CROWS AND JAYS. 



CROWS, JAYS, ETC. (FAMILY CORVID^E.) 



There are systematists who think that the members 

 of this family should hold the place usually assigned the 

 Thrushes, at the head of the class Aves. Leaving out of 

 the case anatomical details whose value is disputed, we 

 might object to a family of songless birds being given first 

 rank in a group whose leading character is power of 

 song. But while Crows and Jays may, from a musical 

 standpoint, be considered songless, no one can deny their 

 great vocal powers. Song, after all, does not imply high 

 rank in bird-life, and some of the sweetest singers (among 

 others, some Snipe, and the Tinamous and Wood Quail 

 of South America) are not members of the suborder of 

 Song Birds. 



If, however, the relative intelligence of the two fam- 

 ilies be taken into account, there can be no doubt that 

 CorvidcB fully deserve to be considered the most highly 

 developed of birds. How many tales are told of the 

 human actions of the Raven, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie, 

 Jay, and Crow ! 



Of the two hundred members of this family, six in- 

 habit eastern North America, by far the most common 



being the Crow. No one of our birds 

 American Crow, . g better kn and gti]1 how ignorant 



Cor 'V us americanus. 7 



we are of his ways ! I am not sure 

 that he does not know more about ours. We have not 

 even recorded his notes, for, in spite of the current opin- 

 ion that the Crow's calls are restricted to caw, he has an 

 extended vocabulary. I am not aware that he ever 

 ascends to the height of a love song, but that he can 

 converse fluently no one who has listened to him will 

 question. Of the variants of caw, each with its own 



significance, there seems no end ; but if you would be 

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