296 



A COURSE ON ZOOLOGY. 



The skylark is a European bird. The crows, ravens, 

 jays, and magpies belong to the crow family. There is 



FIG. 249. 



FIG. 250. 



BLACKBIRD. 



but little difference between the crow, the raven, and the 

 rook, these birds being the largest of the passeres, and 



the whole family being 

 omnivorous. The rook 

 has a bare space about 

 the margins of the bill. 

 In some countries the 

 crow acts as a scavenger, 

 street-cleaning being left 

 to it entirely. It likes 

 to follow the sower in 

 the field and eats large 

 quantities of grain, but 

 at the same time it de- 

 stroys innumerable in- 



magpie can be easily 

 tamed, but are very mischievous. The crows and 

 ravens are black ; the magpies have rich metallic re- 



