CHAP. XVIII.] BIRDS. 273 



The Corvidae, or Crows, Jays, &c., form an extensive and 

 somewhat heterogeneous group, some members of which inhabit 

 almost every part of the globe, although none of the genera are 

 cosmopolitan. The true crows are found everywhere but in 

 South America ; the magpies, choughs, and nutcrackers are 

 characteristic of the Palaearctic region ; the jays are Palajarctic, 

 Oriental, and American ; while the piping crows are peculiarly 

 Australian. The more detailed distribution of the genera is as 

 follows : — 



Sub-family I. Gymnorhininse (Piping Crows). — Strepera (4 

 sp.), and Gymnorhina (3 sp.), are Australian only ; Cracticus (9 

 sp.), ranges from New Guinea to Tasmania (this is usually put 

 with the Shrikes, but it has more affinity with the preceding 

 genera) ; Pityriasis (1 sp,), Borneo (an extraordinary bird of very 

 doubtful affinities) ; Grallina (1 sp.), Australia, is put here by 

 Sundevall, — among Motacillidse, by Gould. 



Sub-family II. Garrulinae (Jays). — Platylophus = LopJiocitta 

 (4 sp.), Malaya ; Garrulus (12 sp.), Palaearctic region, China and 

 Himalayas ; Ferisoreus (2 sp.). North of Palaearctic and Nearctic 

 regions ; Cyanurus (22 sp.), American, from Bolivia to Canada, 

 most abundant in Central America, but absent from the Antilles ; 

 Cyanocorax (15 sp.). La Plata to Mexico ; Calocitta (2 sp.), Gua- 

 temala and Mexico ; Psilorhinus (3 sp.), Costa Eica to Texas ; 

 Urocissa (6 sp.). Western Himalayas to China and Formosa ; 

 Cissa (3 sp.). South-eastern Himalayas to Tenasserim, Ceylon, 

 Sumatra, and Java. 



Sub-family III. Dendrocittinse (Tree Crows). — Temnurus (3 

 sp.), Cochin China, Malacca to Borneo (not Java) ; Dcndro- 

 citta (9 sp.), the Oriental region to Sumatra, Hainan, and For- 

 mosa ; Crypsirhina (3 sp.), Pegu, Siam, and Java ; Piilostomtis 

 (2 sp.). West, East, and South Africa. 



Sub-family IV. Corvinse (Crows and Magpies). — Nucifraga (4 

 sp.), Palaearctic region to the Himalayas and North China; Pici- 

 corvus (1 sp.), the Eocky Mountains and California ; Gymnokitta 

 (1 sp.), Eocky Mountains and Arizona (Plate XVIII., Vol. II., 

 p. 128); Pica (9 sp.), Palaearctic region, Arctic America, and 

 California ; Cyanopica (3 sp.), Spain, North-east Asia, Japan ; 



