330 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 



them barren, so that I was able to shoot as many of one sex 

 as of the other. The following descriptions of these hand- 

 some birds may be worth recording : 



No. 161. The thoroughbred Hooded Crow of the Yen- 

 e-say' has the wings, tail, head, throat (extending as far as 

 the upper part of the breast), and thighs black. The rest 

 of the body is ashy grey, slightly darker on the under tail- 

 coverts. The upper tail-coverts begin grey, gradually become 

 darker in the centre until they are only edged with grey, 

 and finally become black as they join the tail. The axillaries 

 are grey. The grey is much lighter than in Western-European 

 birds, being almost as light as in Corvus capellanus of Sclater, 

 from Persia. The latter bird, however, has a longer bill. 



No. 181 can only be called a Hooded Crow. The grey is 

 a shade darker than in the preceding, and the shafts of the 

 grey feathers on the back are very dark. 



No. 162 has traces of black on the centres of the feathers 

 across the back, but perhaps not more than one might expect 

 to find in an accidental variety. 



No. 128. The grey on the back is very similar to the pre- 

 ceding ; but the upper and under tail-coverts are so much 

 darker than usual that I have no hesitation in saying that 

 this bird is not thoroughbred. 



No. 164 has still more Carrion-Crow blood in its veins. 

 All the feathers of the back are black, with grey edges. The 

 axillaries and upper and under tail-coverts are nearly black. 

 The breast and belly are much darker than usual. 



No. 166 I take to be about half-bred. It differs from the 

 latter bird in having more or less grey edgings to the fea- 

 thers on the back between the shoulders, in having the fea- 

 thers of the breast and belly broadly edged with grey, and 

 in having more or less grey on the axillaries and under tail- 

 coverts. 



No. 141 is very similar to the preceding ; but the grey edges 

 to the feathers are less distinct. 



Nos. 12, 143, 144, 146, 163, 165, 167, and 168 are evi- 

 dently the commonest form (possibly octoroons) . They are 

 black, with a band of grey feathers (many of them with black 



