, of which only two species are known to me, 

 forms the transition from the Crows to the Starlings. 



55. NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES. SPOTTED NUTCRACKER. 



Plumage dull reddish-brown, the upper part of the head, 

 wing-coverts, quills, and tail, blackish-brown ; all the fea- 

 thers, excepting those of the head and the tail-coverts, with 

 an oblong white spot, margined with dark brown, at the end ; 

 the spots of the lower parts larger ; the lower tail-coverts and 

 the tips of the tail-feathers white. 

 Male, 12J, . ., 7i, Ij. 



Although it is said to be common in many parts of the 

 continent, living in the woods of the mountainous districts, 

 it is of very rare occurrence in Britain, where it ranks only 

 as an accidental straggler. It obtains its name from its 

 alleged habit of splitting with its bill the shells of nuts and 

 other hard fruits. 



Corvus Caryocatactes, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 157. Nucifraga 

 Caryocatactes, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 117- Nucifraga 

 Caryocatactes, Nutcracker, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, i. 583. 



GENUS XXXII. FREGILUS. CHOUGH. 



Bill rather long, slightly arched, rather slender, penta- 

 gonal at the base, tapering ; upper mandible with the dorsal 

 line slightly arched, the ridge obtuse, the sides flattened, the 

 edges sharp, without notch, the tip slender, flattened, and 

 projecting a little ; lower mandible with the angle short, 

 the dorsal line concave, the tip slender, rather acute ; gape- 

 line slightly arched. Mouth narrow ; tongue slender, sagit- 

 tate and papillate at the base, with the tip slit and lacerated ; 

 oesophagus of moderate width ; stomach oblong, with the 

 muscular coat moderately thick, the epithelium dense and 

 rugous ; intestine of moderate length and width ; coeca very 

 small, cylindrical. Eyes of moderate size. Aperture of ear 

 roundish. Nostrils elliptical, concealed by the short, stiff, 

 reversed feathers. Head of moderate size, ovate ; neck ra- 

 ther long ; body rather slender ; tarsi rather short, com- 

 pressed, anteriorly with eight scutella, posteriorly with two 

 longitudinal plates, and thin-edged ; toes of moderate size, 

 the outer adherent at the base, the first large, the lateral 

 nearly equal, all with large scutella ; claws strong, arched, 



